Identifying Cherry Tree Flowers and Fruit
Study the flowers. Cherry tree flowers are either white or pink in color, and they do not have a scent. They grow in clusters, with each flower stalk emerging from one central point. Cherry tree flowers also have long stamens that poke up from the flowers. This distinct clustering flower growth pattern is a key way to distinguish cherry trees from trees with similar traits. For example, peach trees grow single flowers, and almond tree flowers grow in pairs. Cherries are likely to flower early in the spring. They produce clusters of pale green berries later on in the spring.
Examine the petals. On cherry trees, each single flower has 5 petals. Semi double flowers have 6 to 10 petals, and double blossoms have 10 petals or more. Cherry tree petals each have a small cleft, while plum petals are rounded.
Count the styles. Cherry tree styles are the long tubes that connect to the flower’s ovary, distinct from the stems. The ovary is the part of the tree that becomes the fruit. Each cherry tree blossom has only one style. Some trees, like crab trees that flower, look a lot like cherry trees. However, in flowering crab trees, each flower has four to five styles. Apple and pear trees have two to five. Mespil trees have five. If you look more closely at the tree and notice that the flowers are attached to only one style, that’s a good sign it’s a cherry tree.
Examine the fruit. Ornamental cherry tree varieties do not produce fruit. Fruiting cherry trees have hanging fruit that grows in pairs or clusters. The fruit hangs where the flowers did before. The fruit will be small, pale and green in late spring. In late summer, the cherries get larger and redder. Some cherry trees produce fruit that is yellow or black instead of red. If you take a close look at the fruit, you should be able to distinguish cherry trees from other fruiting trees, such as cherry plum trees or apple trees. Cherry fruit is rounder in shape than either of these. A good rule of thumb is that if the fruit is smaller than ¾ of an inch, it is probably a cherry. Cherry plums and regular plums are usually bigger, about 1 inch or larger.
Identifying Cherry Tree Leaves and Bark
Study the leaves. The cherry tree’s leaves are toothed. They are oval shaped, and they have a point at the tip. There are serrated margins on the leaves. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long. Most cherry trees have large, shiny green leaves arranged alternately on branches. The bottom leaves are usually medium green. Up higher, the leaves turn paler yellow. In the fall, cherry tree leaves turn yellow with a hint of red. Cherry trees are deciduous, so they lose their leaves in the fall. Cherry tree leaves are attached at alternate rather than opposite points along the stem, but many other plants share this leaf arrangement, so it is not a defining characteristic on its own.
Study the bark. The cherry tree's bark is commonly brown, gray, or a shade in between. The bark of a cherry tree has what are called horizontal lenticels. These are marks in the bark that look like small cuts that are darker or lighter than the rest of the bark. In some cherry trees, the bark peels back in places. Underneath it, you can spot a darker mahogany color. Cherry tree bark is not shaggy, but very hard, making it useful as building material. The bark is softer toward the top of the tree.
Notice the shape of the tree. Mature cherry trees take on an umbrella shape. The branches are "spreading," meaning the top of the tree looks wider than the bottom. In contrast, plum trees look round or oval, and pear trees look oval or teardrop-shaped.
Look for grafts. Fruit trees are often grafted so they will produce fruit. On cherry trees, you'll find the graft placed on the trunk, near where the first branches emerge. Other fruit trees usually have grafts on the branches, making them look knotty.
Spotting Different Kinds of Cherry Trees
Identify Japanese cherry trees. Japan alone has over 100 varieties of cherry trees. They are also commonly seen at cherry blossom festivals around the United States, and they are designed to have very showy flowers. Japanese cherry blossoms are as large as carnations. Kwanzan cherry trees produce white or pink double blooms, and Yoshino cherry trees produce white single blooms. Japanese cherry trees do not produce fruit. They are grown for their beauty, not their bounty.
Identify black cherry or choke cherry trees. These trees are native to North America. They can grow very large and they are usually quite straight. Their flowers are smaller and white. The flowers will appear in long narrow clusters after the leaves come out in the spring. If you see orange colored fuzz along the midrib of various leaves, it’s probably a black cherry tree. Otherwise, it’s likely a chokecherry.
Identify agricultural cherry trees. These trees are used to produce the cherries sold commercially. Sometimes these trees are called sweet cherry or sour cherry trees. They have small, white flowers with 5 petals that bloom before the leaves grow completely in the early spring. Sweet cherry trees have more leaves than sour cherry trees. Sweet cherry trees have leaves with more than 8 pairs of veins for each leaf. Sour cherry tree leaves have fewer than 8 pairs of veins per leaf.
Distinguish between plum and cherry trees. People often mistake plum trees for cherry trees, especially when they start blossoming. Here are the main distinctions: Cherry trees' smell is faint, if not non existent. Plum trees are fragrant. Cherry blossoms have clefts at the tips of the petals, while plum blossoms are oval. Cherry tree bark has horizontal lines. Plum blossom bark is darker than cherry tree bark and does not have horizontal lines. Cherry buds are oval. Plum buds are round. Cherry tree leaves are green or copper. Plum leaves are purple.
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