Amur Cherry

Description:

Prunus Maacki is a deciduous tree and can grow to be 4-10m tall, this particular tree standing at about 2m. The bark on young trees is very distinct fissured and is dull dark grey-brown. The leaves are 4–8 cm long and 2.8–5 cm broad, which are very brittle at the moment. The fruit is a small cherry-like drupe 5–7 mm in diameter, which are red but have fallen off and become black due to weather conditions.

Habitat:

Found in phase 3 of the beautiful Botanical Gardens at the Olds College but outside of that the origin of the species isnt from North America and actually originates from Eastern Asia so it should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH so its suitable for inner city life as well.

Notes:

I suspect this just to be bark splitting which can occur because of various environmental factors at different times of the year. For instance, the seasonal change from fall to winter may cause frost cracks. The splits are starting to occur on the trunk of the tree as well as on branches. This kind of tree is susceptible to this type of injury due to their thin bark, young trees are also more prone to bark splitting. Bark splits are not likely to be fatal, although it may allow entry of diseases, causing decay.