Cherry trees are known for their beautiful flowers. This tree grows in temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Cherry trees are often mistaken for peaches or plums, but it's really not that hard to identify a cherry if you know what you're looking for. It is easier to spot cherry trees in the spring when they are in bloom, or in midsummer when they are fruiting.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Identifying Flowers and Cherries
Step 1. Study the flowers
Cherry blossoms can be white or pink, and are unscented. The flowers are bunched and each flower stalk grows from a single central point. Cherry flowers also have long stamens that stick out from the flower crown.
- This distinctive pattern of clustered flower growth is a key feature to distinguish cherry trees from trees of similar characteristics. For example, the peach tree with single flowers, and the almond tree, whose flowers grow in pairs.
- Cherry trees usually flower in early spring. Pale green fruit bunches will appear in the spring.
Step 2. Study the flower crown
On cherries, each single flower has 5 crowns. Semidouble flowers have 6 - 10 crowns, and double flowers have 10 or more crowns. Each cherry blossom crown has a small cleft slit at the end, while the plum crown is rounded.
Step 3. Count the pistils
The pistil of a cherry is a long tube that connects the anther to the ovary of a flower, in contrast to the stamens. The ovary is the part of the flower that will later become the fruit. Each cherry blossom has only one pistil.
- Some trees, such as the flowering crab tree, are very similar to cherries. However, the flower of the malus tree has four to five pistils. Meanwhile, apple and pear flowers have two to five pistils. The mespil tree has five pistils.
- If you look closely at the tree and see that the flower has only one pistil, that's a sign that this is a cherry tree.
Step 4. Watch the fruit
Ornamental cherry tree varieties will not bear fruit. Fruiting cherry trees have hanging fruit that grows in pairs or clusters. The fruit hangs where the flower was before. The cherries are small, pale, and green in late spring. By the end of summer, the cherries will swell and turn red. Some cherries produce yellow or black fruit instead of red.
- If you look closely at the fruit, you will be able to distinguish a cherry tree from other fruit trees, such as a cherry plum tree or an apple tree. The shape of the cherry is more rounded than the two fruits.
- A rule to note is that if the fruit is smaller than 2 cm, it's a cherry. Cherry plums and regular plums are larger in size, which is about 2.5 cm or more.
Method 2 of 3: Identifying Cherry Tree Leaves and Bark
Step 1. Study the leaves
Serrated cherry leaves. It is oval in shape and has a pointed tip. The edges of the cherry leaves have serrations. The length is 5 - 13 cm.
- Most cherry trees have large glossy green leaves that are alternately arranged on the branches. The lower leaves are usually medium green. The higher up, the paler the yellowish leaves.
- In autumn, cherry leaves turn yellowish with a red tinge. Cherry trees are deciduous and will drop their leaves in the fall.
Step 2. Pay attention to the bark of the tree
Cherry tree bark is generally brown, gray, or shades in between. Cherry bark has something called horizontal lenticels. Horizontal lenticels are streak marks on the bark that resemble small nicks that are darker or lighter in color than the rest of the bark.
- In some types of cherries, the bark will peel off in several places. Behind it, you can see a darker reddish-brown color.
- Cherry tree bark is not rough, but very hard, making it useful as a building material. The closer to the top, the smoother the skin.
Step 3. Notice the shape of the tree
Mature cherry trees are shaped like umbrellas. The branches are spread out, meaning that the top of the tree appears wider than the bottom. In contrast, plum trees appear round or oval, and pear trees appear opal or teardrop shaped.
Step 4. Look for grafting marks
Fruit trees are often grafted to produce fruit. In cherries, you can find a grafting site on the stem, near where the first branch grows. Other fruit trees usually have grafts on the branches and make them look tangled.
Method 3 of 3: Recognizing Different Types of Cherry Trees
Step 1. Identify the Japanese cherry tree
Japan alone has more than 100 varieties of cherries. Cherry trees are also commonly seen at cherry blossom festivals across America and are engineered to have abundant blooms.
- Japanese cherry blossoms are the size of a carnation. The kwanzan cherry tree has white or pink double-crowned flowers, while the yoshino cherry tree has white single-crowned flowers.
- Japanese cherry trees do not produce fruit. This tree is grown for its beauty, not its fruit.
Step 2. Identify whether it is a black cherry or a chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Both types of trees are native to North America. They can grow very large and are usually quite straight. The flowers are smaller and white.
- The cherry blossoms will appear in long, weedy bunches after the leaves have sprouted in spring.
- If you see fine orange hairs running along the leaf midrib, it's probably a black cherry. If not, then it's chokecherry.
Step 3. Identify the plantation cherry trees
This type of tree is usually used to produce cherries which are sold commercially. Sometimes these trees are called sweet cherry trees or sour cherries. The flowers are small white and have five crowns that bloom before the leaves are fully grown in early spring.
Sweet cherry trees have more leaves than sour cherries. Sweet cherry leaves have more than 8 pairs of veins. Meanwhile, sour cherry leaves have leaf veins of less than 8 pairs
Step 4. Distinguish the plum and cherry trees
People often mistake plum trees for cherries, especially when they are starting to flower. Here are the main differences:
- The cherry tree smells very faint or not at all. Meanwhile, the plum tree is very fragrant.
- The cherry blossom crown has a cleft slit at the end, while the plum blossom is oval.
- Cherry tree bark has horizontal stripes. Plum bark is darker than cherry bark and has no horizontal lines.
- The cherry blossoms are oval in shape. The plum blossoms are round.
- Cherry leaves are green or copper-like. Plum leaves are purple.
Tips
- You can enjoy blooming cherry trees in formal gardens and gardens.
- The crab apple tree in bloom is often mistaken for a cherry tree, but if you look closely, the leaves don't have tiny red glands. These are glands present on the petiole and appear as red dots.
- Mature cherry trees that have flowered can reach a height of up to 7 meters. But you need to know, other trees can also grow this high.
Warning
- All cherries have a very hard seed in the middle. These seeds are hard enough to break teeth, so be careful when biting into cherries.
- Rinse the cherries after picking as the trees may be sprayed with pesticides.
