Cherry tree.....maybe?

[Lunar Wood]

I'd say, from the picture, that it's a small Crab Apple, a bit like 'Red Sentinal' but smaller. Are there 5 chambers for the pips when you cut horizontally rather than one stone?.. This would put it into the Malus/Pyrus section of the rosaceae rather than prunus. There are a lot of different ornamental crabs and they do cross and self seed. People are often mislead into thinking that it's a Cherry by the long stalk to the fruit.

Hope this helps

Richard

[bagnally]

Thanks Richard. I will have a closer look at the tree when I next visit my sister. Her husband was convinced it wasn't a cherry tree so if it is a crab apple I'm sure he'll be gloating. Does this mean the fruit is edible or could it just be an ornamental?

[Lunar Wood]

Hi Bagnally...

I just saw a very similar Crab Apple at Sheffield Park, not such squat fruit but so similar. It was Malus toringoides. I suppose it depends what you mean by edible, it certainly won't be like a Cox's Orange Pippin but would make quite pretty Crab Apple Jelly I expect. I hope this helps

Richard

[link below]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=malus+toringoides&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=FHryr9BoKy0ckM:&imgrefurl=http://www.pflanzeninfos.net/Lexicon%3Fpage%3D4%26letter%3DM&docid=UeeYi_Um12zqJM&imgurl=http://www.pflanzeninfos.net/Files/GetImage/26225/dummy.png%253FWidth%253D700%2526Height%253D600&w=700&h=466&ei=1UqbTsCVMs6w8QOu4onsBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=942&vpy=219&dur=2576&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=169&ty=120&sig=100722039424356657197&page=4&tbnh=165&tbnw=220&start=72&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:72&biw=1258&bih=928