I had this great cherry tree in florida until we had a freeze. It died, i think, but i saw some growth on the trunk. All of the limbs were dry and snapped off. Is it possible its still alive?
I am not a cherry tree expert - more of a novice but that does not look like a cherry tree to me. What variety cherry is it?
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Scratch underneath the bark. Green=alive. Brown=dead.
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Surinam cherry? (Acerola?)
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The tree itself is alive, and I think itās likely that many of the larger branches will start to put out new growth. If the tree werenāt alive you wouldnāt see that green on it.
You can always take it out later if Iām wrong!
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I agree with Mark the main trunk is hardier than the branches.
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FWIW, I doubt that any freeze Florida would see would be cold enough to kill a cherry tree.
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Good point.
This is 100% not a cherry tree (nor Prunus avium neither Prunus cerasus). Perhaps some tropical tree that has ācherryā in its name (like Surinam cherry proposed above by @BlueBerry; I donāt have any experience with these plants, so cannot identify it).
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Stan, just an āeducated guessā on my part, I am not certain. But if itās Surinam cherryā¦itās a tropical plant. Not as hardy as your average orange or grapefruit. You are correct it isnāt anything anyone in zones 4-6 would call a cherry tree.
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Dont know what kind of cherry tree it is butā¦its 100% a cherry tree. I have eaten cherries off the tree. they look like bing cherries. Freezing is freezing, and its get below 32f every year in florida.
@Johnfin, what part of Florida are you in?? Iāve never seen cherry trees anywhere down here, so Iām curious to know what variety it might beā¦any pictures of the fruit?
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Well thats a matter of perspective. My wife would agree with you. This is the only Cherry tree she ever grew up with and they just called it cherry. But the majority of the rest of us identify cherries as members of the prunus family and 32f not only means nothing to a Bing type cherry they need several weeks of 32 degree weather to be happy. Anyway a close up of the leaves show they look nothing like a Prunus Cherry but very much like that of the Barbados Cherry(Acerola) or Surinam Cherry. Your discretion of the shape indicates its a Acerola. Anyway both are very cold sensitve. The regrowth likely indicates the tree will survive this time. As soon as your able to determin which branches are dead you should remove them.
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It might be a 100% capulin cherry. The trunk is more like it and the tiny leaves growing. Some cultivars of Capulin are susceptible to freezes especially if the temperature decline is dramatic. If it is gradual, they can be hardy down to 27 deg F, if not, light frosts can form even at 36 deg F on clear moonless nights and it can kill off the top limbs. If it has been a lot higher than freezing days before and overnight, thereās a freezing event even at slightly below 32F, they donāt have time to harden and most limbs die back.
And if it tastes like Bing, please send me a lot of seeds from it later on when it bears fruits! Many capulin cultivars that I have tasted looked like Bing cherries, and the same texture and dark colors too, but then it has somewhat resinous flavor that has become a turn-off to many people. No researchers here that I know are actively selecting for better tasting cultivars. And it is one of the potential cherries that really donāt require chilling hours and if ever, might be lower than 50 hrs. It is a tropical prunus, P. serotina. Should be good for coastal areas, and areas that donāt have a lot of chilling hours.
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More pictures might help. But a look at the bark on the tree tells me itās not like a pie cherry from Michigan, nor a Bing cherry from Washington, nor a wild black cherry from Kentucky, nor a flowering cherry from Japan.
Has to be tropical lit would seem. Barbados, Brizilian, Surinam? Your āorganicā forms of vitamin C come from either rose hips or acerola cherries from the Caribbean area. The trunk of the tree that was posted appeared to be Surinam cherry, which is spreading in Florida and some consider an invasive plant. But, if the fruit more resembles a cherry from the supermarket in the USA then it may be the acerola (Barbados) cherry.
I donāt believe it is a Prunus species at all, the closest bark Iāve seen would be prunus lusitanica. I still think weāre dealing with a tropical ācherryā. Until somebody proves otherwise.
For reference, hereās Prunus serotina, or Capulin cherry.
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P.s. its NOT a Surinam cherry tree.
Fruit totally looks like cherry - leaves donāt at all
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More pics
