The flowering fruit trees cherry blossoms (Prunus) bloom in the spring. Hundreds of types of cherry trees exist, some producing sweet cherry fruits while others are decorative cherry blossom trees. In the spring, cherry trees with their lovely white-pink blossoms cover bare limbs.
The leaves of cherry trees are glossy and have serrated edges and pointed tips. This article contains everything you need to know about different kinds of cherry trees. Pictures of cherry trees will aid in identifying these lovely blossom trees, in addition to descriptions of their leaves and flowers.
Cherry Tree Facts
Cherry tree blossoms are pale pink in color. The genus Prunus and the family Rosaceae are both home to cherry trees. The sweet or bitter stone fruits called drupes and the beautiful flowers of cherry trees are both deciduous trees. Cherry tree species are divided according to their fruit or flowers. Sweet cherries, Sour cherries, and decorative cherry blossom trees are among the fruits available. While cherry blossom trees are a favorite of many birds, their fruit is normally too little and acidic to eat.
Between mid-March and mid-April, cherry trees bloom. Cherry trees bloom for two to four weeks on average. Small clusters of cherry blossoms dangle from naked branches. Sweet or sour cherry clusters develop after blooming.
USDA zones 5 through 9 are home to cherry trees. Some cold-hardy cherry trees, though, may withstand freezes as low as zone 4. Plant the tree in rich, loamy soil in full sun to cultivate cherry trees. The soil should be kept moist without being soggy or waterlogged, and cherry trees are not drought-tolerant plants. Cherry trees, once they have established, are low-maintenance garden landscape trees that require little pruning.
Cherry Tree Flowers
Cherry trees breed 5-petal flowers or double flowers with dozens of petals, and their blossoms may range in color from white to light pink to dark pink. Single blossoms, semi-double blossoms, and double blossoms are the three types of cherry flowers available. A minimum of five petals per cherry blossom. Showy double blossoms, on the other hand, may have over 50 petals.
Sakura is another name for cherry blossoms. The Yoshino cherry (Prunus yedoensis), Japanese cherry blossom tree (Prunus serrulata), and double weeping cherry tree (Prunus x subhirtella “Pendula Plena Rosea”) are some of the most well-known varieties of flowering cherries trees.
Color of Cherry Tree Blossoms
White to light pink cherry blossoms are most common. Yet, some cherry tree types feature rich pink flowers with spectacular double blooms. Pale yellow cherry blossoms appear on some unusual cherry trees, such as the Prunus ‘Ukon’. The Prunus Gyoiko (Prunus serrulata) features hibiscus-like cherry blossoms that are pale green.
Cherry Tree Bark
The bark of wild cherry (prunus avium) trees is usually gray or brown, as seen in this close-up picture. The bark on certain cherry tree species peels minimally to reveal a rich mahogany color beneath. The smooth bark of the wild cherry tree (Prunus avium) is lenticels, which are horizontal cut-like lines.
Cherry Tree Fruit
Cherry trees produce clusters of fruits that include sweet and sour cherries. From sweet to sour, cherry fruits have a flavor range. Cherries come in a variety of colors, from deep red to yellow with red blush to black. Fruit from decorative cherry blossom trees is usually bitter and inedible.
Cherry Tree Leaves
In the autumn, cherry trees have crimson-orange leaves with serrated margins that are lanceolate and glossy. On early-blooming cherry trees, leaves appear after the flowers. Cherry tree leaves turn orange, golden-yellow, bronze, and red colors in the fall. Several cherry species (Prunus) are excellent shade trees in garden settings, parks, and residential streets during the summer when dense cherry tree leaves.
Cherry Tree Identification
The bark of cherry trees is brown to gray and has horizontal cuts in it. Cherry bark is hard and doesn’t get shaggy, so it may peel. Cherry leaves have a deep green color and are oval shaped with pointed tips. The pinkish-white blooms of cherry trees in the spring are a dead giveaway.
Types of Cherry Trees (With Pictures)
Here are pictures of a few of the various types of cherry trees.
Wild Cherry Tree (Prunus avium)
Wild cherry trees, also known as sweet cherry trees, bloom with solitary white blooms and may grow to be quite tall. In the spring, single white blooms bloom on wild cherry trees. Fruits from cherry trees may be crimson red, golden yellow, or reddish-purple depending on the cultivar.
The smooth reddish-burgundy bark of wild cherry trees is unusual. As the tree grows, the crown of wild cherry trees becomes rounded. Sweet cherry trees are grown for their delectably sweet stone fruits, despite having white spring blossoms.
Zones 5 through 7 are home to the majority of sweet cherry cultivars. Depending on the variety, four to seven years after planting, the flowering fruit trees should begin producing fruit. Sweet cherries come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
- Bing cherry fruits. Heart-shaped crimson fruits with a dark red color.
- Rainier cherry fruits. Sweet yellow cherry fruits with a rich, sweet flavor and reddish undertones.
- Lamber cherry fruits. Dark red, nearly black cherry fruits.
- Lapins cherry fruits. A huge cherry that is different from the others. When these cherries mature, they become sweeter and expand to 1″ (2.5 cm) in diameter.
- Chelan cherry fruits. When they’re ripe, Chelan cherries are practically black. They don’t have the same cherry flavor as some of the others.
- Wild cherry tree bark: The bark of wild cherry trees is reddish and smooth. Slits in the bark that run horizontally around the glossy bark may be used to identify it.
Sour Cherry Tree (Prunus cerasus)
Sour cherry trees produce tart cherries that may be baked, and they have solitary white blossoms. The ‘Montmorency’ and ‘Morello’ sour cherry tree cultivars are the most popular because they bloom late and have large amounts of white flowers. The tangy berries, which are used to bake and prepare pies, have a tart red color.
Between 13 and 32 feet (4 and 10 meters) tall, sour cherry trees grow. The upright, spreading growth habit of most sour cherry cultivars. The tree branches are covered in lush dark green leaves that provide cover underneath. USDA zones 5 to 9 are home to tart cherry trees. Grow sour cherry trees in full sun, making sure the earth is always wet and never soggy, as is the case with all cherry trees.
Cherry tree fruit: Sweet cherry trees, which are sour, produce a dark red fruit that is edible.
Stella Cherry Tree
Stella cherry trees blossom in spring and summer, with white blossoms and sweet crimson cherries. The upright growth pattern and vase-shaped canopy of stella cherry trees Summer brings rich, bright, glossy green leaves to the branches.
Straight from the tree, or in baking, Stella cherries are delicious. Stella, a 15-foot (4-meter) semi-dwarf cherry tree cultivar, is growing. Stella cherry trees, a wild cherry variety called Prunus avium, are self-fertilizing. Stella cherry trees may be grown as a specimen or in an orchard.
Cherry tree fruit: Stella cherries, like Bing cherries, are delectably sweet. The fruits have crimson flesh and are dark, almost black in color.
Black Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina)
Black cherry trees are native to North America and may be seen blooming, bearing fruit, and leaves. White blooms dangle in clusters from the branches of black cherry trees, which produce a fragrant aroma. When eaten raw, Prunus serotina produces tiny black cherries that are bitter and inedible. Typical oval leaves with pointed tips and serrated borders characterize black cherry trees.
The bark of black cherry trees is smooth and greenish at first, then hard and gray with numerous cracks. The reddish color of the grooves in grayish-black peeling bark is visible. In the autumn, the dark green leaves turn yellow and red before falling. Forest trees that grow up to 80 feet (24 meters) tall are known as black cherries. This tree is an excellent decorative shade tree because of its broad, rounded crown, which may grow up to 60 feet (18 meters) wide.
Cherry tree fruit: You may use black cherries to make jellies or jams, despite the fact that they are inedible raw.
Types of Ornamental Cherry Trees
The lovely spring flowers of several cherry species are prized. Let’s take a close look at some of the most gorgeous cherry blossom trees for your garden setting, shall we?
Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus serrulata)
Several cultivars of the Japanese flowering cherry tree (Sakura tree) come in a variety of flower forms and colors, ranging from white to dark pink. Single, semi-double, or spectacular double blooms may be found in Prunus serrulata cultivars. Just a few Japanese sakura trees produce little cherry clusters. The tiny, acidic fruits, on the other hand, are inedible due to their sourness.
With a spreading crown of 25 ft. (8 m) wide, Japanese cherry blossom trees grow from 15 to 25 ft. (4 – 8 m) tall. The bright blooms on naked branches are the most appealing aspect of Japanese sakura trees. Ruffled double pink blooms are seen in certain cultivars, while stunning white blossoms with clusters of single blooms appear in others.
The weeping Japanese cherry blossom cultivar is Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’. The abundant cascading pinkish-white ruffled blossoms of this small cherry tree with pendulous branches form masses.
The Japanese weeping cherry cultivar ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’ features cascading pink blooms and droopy branches.
Cherry tree blossoms: Showy flowers in delicate hues of pinks and whites make Japanese cherry blossom (sakura) a showy sight.
Double Weeping Cherry Tree (Prunus x subhirtella ‘Pendula Plena Rosea’)
The weeping cherry blossom tree has drooping branches and double pink blooms, which has a graceful arching growth habit. Pink blooms adorn double weeping cherry tree. The weeping cherry blossom tree has a drooping growth habit that makes it particularly appealing in the spring.
In the fall, pointed, oval leaves emerge after blooming that become golden yellow. Beautiful landscape trees with double weeping cherry branches that grow from 15 to 25 feet (4 to 8 meters) tall. The sour black fruits of these drooping cherry trees attract a large number of birds. In the autumn, the green leaves become a lovely scarlet or yellow color with serrated edges.
Cherry tree blossoms: Up to 20 twisted petals in various hues of pink make up the blossom of ‘Pendula Plena Rosea.’ The bright blooms hang from long stems on arching branches, in clusters of four blooms.
Weeping Higan Cherry Flowering Tree (Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’)
In any garden, weeping Higan cherry blossom trees are outstanding specimens. They are tall trees with cascading branches that fill with double white to pink blooms in the spring. The glossy green oval leaves of Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’ become a vivid yellow hue in the autumn. Little oval black fruits cluster around the stems during the summer, attracting a wide range of birds and animals.
Between 20 and 30 feet (6 and 10 meters) tall, higan weeping cherry blossom trees You can cut the weeping branches to allow access beneath the tree’s circular canopy, but there is no need to trim cherry trees.
Cherry tree blossoms: Double pink flowers bloom in groups of two to five blooms on the higan cherry blossom trees. The cascading display of pink flowers is created by the eye-catching cherry blossoms that cover the drooping branches.
Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
One of the most well-known Japanese sakura trees is Yoshino cherry blossom tree, which has white or pale pink blossoms. In spring, the stunning cherry tree bursts into white and light pink flowers. The single blossoms have a nice fragrance. In the summer, the dark green lanceolate leaves stay green, then in the fall they turn warm red hues. These blooming trees reach heights of 16 to 30 feet (5 to 12 meters) and are also known as Somei-Yoshino cherry trees.
Yoshino cherry trees are often the main event during sakura festivals, since vast numbers of people flock to view the magnificent floral shows. The weeping variant of the popular Yoshino cherry tree, Prunus x yedoensis ‘Shidare-Yoshino,’ is available.
Cascading branches with white flowers surround weeping Yoshino cherry trees.
Cherry tree blossoms: Dainty single white blooms with five petals each, Yoshino cherry blossoms are delicate. In the spring, huge clusters of blossoms bloom on exposed branches to create stunning cherry blossoms.
Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus Serrulata ‘Kwanzan’)
With their gorgeous double blooms in deeper pink hues, Kwanzan cherry tree adds a beautiful touch to any yard. This beautiful flowering tree has double blooms in the shape of Japanese cherries. Reddish-copper leaves develop after the flowers have fallen, becoming dark green over time.
The bright green leaves turn golden and bronze in the autumn. This kind of cherry tree, also known as Kanzan or Sekiyama cherry trees, grows to be around 25 to 30 feet (8 to 10 meters) tall.
Cherry tree blossoms: The Kwanzan cherry blossom tree’s double blossoms are ruffled and 2.5 inches (6 cm) broad. In spring gardens, parks, and landscapes, pendulous clusters of lovely bright pink blooms bloom, adding vibrant hues.
Okame Cherry Tree (Prunus x incam ‘Okame’)
Another kind of Japanese blossom cherry tree is the Okame cherry tree, which has pink flowers. On bare branches, masses of deep pink to red blossoms appear on this flowering cherry tree hybrid. In early spring, spreading branches make Okame cherry blossoms a wonderful spectacle because of its graceful vase shape.
In the summer, the leaves are ovate in shape and green, but in the fall, they turn orange. The Okame cherry blossom tree grows to be between 15 and 25 feet (4.5 and 8 meters) tall. They’re popular garden landscape trees because of their thin trunk, lovely shape, and color.
Cherry tree blossoms: Five-petaled single flowers in a deep pink color adorn the Okame cherry blossoms. The blossoms are surrounded by dark red flower centers, giving them a stunning appearance. The delicate blossoms have a lovely fragrance.
Dwarf Flowering Fuji Cherry Tree (Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’)
Small shrub-like trees with stunning whitish-pink blooms, ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ is a dwarf cultivar of Fuji cherry blossom. Lance-shaped leaves on zig-zag branches characterize this cultivar of Prunus incisa. This dwarf cherry blossom tree is ideal for tiny, restricted yards because of its rounded development and compact size.
The Fuji cherry blossom tree ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ only grows to be 6 feet (2 meters) tall. The white flowers, green leaves, and orange fall foliage make it stand out. This tree may also be grown in container on a balcony or patio.
Cherry tree blossoms: In early March, masses of white single, fragrant Fuji cherry blossoms bloom.
The Fuji cherry tree (Prunus incisa) grows between 20 and 26 feet (6 and 8 meters) tall, compared to the ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ dwarf cultivar.
Snow Fountain Dwarf Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus serrulata ‘Snow Fountain’)
The snow white solitary blooms of the Snow Fountain weeping cherry blossom tree are stunning. In mid-spring, the droplets of aromatic cherry blossoms bloom for three weeks. After blooming, the arching limbs produce tiny black cherry fruits, and in the autumn, they turn orange and bronze colors. J
apanese cherry blossom trees, sometimes known as ‘Snofozam,’ grow to be 8 to 15 feet (2.4 – 4.5 meters) tall. The rounded canopy has a slender appearance due to their arching, pendulous branches. For lawns, garden landscapes, or as a specimen tree, this is a magnificent decorative cherry tree.
Cherry tree blossoms:“Snow Fountain” cherry blossoms are single snow-white flowers with a cascading branch waterfall that produces a stunning white cascade.