The sight of a tree covered in pink or white blossoms is a quintessential sign of spring, but not every such tree is a true cherry blossom. Many ornamental species share similar floral characteristics, often causing confusion for the casual observer. Trees outside of the Prunus genus, which includes true cherries, have evolved similar five-petaled flowers, making visual identification challenging. To accurately identify a tree, focus on specific, detailed markers of the species rather than just the general color and volume of the blooms.
Defining Features of True Cherry Trees
Ornamental cherry trees belong to the genus Prunus, which also encompasses plums, peaches, and almonds. The flowers are typically five-petaled, though many popular cultivars exhibit dense, double-blooms. These blossoms range from pure white to various shades of pink or magenta.
Cherry blossoms characteristically bloom in clusters, or umbels, emerging from a single bud on the branch. Most ornamental varieties flower before their leaves fully emerge, creating the striking effect of a tree completely covered in color. A single petal often reveals a small, distinct notch or split at the tip, a feature absent in many similar flowers.
Common Look-Alikes: Crabapples and Plums
Crabapples
Crabapples (Malus species) are frequently mistaken for cherries. Their flowers share the five-petaled structure and appear in similar white and pink hues, but they tend to be slightly larger than cherry blossoms. Crabapple leaves typically appear with or just before the flowers, making the tree look less saturated with blooms than many cherry varieties. Furthermore, crabapple flowers contain four to five styles (slender stalks extending from the center), while a true cherry flower has only a single style.
Flowering Plums
Flowering plums (Prunus species) are often mistaken for cherries because they are botanically related. Plums often produce flowers that are solitary or in very small, tight clusters directly along the stem, unlike the more numerous clusters of cherry cultivars. The petals of a plum blossom are rounded and lack the small terminal notch found on many cherry petals. Additionally, many ornamental plum varieties, such as the ‘Thundercloud’ plum, have dark purple or red-tinged leaves that emerge with the flowers, a color uncommon in ornamental cherry foliage.
Other Flowered Trees Easily Confused
Flowering Pears
Flowering pears (Pyrus species), such as the Callery pear, are known for their profuse, pure white blooms that cover the canopy. They are often confused with white cherry varieties due to the volume of flowers. However, flowering pear blossoms often have a distinctly unpleasant, fishy odor. Their leaves are typically glossy and dark green, appearing simultaneously with the flowers. The bark of pear trees also tends to have vertical fissures, unlike the texture of a true cherry.
Flowering Quince
Flowering quince (Chaenomeles species) is an early bloomer that can cause confusion, though it is typically a thorny shrub rather than a tree. Quince flowers are often vibrant red, orange, or deep pink. They grow directly on the woody branches in a scattered fashion, unlike the clustered arrangement of cherry blossoms. Quince also blooms significantly earlier than most cherry trees, frequently appearing in late winter or very early spring. The presence of thorns and the low, spreading shrub form differentiate the quince from a cherry tree.
Key Methods for Visual Identification
Bark and Leaves
A reliable way to identify a true cherry tree is by examining the bark, which features prominent, horizontal lines called lenticels. These lenticels are breathing pores that appear as distinct, light-colored bands running sideways around the trunk on many Prunus species. This feature is not typically found on crabapples or pears. The leaves of a true cherry tree are often finely serrated along the edges and possess small, dark red glands at the base of the leaf blade near the petiole.
Fruit and Buds
Observing the fruit and buds can confirm the identification later in the season or before the bloom. True cherries produce a single-seeded fruit known as a drupe, which is a fleshy fruit with a hard pit. In contrast, crabapples produce a pome, a fruit with multiple small seeds in a core. Before flowering, cherry flower buds are generally oval-shaped and give rise to multiple flowers per bud, whereas plum flowers often emerge singly from a more rounded bud.