How to spot cherry
- Glossy oval leaves; showy white or pink blossoms in spring on ornamentals
- Horizontal lines (lenticels) across smooth, dark bark
- Small dark fruit (wild black cherry) loved by birds
- Often a smaller ornamental in the front yard, or a tall wild cherry at the woods' edge
Cherries are everywhere here — the ornamental Yoshino and Kwanzan cherries people plant for spring color, and the native black cherry that pops up along tree lines. They're generally short-to-medium-lived and a little trouble-prone.
The big one to know is black knot — a fungal disease that makes ugly black, swollen 'galls' on the branches of cherries and plums. It spreads and slowly takes the tree down. Pruning out the knotted wood helps; a badly infected tree may be better removed.
Common problems we see on cherry
This is general guidance from three decades of tree work across the Philadelphia area — not a formal diagnosis. When it matters, we'll come look at the actual tree and give you a straight answer, free.
Brennan Tree Service has cared for trees across the Philadelphia area since 1994.
Frequently asked questions
What are the black lumps on my cherry tree's branches?
That's black knot, a common fungal disease on cherries and plums. The swollen black galls spread year to year. Pruning out the infected wood helps slow it; a heavily infected tree is often better removed. We can take a look.