United States 

1 Department of 

Agriculture 

Forest Service 

Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station 

Research Paper 

N E-552 

Black Cherry Provenances 

for Planting in 

Northwestern Pennsylvania 

Russell S. Walters 
The Author 

Russell S. Walters is a research forester with the Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station's Forestry Sciences Laboratory at Warren, Pennsylvania. 

He has been engaged in research on the regeneration of Allegheny hardwoods 

since 1982. He received a B.S. degree in forestry from Michigan State University 

in 1951 and a M.S. degree from Oregon State University in 1953. 

Manuscript received for 

publication 25 June 1984 

- 

Abstract 

Black cherry is one of the most valuable eastern hardwoods, but guides 

for choosing suitable seed sources for planting stock are limited. After 14 

years, survival of 8 of 24 sources planted is greater than 70 percent, and there 

are no significant differences ih height. These sources offer the greatest 

potential for planting in northwestern Pennsylvania; they include four Pennsylvania sources and one each from Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia. 

Although these planted trees survived and grew satisfactorily, they did not 

grow better than nearby natural seedlings. If natural seedlings are available, 

the need or desirability of planting is questionable. 

Cover Photo 

A selected, superior, 26-inch black cherry growing in McKean County, Pennsylvania on 

the Allegheny National Forest. This tree is 119-feet tall and has 70 feet of clear stem to 

the first branch. 
Introduction 

Northwestern Pennsylvania, especially the Allegheny Plateau area, 

provides much of the black cherry 

(Prunus serotina Ehrh.) wood used 

commercially in the world. Despite the 

high value of this resource, foresters 

have little information to guide them 

in choosing suitable seed sources for 

planting. Fourteen years' data from 

a provenance study suggest few 

reasons for seeking other than local 

seed sources. 

Black cherry can be more than 

100 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter, 

making it the largest and only commercial lumber producing species in 

this genus in the United States (Hough 

1960). Attributes such as natural 

beauty, stability, and superior working qualities make it a valuable and 

highly prized wood for furniture, cabinets, and interior trim. 

The natural range of black cherry 

is one of the most extensive of the 

eastern hardwoods. It is found from 

Canada to Florida and west to eastern 

Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, 

and southeastern Minnesota. It also 

grows in Arizona, Mexico, and Central America. Despite the large extent 

of this natural range, the commercial 

range of black cherry is quite small 

(Fig. 1). Most black cherry wood comes 

from stands in the northern Allegheny 

and Pocono Plateaus of Pennsylvania, 

adjacent areas in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and the mountains 

of West Virginia, Maryland, and northeastern Ohio (Hough 1960). We did 

not know what seed sources are best 

for planting within this commercial 

range. 

The extent of the range of black 

cherry ensures much variation among 

geographic sources within the species 

(McVaugh 1951, Hough 1960). An 

early limited study bears this out 

(Genys 1963). In 1966, West Virginia 

University initiated a comprehensive 

Figure 1.-Natural range of black cherry in Eastern North America. Shaded 

area indicates the commercial range. Numbers show seed collection 

locations. The square indicates the study site on the Kane Experimental 

Forest. 

study of the rangewide variation in 

growth rate, seed and seedling characteristics, and wood properties of 

the species. The study also proposed 

to determine the best seed sources 

for planting in West Virginia, and to 

establish a gene pool for future breeding work. Valuable information from 

this study on geographic variation in 

seed and seedling characteristics, 

top and root characteristics, and 

other observations were reported by 

Cech and Kitzmiller (1968), Kitzmiller 

(1968), Brown and Cech (1972), Genys 

and Cech (1975), Cech and Carter 

(1979), Carter (1980), and Carter et al. 

(1984). As a cooperator with West 

Virginia University in this study, we 

had an opportunity to establish a 

comprehensive provenance study in 

the heart of the commercial range of 

black cherry. 
What We Did 

We planted in early May, 1969, 

using 1-year-old seedlings grown in 

the Parsons State Nursery, Parsons, 

West Virginia. The seed sources 

represent 24 provenances from the 

northern, central, and southern portion of the range of black cherry in 

the Eastern United States. Locations 

of each provenance are listed in 

Table 1 and shown in Figure 1. Each 

source consisted of seeds collected 

from five mother trees growing at least 

150 feet apart (Cech and Kitzmiller 

1968). The progeny of each mother 

tree were not kept separate in the 

plantation. 

The study site is located on the 

Kane Experimental Forest in Elk 

County, Pennsylvania. The location 

is within the boundaries of the Allegheny National Forest and represents 

site conditions found in the commercial range of black cherry. It is located 

at 41.6 degrees north latitude and 

78.8 degrees west longitude, at an 

elevation of 2000 feet. The latitude 

adjusted for elevation is 47.1 degrees. 

To prepare a site for this study, 

we clearcut a 70-year-old hardwood 

stand during the winter of 1968-69. 

The site index for black cherry is 

about 72. Because of potentially 

heavy deer browse, we planted inside 

a deer-proof exclosure (Marquis and 

Table 1.-Location and elevation of seed sources in the black cherry 

provenance trial at Kane Experimental Forest 

Seed lot number 

and origin of 

seed source 

Latitude 

N. 

Longitude 

W. 

El evation 

Adjusted 

latitudea 

Average 

planted 

height 

in 1964 

Average 

height 

in 1982 

Percent 

survival 

in 1982 

Northern Sources 

1-CA-1 Ontario, Canada 

2-VT-1 Vermont, Chittenden 

3-NY-1 New York, Cortland 

4-MI-1 Michigan, Kalamazoo 

5-PA-1 Pennsylvania, Warren 

6-PA-2 Pennsylvania, Potter 

7-PA-3 Pennsylvania, McKean 

8-PA-4 Pennsylvania, Centre 

Central Sources 

9-OH-1 Ohio, Wayne 40.8 86.9 1100 

10-MD-3 Maryland, Anne Arundel 39.1 76.5 25 

11-WV-1 West Virginia, Monongalia 39.7 80.0 2300 

12-WV-2 West Virginia, Wood 39.0 81.5 500 

13-WV-3 West Virginia, Tucker 39.1 79.7 2900 

14-WV-4 West Virginia, Greenbrier 37.7 80.2 1750 

15-WV-5 West Virginia, Wayne 38.0 82.3 650 

16-IL-1 Illinois, Williamson 37.7 89.1 455 

17-VA-3 Virginia, Wise 37.0 82.6 4000 

18-TN-1 Tennessee, Morgan & Scott 36.3 84.5 1900 

19-TN-2 Tennessee, Monroe 35.3 84.3 3800 

Southern Sources 

20-AL-1 Alabama, Lee 32.7 85.5 750 34.8 " .59 b 

21-MS-1 Mississippi, Warren 32.3 91.0 300 33.1 .34 b 

22-TX-1 Texas, Cherokee 31.8 95.0 300 32.6 .55 b 

23-FL-3 Florida, Alachua 29.7 82.3 120 30.0 .29 b 

24-FG-1 Florida, Georgia (29.4) (82.8) (29.8) .16 b 

(combined) 

aLatitude plus (elevation/400), based on 400 feet in elevation to 1 degree of latitude (Hopp 1974). 

bEliminated from analyses after 1975. 
Brenneman 1981). To facilitate planting, we cut and moved slash from the 

planting lines. As expected, a dense 

profusion of black cherry and pin 

cherry seedlings and other vegetation 

developed inside the fenced area. We 

removed the natural seedlings from 

around the planted trees to maintain 

their identity. In addition, the study 

trees have been released from competing vegetation as needed, almost 

annually. The need for the protection 

given by a fence is demonstrated by 

the total lack of natural seedlings 

outside its perimeter (Fig. 2). 

Our study design was a randomized complete block, with 10 

replications of four-tree row plots for 

each of the 24 seed sources. The 

rows are 12 feet apart, with 10 feet 

between trees in each row. The plantation contained 960 study trees. 

Results 

Southern Sources 

Table 2.-Height and survival of five southern sources 

after 7 years 

The seedlings the Figure 2.-This fence protects natural regeneration from browsing deer. 

sources (20-AL-1, 21 -MS-1, 22-TX-1, At least, regeneration has been eliminated by browsing. 23-FL-3, 24-FG-1) did not survive or 

grow well in our northwestern Pennsylvania plantation. This trend became apparent almost immediately 

after planting. By 1975, survival of 

these sources ranged from a high 

of 45 percent to complete failure 

(Table 2). This contrasts with an average survival of 95.8 percent for all 

other sources, with none lower than 

80 percent. In addition, the surviving 

southern source trees always were 

shorter than the more northerly sources 

because of continued top dieback and 

resprouting. These sources apparently 

are not well adapted to the locality 

and did not show desirable characteristics for breeding purposes. Therefore, they were deleted from further 

analyses in this study. The same 

trend was reported for a Maryland 

plantation (Genys and Cech 1975) 

and for two West Virginia plantations 

(Cech and Carter 1979). 

Average 

planted Average Percent 

Source height height survival 

in 1969 in 1975 in 1975 

20-AL-1 0.59 0.99 45.0 

21-MS-1 .34 1.97 25.0 

22-TX-1 .55 3.16 40.0 

23-FL-3 .29 0.00 0.0 

24-FG-1 .16 .70 12.5 

All others .98 5.28 95.8 
Survival 

After 14 years, survival among 

the 19 northern and central sources 

ranged from a high of 94.7 percent 

(1 1-WV-1) to a low of 12.8 percent 

(16-11-1) (Table 1). Regression of seed 

source latitude accounts for about 

42 percent of the variation in survival. 

However, when we adjusted latitude 

for elevation of the seed source site 

(latitude + elevationl400 feet) (Hopp 

1974), the regression accounts for up 

to 73 percent of the variability. This 

regression curve is shown in Figure 3 

and reflects the lower survival performance of southerly sources brought 

north. There also is a slight tendency 

for the far northern sources to survive 

less well when planted in more southerly locations. Adjusting seed source 

latitude for elevation helps explain 

the good performance of two highelevation sources (17-VA-3, 19-TN-2) 

from Virginia and Tennessee. These 

sources were collected at elevations 

of 4,000 and 3,800 feet above sea 

level, respectively, where climatic conditions are similar to more northerly 

locations. 

Tree planting is only useful if the 

trees survive and grow well. With the 

range in survival that we observed, 

there are obvious differences. But I 

chose to use a threshold survival of 

70 percent as acceptable. By 1982, 

13 provenances were surviving at or 

better than the threshold level: 

1982 1982 

Provenance height survival 

(Feet) - (Percent) 

7-PA-3 15.0 1- 79.5 

19-TN-2 14.3 1 1- 81.6 

11-WV-1 13.9 1 I 1- 94.7 

6-PA-2 13.3 1 I I 1- 87.2 

5-PA-1 12.3 1 I I I 1 71.8 

9-OH-1 12.1 1 I I I 1 90.0 

8-PA-4 11.9 1 I I 1 1 82.0 

17-VA-3 11.81 1 I I 1 76.9 

13-WV-3 10.6 1 1 1 1 89.7 

14-WV-4 10.5 _1 I I 1 83.8 

3-NY-1 10.2 _1 I 1 76.3 

2-VT-1 9.8 _I 1 79.5 

1 -CA-1 9.1 I 77.8 

DEGREES OF NORTH ADJUSTED LATITUDE 

Figure 3.-Survival of the 19 northern and central sources on latitude of 

seed source location adjusted for elevation (r2 of 0.73, significant at 1 per. 

cent level of probability). 

Total Height 

I will only compare heights among 

those 13 seed sources surviving at 

rates greater than the selected threshold rate of 70 percent. These are listed 

in the above tabulation in descending 

order of total average height. The 

height differential range is nearly 

6 feet, from 15.0 to 9.1 feet. Analysis 

of variance detects significant differences among thesesources at the 

5 percent level. The brackets in the 

previous tabulation enclose those 

provenances that do not show statistically significant differences. The 

eight tallest seed sources are not 

different. These include all four of the 

Pennsylvania sources. Two nearby 

sources, one each from Ohio and 

West Virginia, and two more southerly, 

high elevation sources from Virginia 

and Tennessee complete the list. 

However, none of the planted trees is 

notably taller than the natural seedlings in the adjacent spaces between 

the rows, despite the fact that they 

- were released from competition nearly 

every year. 
Conclusions 

Not all trees were the same 

height at time of planting (Table 1). 

Cech and Kitzmiller (1968) noted that 

although these differences were great 

enough to be statistically significant, 

there were no geographic trends. Our 

observations generally agree, except 

for the sources from the deep south. 

Most of those trees were very short 

and appeared unthrifty, and many 

had dead tops. As was noted, these 

southern sources did not perform 

well. 

There were differences among 

the heights of the seed source planting stock, but this had little influence 

on total heights after 14 years. A correlation of the 1982 total average 

height for each provenance with its 

average planted height shows little 

relationship. The correlation coefficient (r2) was 0.167 and not significant. This seems to indicate that 

1-year seedling height in the nursery 

is not a reliable indicator of the expected performance of a provenance 

when outplanted. 

Tree Form 

Tree form as representative of 

stem straightness, limbiness, and 

forkedness is an important attribute 

to consider when judging the suitability of a seed source. No seed source 

produced trees of outstanding form. 

However, the Kane plantation probably is not well suited for evaluating 

tree form, since these trees repeatedly 

have been released from competing 

vegetation. Black cherry is shade 

intolerant and needs some side competition to promote natural pruning 

and to train the stem toward straightness. Trees from Monroe County, Tennessee (19-TN-2) and Potter County, 

Pennsylvania (6-PA-2) have been especially noted for their superior form in 

plantation in West Virginia (Cech and 

Carter 1979, Carter 1980, Carter et al. 

1984) and in Maryland (Genys and 

Cech 1975). Both of those sources 

have performed well in the Mane 

plantation. The average height of 

Tennessee trees is 14 feet and the 

average for Pennsylvania trees is 

13 feet, the survival rate of each is 

better than 80 percent. 

Results from this study indicate 

that planted black cherry kan grow 

and survive satisfactorily in northwestern Pennsylvania. However, any 

black cherry trees planted here must 

be protected from deer browsing. On 

the basis of survival and total height 

after 14 years, eight of the provenances tested offer the greatest 

potential for use in northwestern 

Pennsylvania. These are the tallest 

from the tabulation and include all 

four of the Pennsylvania sources and 

one each from Tennessee, Virginia, 

West Virginia, and Ohio. The mean 

total heights of these eight provenances are not statistically different 

from each other. 

Good survival and growth of the 

Pennsylvania sources in the Kane 

Experimental Forest plantation suggests that planting stock for use in 

Pennsylvania should come from seed 

collected nearby. However, this good 

performance of the Pennsylvania 

trees may be more than local seed 

sources responding to local conditions. It also suggests that these 

sources may be genetically better. 

These same provenances also performed well in Maryland (Genys and 

Cech 1975), in West Virginia (Cech 

and Carter 1979), and in Vermont 

(Carter 1980, Carter et al. 1984). Further, Pitcher (1982) compared many 

other Pennsylvania and West Virginia 

open-pollinated families in a West 

Virginia plantation and found the 

Pennsylvania sources superior. He 

concluded that geographic origin had 

a stronger influence on progeny performance than did parental phenotype. His best performing trees came 

from stands in McKean and Elk Counties in Pennsylvania. It is noteworthy 

that the tallest source in our plantation, Pennsylvania (7-PA-3), also was 

from McKean County. 

Even though our planted trees 

survived and grew satisfactorily, they 

did not grow better than nearby natural seedlings. Therefore, if natural 

regeneration is available, the need or 

desirability of planting is questionable. However, if superior black cherry 

seedlings become available in the 

future, this question will need reevaluation. But for the present, if one 

wishes to plant black cherry seedlings 

in Pennsylvania, our results suggest 

that the seed should be collected 

from good parental phenotypes in 

Pennsylvania stands within the commercial range of the species. Pitcher 

(1982) further suggests making the 

collections in McKean and Elk Counties. This advice also seems valid for 

planting in areas outside the commercial range. 
Literature Cited 

Brown, James H.; Cech, F. C. Top and 

root characteristics of greenhouse 

grown seedlings of different black 

cherry provenances. Silvae Genetica. 21:130-133; 1972. 

Carter, Katherine K. Geographic variation in black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.). Ph.D. Dissertation. 

Morgantown, WV: West Virginia 

University; 1980. 100 p. 

Carter, Katherine K.; Cech, Franklin C.; 

DeHayes, Donald H. Geographic 

variation in Prunus serotina. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 

l3:lO25-lO29; 1984. 

Cech, Franklin C.; Carter, Katherine K. 

Geographic variation in black chew 

ten-year results of a West Virginia 

provenance test. Proceedings 1st 

North Central Tree lmprovement 

Conf.; August 21-23, 1979; Madison, WI. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; 

1979:21-27. 

Cech, Franklin C.; Kitzmiller, Jennings 

H. Jr. Geographic variation in seed 

and seedling characteristics of 

black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.). 

Proceedings 15th Northeastern 

Forest Tree lmprovement Conf.; 

1967 July 25-26; Morgantown, WV. 

Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1968: 

53-60. 

Genys, John B. Black cherry seedlings 

differ in height depending on their 

seed origin in Maryland. For. Res. 

Notes No. 63-69. College Park, MD: 

University of Maryland, Natural 

Resource Institute; 1963, 3 p. 

Genys, John B.; Cech, Franklin C. 

lntraspecific variation among 

twenty-five populations of black 

cherry, Prunus serotina, studied 

near Washington, D.C. In: Proceedings, 22nd northeastern forest tree 

improvement conference. 1974 August 7-9; Syracuse, NY. Upper 

Darby, PA: US. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service; 1975: 

176-184. 

Hopp, R. J. Plant phenology observation network. Phenology and seasonality modeling. In: Helmut Lieth, 

ed. Ecological studies. vol. 8. New 

York: Springer-Verlag; 1974: 25-43. 

Hough, Ashbel F. Silvical characteristics of black cherry (Prunus serotina). Stn. Pap. 139. Upper Darby, 

PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1960.26 p. 

Kitzmiller, Jennings Harold, Jr. Geographic variation in seed and seedling characteristics of black cherry. 

M.Sc.F. Thesis. Morgantown, WV: 

West Virginia University; 1968. 

Marquis, David A.; Brenneman, Ronnie. 

The impact of deer on forest vegetation in Pennsylvania. Gen. Tech. 

Rep. NE-65. Broomall, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1981. 7 p. 

McVaugh, Rogers. A revision of the 

North American black cherries 

(Prunus serotina Ehrh., and relatives). Brittonia. 7:279-315; 1951. 

Pitcher, John A. Phenotype selection 

and half-sib family performance in 

black cherry. Forest Science. 28: 

251 -256; 1982. 
Walters, Russell S. Black cherry provenances for planting in 

northwestern Pennsylvania. Res. Pap. NE-552. Broomall, PA: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern 

Forest Experiment Station; 1985. 6 p. 

After 14 years, survival of 8 of 25 planted black cherry sources 

is greater than 70 percent, and there are no significant differences in height. These sources offer the greater potential for 

planting in northwestern Pennsylvania; they include four Pennsylvania sources plus one each from Tennessee, West Virginia, 

Ohio, and Virginia. Planted trees did not grow better than nearby 

natural seedlings. 

ODC 232.12 

Keywords: Hardwood tree planting; planting stock; seed source; 

genetic variation. 

a US. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1965-505-0281536 
Headquarters of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station are in 

Broomall, Pa. Field laboratories are maintained at: 

@ Amherst, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the University of 

Massachusetts. 

Berea, Kentucky, in cooperation with krea College. 

@ Burlington, Vermont, in cooperation with the University of 

Vermont. 

@ Delaware, Ohio. 

Durham, New Hampshire, in cooperation with the University of 

New Hampshire. 

@ Hamden, Connecticut, in cooperation with Yale University. 

@ Morgantown, West Virginia, in sooperation with West Virginia 

University, Morgantown. 

@ Orono, Maine, in cooperation with the University of Maine, 

Orono. 

@ Parsons, West Virginia. 

@ Princeton, West Virginia. 

@ Syracuse, New York, in cooperation with the State University of 

New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at 

Syracuse University, Syracuse. 

@ University Park, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the 

Pennsylvania State University. 

@ Warren, Pennsylvania.