Cherry Blossoms & Cherries: Unraveling the Floral Myth!

Cherry blossoms and cherries are often mistakenly believed to be the flowers and fruits of the same tree. However, this is not the case.

The relationship between cherry blossoms and cherries is rather simple, with clear distinctions between them.

Although both are members of the Rosaceae family, one belongs to the Prunus genus, and the other to the Cerasus genus. These are two different branches of plants, and it is important to distinguish between them to avoid misunderstandings.

The relationship between cherry blossoms and cherries

There isn’t a strong connection between cherry blossoms and cherries. Cherry blossoms are ornamental plants while cherries are fruits. Cherry blossoms do not bloom on cherry trees, and cherries do not grow on cherry blossom trees.

Cherry blossoms are ornamental trees with petals usually in white or pink. They can be categorized as single or double petal types and do not bear fruit. On the other hand, cherry trees blossom with white flowers, and after the blossoms fall, cherries start to form.

What are the differences between cherry blossoms and cherries?

The major difference lies in the fact that cherries can be eaten while the fruits of cherry blossoms cannot. Furthermore, cherry blossoms have a lower fruit-bearing rate. Cherries are mainly for fruit production, whereas cherry blossoms are primarily for ornamental purposes.

Different botanical classifications

Both cherry blossoms and cherries belong to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. Cherries are of the Prunus genus, while cherry blossoms belong to the Cerasus genus, making them two different species of plants.

However, cherry blossoms and cherries are members of the same family and are closely related.

Cherry blossoms can be classified into single petal and double petal types. The single petal type can bear fruit, while the double petal type usually does not.

The flower of the cherry tree is the cherry blossom, and its fruit is the edible cherry. The fruit of the cherry blossom tree is known as a cherry blossom fruit.

Different blooming times

Cherry trees bloom in early spring, before the leaves start to grow. This blooming period is close to that of the magnolia tree and earlier than the cherry blossom.

Due to their similar appearance and the fact that both types of flowers bloom before the leaves grow, visitors often confuse the two.

In actuality, the cherry blossom is the flower of the cherry tree, and the cherry blossom is the flower of the cherry blossom tree.

Different uses

While cherries come from fruit trees, cherry blossoms come from ornamental trees.

In terms of appearance and blooming periods, there are also differences between the two.

Cherries come from small shrubs with relatively short plants. They bloom in early March with flowers that are white tinged with pink, smaller and denser than cherry blossoms. After flowering, they bear fruit, which are cherries that turn red when ripe.

Cherry blossoms come from taller trees, blooming from late March to early April. The flowers are either white or pink. Although some varieties of cherry blossoms can bear fruit, the fruits are very small, astringent, and almost inedible.

Different plant names

“Cherry blossom” has been a traditional term used in China for these types of plants. Hence, these plants in the Chinese botanical record are named as various types of cherries.

Some plants from the Cerasus subgenus are named as various types of cherries, some as various types of cherry blossoms. These plants produce flowers that we now prefer to call cherry blossoms, which is where the misunderstanding originates.