Oregon State University
Alphabetical List of Tree Common Names Alphabetical List of Tree Scientific Names Identification Key Mystery Tree

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bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata)

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  • Size: Grows to 50' tall and 18" in diameter.

  • Fruit: Small, bright red, juicy fruit with a single large seed. Bitter to the taste (inedible).

  • Twigs: Slender; reddish-brown. Spur shoots common on mature twigs.

  • Bark: Thin; reddish-brown; tends to break and curl horizontally. Large horizontal lenticles on bark.

  • Distribution: Bitter cherry grows on moist sites throughout most of the western states.



chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

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  • Size: Large shrub or small tree growing to 30' tall.

  • Fruit: Small, purple, juicy fruit with a single large seed.

  • Twigs: Slender; reddish-brown; smooth. Spur shoots common on older twigs.

  • Bark: Thin, broken; scaly. Lenticels not present.

  • Distribution: Occurs throughout the West, but also spans Canada and the northern United States.



Klamath plum (Prunus subcordata)

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  • Size: Shrub or small tree growing to 25' tall.

  • Fruit: Oblong; 1/2"-1" long; dark red or purple.

  • Twigs: Slender; reddish-brown; conspicuous lenticles. Spur shoots often sharp.

  • Bark: Grayish-brown; fissured and broken into plates; may be scaly; thin (1/4" thick).

  • Distribution: Klamath plum likes drier climates than the cherries. It ranges from southern Oregon to central California.


For more information about these species see "Trees to Know in Oregon".

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