Wild cherry is a host plant for over 400 different species of butterflies and moths. So it's good to have some around. Do you have others already?

I can't think of any terrible reason to remove it....um....they seed a bit? Would you rather have a metasequoia or something instead? Really if you change your mind five years from now you can probably remove the cherry on your own and nothing lost.

Oh oh, in my yard I get a number of cherry seedlings popping up. I have considered tagging the ones with the best fall color and keeping one. If you have more to choose from you could move them all over there and pick your favorite.

I don't remember hearing anything bad about p. serotina other than some issues with the normal prunus diseases.

==>>> the shear fact some bird planted it for you ... is one horror ...

i kill about a thousand like that every year ...

it can get 60 to 80 feet tall... so it should not be any closer to the house than that ..

it can be subject to gummosis ..

i have a dozen mature ones.. on 5 acres ... its a love hate thing ...

i am leery of you thinking you got something of value.. for free ... i would not recommend it for a small suburban yard ...

the only tree at flowers that smell worse than callery pear.. lol

ken

Ken, why do you automatically assume everything bird sown is automatically bad? Cost does not equal quality...I'm pretty sure I could spend thousands on garbage that is wildly inappropriate for my area or has butchered roots. At least you don't have to worry about encircling roots and butchered root systems in bird planted trees. What grew wild in the lot across the street is about 1000 times better then what the neighbor put in...and have the time bird sown trees ARE the same as trees someone bought. And why do we assume the poster has a small lot?

Anyway, the key questions are ultimately:
1.) Can you think of something to plant in that spot you like better? and
2.) Realistically, will you ever get around to planting that better tree, and take the time to water it religiously for two years? (I've known people who rejected an idea in favor of a better idea they never got around to implementing...The perfect is often the enemy of the good. )

Admittedly my defense of bird planted trees mostly comes from folks who get rid of a beautiful old tree and replace it with lawn, tiny shrubs, callery pears with butchered roots, or a two inch sapling they forget to water.

Oh, Ken! I love you. LOL I wrote out your answer in my head as I was posting mine. ;)

I live on a quarter of an acre. Between me and my immediate neighbours (to the back and one side), and the wilderness area to the other side, there are over 50 tall pines surrounding my house. We have 17 or 18 or 19 on our property alone (the fudging in numbers comes with the fact that some of the trees aren't totally on our land). Add to that the sweet gum and the two lives oaks and the sourwood (still tiny, but destined to be big if it lives for long enough) I planted 2 years ago, and we have all sorts of things that could plummet woodily down on to our house. But the shade is amazing! :)

I don't have any other cherries on my property, but there is a lot of wilderness within a mile of our house, so I'm sure they're around, and I'd way rather a weedy, enthusiastic native than an invasive. This wasn't a spot I was worrying about, but now that the tree is there, I'm okay with it. I'd half considered adding another viburnum here, and I might still add that in.

I don't think it's necessarily something of value for me, but as esh says, it's valuable for wildlife and I value that. Thanks all! Yes, even Ken.

Black cherry trees are frustrating down here. As soon as they start to get really nice and mature they die. Most of mine that have died were only 20-25 years old.

I got millions of those. Cut 'em ruthlessly 'cause one 55 footer is enough.