Greetings Plant enthusiasts! I am in the Lakeland area of Alberta (3 hours NE of Edmonton & S of Fort Mac). Attached are two pictures. I think it may be a pin cherry tree - but it was more of a shrub, and certainly not 30 feet tall as the "Trees & Shrubs of Albera" reference book suggested. Any suggestions would be welcome! I do not want to try and eat the berries - should they be toxic. The berries were on the plant even yesterday when the pictures were taken.
It sure looks like a Pin Cherry, and "Trees of Canada" says that it may be reduced to a shrub in soils deficient in moisture. Split the fruit open and see if it has a single cherry type seed in it.
Greetings Vitog & Ron: I opened the fruit and not only does it have a single large pit/seed like a cherry...it looks strikingly like a mini cherry. I am not sure what a prunus is and I have little background in plants. Thanks for the follow up.
Prunus = cherries, plums and related plants. So yes, it is a cherry. All cherries are edible, but not all taste nice fresh, some have to be cooked to be palatable. Try one and see what it is like, it certainly won't hurt you.
