smells like almond slice

[greensurfingbear]

just a quick questions as I am stumped....

helped a friend fell a tree in his garden. No leaves yet and bark like a cherry tree. Not sure what it was as its an ornamental rather than a native which I usually deal with.

Once it was down I was sniffing it as you do and there was a definate smell of almonds. I asked if it was a almond tree and showed them pics from my field book.

Mate said the leafs are more like ash or rowan leaves. So I am a little clueless as to what it was....am tempted to think it was a laurel. Any one have any other ideas? no pics sorry.

Mike

 

[mountainm]

Cyanide smells like almonds and is a (I think) common ingredient in many fruit stones - poisonous and non poisonous - So be careful!

 

[Toddy]

Cherry bark smells of bitter almonds, some kind of cyanide compound. Quite strong and distinct in some trees.
Almond trees certainly won't grow near me, though I'm told that some varieties do in the South of England.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Mesquite]

The one thing it definitely isn't is Laurel.

That's an evergreen plant and you would have seen big glossy green leaves on the tree even mid winter

 

[greensurfingbear]

Sorry should have read no leaves as mate had taken most of the branches out and taken them to dump.

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[greensurfingbear]

Cyanide smells like almonds and is a (I think) common ingredient in many fruit stones - poisonous and non poisonous - So be careful!

what I figures just not sure what it was. Didn't help that he'd pruned most of the branches prior to me helping.

There was a small Laurel next to it thought it may have been off shoot.

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[Kepis]

Sounds like Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Very distinct almond (cyanide) smell when it's cut fresh, the one in the pic above, i cut in the shed and i could smell the almond scent even as i was cutting it, smelling the cut end was too instense for me.

 

[greensurfingbear]

cherry laurel is what I've finally decided on as well good call mate

 

[treelore]

a photo of the bark would have been good too, leaves are heplful but the bark can give you loads of info too


Treelore

 

[Davidn]

Hi Kepis, the wood in your pic is not what i would recocnise as Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), the smell when it goes thru the chipper, is very Almond like, but the wood has a very smooth, black/dark grey look to it, quite distingtive, but not as your pic shows, may have been something else? David.

 

[greensurfingbear]

This is from one of the branches.

This us bark from trunk and you can see the yellow wood inside.

Mike
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[Davidn]

Took down a Laurel today so hopefully here are the pics![imghttp://img840.imageshack.us/g/photo1dw.jpg/[/img]

 

[Davidn]

Oh well that Didn't work!

 

[British Red]

 

[Davidn]

Wow British Red, how did you do that? and can you get the other 11 pics?

 

[British Red]

You need to direct link to one picture not the album. Get the addresss and click the button that looks like a picture and paste it in (which encloses the picture in html img tags)

Red

 

[Davidn]

Now if this has worked we may have various pics of Prunus laurocerasus, the last pic should be of a ornamental Cherry in the same garden, which most resembles the pics posted by greensurfingbear and Kepis. Would also note the wood when cut does not really give off a noticeable smell of Almonds but when the brush goes thru the chipper........ wow, Almonds and some. Hope this goes someway to clearing up the mystery. Cant tell you what it was but know what it probabley wasn't.

 

[Davidn]

http://img96.imageshack.us/g/photo1tf.jpg/

 

[Davidn]

Blimey think i might of done it! The third pic is of ornamental Cherry and not last.
Think in future will stick to just reading the forum and admiring everybody elses pics, a lot easier!

 

[Davidn]

Sorry, thanks British Red.