Plant ID

[jackpine]

Found this on the property over the weekend back in the woods next to an old logging trail. Only one of its kind in the area, really looks out of place. It caught my eye because it was so heavily browsed except for 1 shoot that made it above browse height. Thanks

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[Rally1148]

It almost looks like forsythia. But I've never really seen deer browse that. Maybe a cherry with those serrated leaves, but this one really beats me.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

I agree with black cherry

 

[jackpine]

Thanks guys!

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[Bowsnbucks]

Def. not forsythia. Had one in the yard growing up.

 

[Rally1148]

Def. not forsythia. Had one in the yard growing up.

I'd hope not. It was a wild guess. I'm not great with the Cherry family other than knowing that have smoothish kinda glossy bark with serrated leaves.

 

[Tap]

I'm not great with the Cherry family other than knowing that have smoothish kinda glossy bark with serrated leaves.

Actually, black cherry develops very scaly, rough bark as it matures.
The tree on the left edge of the OP photo looks like it could be a cherry but it's a little tough to say for sure because of the photo.
Black cherry is one of my best wildlife trees. It hinges extremely well and it also stump sprouts. In fact, it's almost impossible to kill one if it gets some sun. I've cut mature cherry trees that have stump sprouted and I have repeatedly hinged the sprouts...and new sprouts keep growing for years. I have one that I've been cutting for 25 years. I prefer to cut them in late summer when the plots are going dormant and the cherry still has leaves because my deer hammer the leaves of hinge-cut cherry trees. If I waited until winter to cut, I would miss-out on the tonnage the leaves provide.
Cherry are very easy to keep in a bush growth-habit. It's great cover and browse in that form. I'll bet there is a stump under that thick growth in the photo.
And the mast is top-notch for dependability and attraction. Once a tree is old enough to produce cherries, it bears mast very year as far as I can tell.
And deer love cherries. There is one on the edge of my yard that's dropping cherries right now and deer are hoovering-up cherries every single evening.
I had a stand in a cherry tree that was a heavy mast producer. But it turned out to be a frustrating tree for a stand because I often was stuck in the tree for a long time after dark due to deer feeding underneath me. It would be pitch black dark and I could hear the crunch of deer eating the cherry pits. Even on damp nights when I couldn't hear deer walking under me, I could still hear them crunching cherries:)

 

[Tap]

Here's some black cherry pics.
Scaly bark. This tree is less than 30 years old.

I cut this tree about 10 years ago. The stump is rotting but it still sprouts. These trees are really hard to kill. I usually hinge it every summer and just about every leaf within a deer's reach is eaten.

This is a typical amount of mast. It bears every single year.

The cherries are sweet and delicious, but there isn't much to one. The deer eat the pit and all.

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[jackpine]

I should've recognized the leaves as black cherry since i used to have a couple in the yard. They are exactly as u decribe although I didn't have deer around eating on them like you do. Is there anything I can do with the tree in the picture to ensure that it thrives as deer food...maybe cage it for a while..or? Thnx

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[Tap]

I should've recognized the leaves as black cherry since i used to have a couple in the yard. They are exactly as u decribe although I didn't have deer around eating on them like you do. Is there anything I can do with the tree in the picture to ensure that it thrives as deer food...maybe cage it for a while..or? Thnx

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You could try caging at least 1 or 2 sprouts to let at least some grow out of the reach of browsing. I usually preserve a sprout and let it get a few inches in diameter and out of the reach of deer. As the other sprouts start to grow out of deer's reach, I will hinge those. I think having a dominant sprout growing helps feed the roots and aids in more stump sprouting.
I can't say if a stump sprout will ever mature enough to produce mast. I don't see why they couldn't, but I've never let one grow that long without re-hinging it.
I will get some more pics of hinge regrowth and post them later.
Hinge sprouts are also moderately rubbed by bucks, too.

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[jackpine]

I might cage 1/2 of it to include the tall stem and then move the cage to the other side every year or two. How tall does the cage have to be for a tree like this? Never done this before but enjoy reading the threads on trees for habitat. Thanks

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[j-bird]

I personally would just put a tight cage around the entire thing. The deer will nip off what grows beyond the cage, but there should be enough left to keep it alive. As for height - I prefer 5 feet if I can get there. You can also use a shorter height - say 3 feet and simply mount it on T posts 2 feet off the ground and get the same thing. Keep in mind that as the stems mature the deer will loose interest.

I was always told that stump sprouts make poor timber because the stump rots and causes a weak base in the tree and it will eventually bust off before it reaches timber size - you may not care, but just something to consider. I like stump sprouts for putting cover and food at the deer level.

 

[Tap]

I personally would just put a tight cage around the entire thing. The deer will nip off what grows beyond the cage, but there should be enough left to keep it alive. As for height - I prefer 5 feet if I can get there. You can also use a shorter height - say 3 feet and simply mount it on T posts 2 feet off the ground and get the same thing. Keep in mind that as the stems mature the deer will loose interest.

I was always told that stump sprouts make poor timber because the stump rots and causes a weak base in the tree and it will eventually bust off before it reaches timber size - you may not care, but just something to consider. I like stump sprouts for putting cover and food at the deer level.

Good points. I'd still eventually allow a single leader to dominate the growth. Once it grows to 3 or 4 inches diameter, then hinge it at about 5 feet. With adequate sunlight, that tree should stay alive for several years...maybe longer.

Here's some cherry that have been re-hinging several times.
You can also see some rub scars. Quite a few of these trees have been rubbed.

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[jackpine]

Thanks ..great info guys. I'm definitely just interested in maintaining it for the browse. It's really out of place in this area dominated by scrub oak and hazelnut brush so I'm thinking the deer see it as a treat..something different. It is on the edge of a red pine planting that I'm having thinned so I need to at least mark it so the logging equip don't run it over.

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[Bowsnbucks]

Yep - ^^^^ - mark it real well with ribbons of surveyor's tape. We had to do the same thing with " keeper " trees before logging began. When the loggers are cutting & skidding timber, they go like " H " to increase profit. Lots of bright ribbons stick out !!