Wildlife strikes again (Chipmunks)

[reible]

Our sand cherries are coming in abundance this year. We manage to eat some of them and the rest the wildlife enjoys. Robins and chipmunks mostly. This year crop is larger then most years, maybe due to all the rain?? Peak was about a week ago but there are still plenty to be had.

IMG_7285sc.jpg (229.71 KiB) Viewed 1781 times

So in normal years the chipmunks take the berries and they simply are gone. Not this year, this year the chipmunk pits the cherries and just takes the seed. This is leaving us with a nice mess to clean up.

IMG_7315sc.jpg (132.57 KiB) Viewed 1781 times

We have seen them doing this for the last few days, would like to know just how many seeds they can pack in their jaws, it has to be quite a few, the jowls are just bulging, would like to have a picture but it hasn't happened yet.

Ed

[garys]

Rodents have their work to do in this world. They make messes, destroy whatever they can get hold of, and spread diseases. They are doing a good job for you.

On another note, those pictures appear to be Nanking cherry (prunus tomentosa), not sand cherry (prunus besseyi).

[reible]

Rodents have their work to do in this world. They make messes, destroy whatever they can get hold of, and spread diseases. They are doing a good job for you.

On another note, those pictures appear to be Nanking cherry (prunus tomentosa), not sand cherry (prunus besseyi).

Hi,

Can't tell you what sort of cherry bushes they are but when I purchased them, 6 of them in the beginning they were sold as sand cherries. Could they have been miss-labeled sure, and any other sort of error could have occurred but all six looked alike.

So what does one look for when deciding they are nanking rather then sand cherry?

Ed

[garys]

Sand cherry has a dark colored cherry, almost black and a smooth slender leaf.
It is a native to the North American continent.
http://www.ontariowildflower.com/images ... _fruit.jpg

Nanking cherry has a bright red cherry, and a "grooved" almost fuzzy leaf. This one is native to Asia.
http://www.degroot-inc.com/images/Nanking_Cherry_B.jpg

To me, the Nanking cherry is more useful. The berry has more flavor for jams and jellies, even though it is usually more sour than the sand cherry.

[reible]

Looks like I was tricked, I doubt I still have the paper work nor would I be inclined to complain at this point in time. We put the bushes in for wildlife and they seem to be happy eating them. They have a sweet sour sort of taste and a large seed as compared to the fruit. As I said we eat a few and the rest are taken care of by the birds and chipmunks.

I'm really glad you called my attention to this as I have been misinformed and have misinformed others when they have ask about them. Now I should get it right.

Ed

[garys]

I think you got a good deal. The Nanking cherry seems to be longer lived and stay productive longer than the Sand cherry. The birds like them equally, and like I mentioned earlier, the Nanking cherry produces a more useful fruit for you.