Our tree of the week is one particular laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana). Still in its youth, this specimen is about eight years old. You can read about its past on an old blog post, found here. Today we are marveling at a particular characteristic of the species, as exhibited by this individual. When the top of the main trunk is broken, a new one will sprout.
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Upon its planting two years ago, this tree had a straight trunk. It grew steadily in its new location. Unfortunately, earlier this year, a falling branch snapped off nearly a foot of new growth. There was nothing to do but clean up the wound (snip-snip) and simply wait to see how the tree would respond to losing its top.
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This past week, we got our response. The laurel cherry sent out a new shoot at the top, right where the repair was made. Not all trees are capable of this, and age certainly plays a role in a tree's ability to resprout. However, in the arboretum, the laurel cherry has a reputation for this behavior: you can read about it in a discussion of this individual's presumed parent, found here.
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