# cherry smoking wood



## copedirector (Sep 14, 2012)

Can wild cherry or choke cherry be used for smoking? Geographically the wood is from SE Nebraska.


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## Chainsaw Master (Sep 14, 2012)

Yup....its great for smoking & BBQ'S....leaves a nice sweet smoke flavor!


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## Jere39 (Sep 14, 2012)

I sell all my wild Cherry to BBQ and Smokers. But, I have access to more Black Cherry, which seems slightly different than the wild Cherry. I wonder if the Black Cherry would also be good for the smokers and BBQ crew.


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## Morgan in AR (Sep 14, 2012)

Jere39 said:


> I sell all my wild Cherry to BBQ and Smokers. But, I have access to more Black Cherry, which seems slightly different than the wild Cherry. I wonder if the Black Cherry would also be good for the smokers and BBQ crew.


Around here, wild cherry, black cherry and choke cherry are the same thing.


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## greendohn (Sep 14, 2012)

I used all cherry and nuthin' else on ham and it imparted too strong a "cherry" flavor.

I use it as a mix in my smoker, now, and it really provides a delicious flavor. 

I only use a couple/few small splits.


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## Jere39 (Sep 15, 2012)

Morgan in AR said:


> Around here, wild cherry, black cherry and choke cherry are the same thing.



Many people here probably call it all the same too. But, I distinguish the Cherry from trees that are producing edible cherry fruit which are growing wild; that is not intentionally planted in orchards. From the Black Cherry tree which produce relatively few, small, and not edible cherries. No doubt the trees are related, but the Black Cherry tree is much taller, and has a dark scaled bark, while what I call wild cherry is a smaller tree, has a smooth bark, even at an old age. The bark is relatively thin and peels off easily especially when split green. 

Most arborist tree identification web sites and books are very clear in describing the Black Cherry tree. Few even describe what I call a wild cherry tree, or for that matter any orchard variety fruit trees.

So, I'll admit, I may be distinguishing between only slightly different tree types. None the less, I have customers who take the former. If I could sell them the Black Cherry too for the same purpose, it would increase my access to wood for them.


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## Dunragit (Sep 15, 2012)

I like to mix Pecan in with the Cherry


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## sam-tip (Sep 15, 2012)

I gave some to a guy that smokes every weekend. He loved it. Keeps wanting more. 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2


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## Ronaldo (Sep 16, 2012)

I have thought that cherry used alone is just too strong for me, anyway. Much prefer hickory or apple when using them by themselves. As others have mentioned ablend may be the deal.

Ron


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## groundup (Sep 16, 2012)

I've talked about cherry on here before. It is a great wood. I use it on everything from pigs to chicken thighs.


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## ft. churchill (Sep 16, 2012)

Cherry of any kind is a great smoking wood. Milder than hickory and oak, and somewhat different flavor. Leaves the smoked meats with a strong red coloration. I loke it on chicken, fish, and pork.


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## TreePointer (Sep 17, 2012)

Jere39 said:


> Many people here probably call it all the same too. But, I distinguish the Cherry from trees that are producing edible cherry fruit which are growing wild; that is not intentionally planted in orchards. From the Black Cherry tree which produce relatively few, small, and not edible cherries. No doubt the trees are related, but the Black Cherry tree is much taller, and has a dark scaled bark, while what I call wild cherry is a smaller tree, has a smooth bark, even at an old age. The bark is relatively thin and peels off easily especially when split green.
> 
> Most arborist tree identification web sites and books are very clear in describing the Black Cherry tree. Few even describe what I call a wild cherry tree, or for that matter any orchard variety fruit trees.
> 
> So, I'll admit, I may be distinguishing between only slightly different tree types. None the less, I have customers who take the former. If I could sell them the Black Cherry too for the same purpose, it would increase my access to wood for them.



I'm in prime black cherry timber area and send logs to the mill every now and then. This is how we categorize them here:

Black cherry = wild cherry = _Prunus serotina_. The cherries are indeed edible. The pits are not.

Chokecherry = _Prunus virginiana_. Not very large. Often looks more shrublike and never really gets big enough for firewood. Cherries also edible

Pin cherry = fire cherry = _Prunus pensylvanica_
That other tree you mentioned sounds like a Pin cherry. It's bark doesn't plate like black cherry, remains smooth, and will grow to have pronounced horizontical lenticels. Wood is a bit softer than black cherry. The outer bark often wants to keep both sides of the split together like a piece of paper was glued to it. (Edible cherries, BTW.) Even this ancient one on our farm retains the many of its youthful characteristics:


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## Jere39 (Sep 17, 2012)

TreePointer said:


> I'm in prime black cherry timber area and send logs to the mill every now and then. This is how we categorize them here:
> 
> Black cherry = wild cherry = _Prunus serotina_. The cherries are indeed edible. The pits are not.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the response. Your pictures of the bark are exactly like what I was calling a "wild cherry", and your description of how the bark often hangs on to both sides of a split is also exactly what I have experienced. I have never heard the term Pin Cherry before, but Wiki has a good description that matches yours. It's great to learn something every day.

Unfortunately, while searching information on the Pin Cherry I found reference to a Bird Cherry which appears similar, save for the larger, more oval leaf. This guy does a very good job describing Black, Pin, and Bird Cherry:

Trees with Don Leopold - bird cherry - YouTube

Here are a couple pictures of one of the bigger ones at the edge of my woods:















Either way, I have been selling Black Cherry as a mixed hardwood, and selling the other cherry for smokers and BBQ folks.
Thank you for pointing me.


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## Whitespider (Sep 17, 2012)

We have the same three “cherry” trees around here… I have all three in my woodlot;
The Black Cherry (some call them a wild cherry tree) does have “editable” fruit but they don’t taste very good as a stand-alone… normally used for making jelly and jam. It can grow to relatively large size… I have some in my woodlot well over two feet in diameter.
The Choke Cherry, which looks more like a shrub than a tree, has larger and sweeter fruit. Usually it doesn’t get big enough to be worth the time to cut for firewood.
And the Pin Cherry is a nuisance, grows like weeds everywhere you don’t want it. Because of the similarities in bark, it’s commonly mistaken as some sort of birch. As far as firewood quality it’s several steps down from Black Cherry... pretty good for fire pit wood though. Usually they don’t live long and I rarely see one over 10-12 inches diameter.


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## Nosmo (Sep 18, 2012)

*Wild Cherry*

I was able to get some wild cherry last fall. They were just young springs about 1" or 1-1/2" in diameter. A couple weeks ago my friend who smokes meat and likes to cook used some of this cherry I had given him. 

That meat certainly tasted good. I say for you to get all of it you think you will need.

Nosmo


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## Whitespider (Sep 18, 2012)

*Jere39*,
I hate to tell you this, but those pictures of leaves you added are not the leaves of any cherry tree I know of.


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## Jere39 (Sep 18, 2012)

Whitespider said:


> *Jere39*,
> I hate to tell you this, but those pictures of leaves you added are not the leaves of any cherry tree I know of.



Well, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, but seems to be some interest here. I agree, these leaves are very different from Black Cherry and Pin Cherry. But, from my research, Take a look at this page (from a UK website) with pictures of "Bird Cherry" and "Wild Cherry" as distinct from both "Black Cherry" and "Pin Cherry"

Hainault Forest Website


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## TreePointer (Sep 18, 2012)

Jere39 said:


> Well, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, but seems to be some interest here. I agree, these leaves are very different from Black Cherry and Pin Cherry. But, from my research, Take a look at this page (from a UK website) with pictures of "Bird Cherry" and "Wild Cherry" as distinct from both "Black Cherry" and "Pin Cherry"
> 
> Hainault Forest Website
> QUOTE]
> ...


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## Jere39 (Sep 18, 2012)

TreePointer said:


> Jere39 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, but seems to be some interest here. I agree, these leaves are very different from Black Cherry and Pin Cherry. But, from my research, Take a look at this page (from a UK website) with pictures of "Bird Cherry" and "Wild Cherry" as distinct from both "Black Cherry" and "Pin Cherry"
> ...


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## dwraisor (Sep 19, 2012)

I have two large black cherries I want gone because of the proximity to the house... One is an easy fell, the other needs a rope pull, a bucket or climber to get down as it leans toward the neighbors power line

I don't smoke, but was thinking of checking on selling the trunks for lumber, and they are not really yard trees as the house is only 12 years old, and built on what used to be a forest ridge, and still is mostly.

dw


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## Whitespider (Sep 19, 2012)

*Jere39,*
I suppose it's possible that you have some sort of European Cherry import, planted as an ornamental many years ago, that has somehow "gone wild", but I highly doubt it. Normally, any alien tree capable of that is well known, documented and usually wide-spread... and is closely watched for invasive tendencies.

Actually, looking at those leaves and bark, I think you have one of the dozen or so native species of the genus _amelanchier_, and called by many names such as serviceberry, sugarplum, shadwood, juneberry, and even wild plum (which is incorrect). The common serviceberry, (_amelanchier arborea_) can grow rather large, well over 50 feet and around 20 inches diameter, and has a dark, hard, aromatic heartwood very close to cherry (actually a bit harder than cherry)... but it ain't cherry, it's serviceberry.


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## Jere39 (Sep 25, 2012)

Whitespider said:


> *Jere39,*
> I suppose it's possible that you have some sort of European Cherry import, planted as an ornamental many years ago, that has somehow "gone wild", but I highly doubt it. Normally, any alien tree capable of that is well known, documented and usually wide-spread... and is closely watched for invasive tendencies.
> 
> Actually, looking at those leaves and bark, I think you have one of the dozen or so native species of the genus _amelanchier_, and called by many names such as serviceberry, sugarplum, shadwood, juneberry, and even wild plum (which is incorrect). The common serviceberry, (_amelanchier arborea_) can grow rather large, well over 50 feet and around 20 inches diameter, and has a dark, hard, aromatic heartwood very close to cherry (actually a bit harder than cherry)... but it ain't cherry, it's serviceberry.



I offer this not to be argumentative, but rather because I am unconvinced. Both the USDA web site at: PLANTS Profile for Prunus padus (European bird cherry) | USDA PLANTS reference observed populations in PA, and this Dendrologist, Don Leopold, at one of the SUNY sites describes it pretty precisely on his youtube video at Trees with Don Leopold - bird cherry - YouTube

Purnus Avium - Bird Cherry, escaped cultivation in Europe and is found in several US states, including PA


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## TreePointer (Sep 25, 2012)

Jere39 said:


> I offer this not to be argumentative, but rather because I am unconvinced. Both the USDA web site at: PLANTS Profile for Prunus padus (European bird cherry) | USDA PLANTS reference observed populations in PA, and this Dendrologist, Don Leopold, at one of the SUNY sites describes it pretty precisely on his youtube video at Trees with Don Leopold - bird cherry - YouTube
> 
> Purnus Avium - Bird Cherry, escaped cultivation in Europe and is found in several US states, including PA



Well, I just went out to my "pin cherries" and took another good look at the leaves, bark, and buds (no flowers or fruit this time of year). It think you're correct. That big tree I always thought was a pin cherry indeed seems to be the European bird cherry (_Prunus avium_) you mentioned. There are a whole bunch of 'em on the end of one crop field. I'll post some of my pics later.

Here's a good fact sheet on _Prunus avium_ (click on pics for larger images):
Prunus avium Fact Sheet


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## TreePointer (Sep 25, 2012)

Jre39, that's a good video link. Thanks for setting me straight on this tree. I'll rep you when I can. 

Here are some pics from my tree. As someone mentioned earlier, the leaves do look a little like elm from afar, but they definitely are a cherry. The leaves have the characteristics of _Prunus avium_, and the twig & buds confirm it as far as I'm concerned.


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## Jere39 (Sep 25, 2012)

TreePointer said:


> Jre39, that's a good video link. Thanks for setting me straight on this tree. I'll rep you when I can.
> 
> Here are some pics from my tree. As someone mentioned earlier, the leaves do look a little like elm from afar, but they definitely are a cherry. The leaves have the characteristics of _Prunus avium_, and the twig & buds confirm it as far as I'm concerned.



Thanks TreePointer, since my post earlier today I heard back from:

Donald J. Leopold, Ph.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair
Department of Environmental and Forest Biology
SUNY-ESF

to whom I had sent pictures and a youtube video tour of my own tree. Dr/Prof Leopold confirmed my pictures and video are definitely the Prunus Avium. Coincidentally, he has family in the Valley Forge area and has personally observed significant populations of the Bird Cherry in this area. He confirms that while not native to this area, it is not considered invasive.


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## TreePointer (Sep 25, 2012)

Jere39 said:


> Thanks TreePointer, since my post earlier today I heard back from:
> 
> Donald J. Leopold, Ph.D.
> Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair
> ...



That's awesome! 

Years ago I called it a pin cherry because it was fit my admittedly limited knowledge of what was "not black cherry" (this was in the Dark Ages before our modern Internet). The flower and fruit was similar to pictures I had seen of pin cherry, but I never took a detailed look at the leaves, twigs, and buds.


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