Question: Can you help me identify this shrub/small tree? My best guess is Prunus serotina, but the whitish coloration on the …
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Question
Can you help me identify this shrub/small tree? My best guess is Prunus serotina, but the whitish coloration on the inside of the leaves is throwing me off. Found in woodlands in Hyde Park, MA (southeastern Boston). Thanks!!
Answer
Dear meridione, the plant you have photographed certainly appears to be Prunus (cherry, plum), but which species I cannot determine with 100% confidence. It is either Prunus serotina (as you have suggested) or Prunus virginiana (some of the leaf blades look obovate, which indicates this species). You can confirm the identification by looking for white to rusty colored hairs along the underside of the leaf's midrib (present in the former, absent in the latter). Best wishes.
