In The Garden: Cherry?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by ashton, Jun 2, 2012.

  1. ashton

    ashton Member

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    Attached are 3 pics of a plant that I ordered from a nursery 6 years ago. It is clearly not the Chionanthus that I ordered. Might be a cherry. Does anyone have a positive ID? It has not flowered yet, although it is 6 feet tall. It is growing quite happily in Ottawa.
    Thanks.
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Chionanthus retusus.
     
  3. ashton

    ashton Member

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    The leaves have a sawtooth edge... so how can it be chionanthus? I also have a real chionanthus virginicus in flower and the leaves are quite different. When I ordered the mystery plant, it was supposed to be chionanthus virginicus.
     
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Following up on Ron B's ID, see this hortuconn page for Chionanthus retusus, which says "leaf margin can be entire or serrated", and leaves are opposite, as they are in your photo. The leaf arrangement for cherries is alternate, not opposite.

    Only the female trees produce fruit. I suppose they would need a male tree nearby to do that.

    I was supposed to have learned these trees in Washington, DC, where we saw a lot of them in bloom (probably C. virginicus). Thanks for reminding me. Maybe I'll learn the name now.
     
  5. ashton

    ashton Member

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    The websites that I visited said the leaves were smooth. OK, so thank you very much to the two of you. I will let the nursery that supplied it know that they were almost right in what they shipped. I've enjoyed it for 6 years now and expect that one of these days it will flower, like my chionanthus virginicus.
    Thanks again,
     

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