How to Identify Cherry Trees

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Cherry trees are known for their beautiful blossoms. They grow in temperate climates across North America, Europe and Asia. Cherry trees are often confused with peach and plum trees, but it's not difficult to identify cherry trees if you know what you’re looking for. It's easiest to spot a cherry tree in the spring when it is in full bloom, or in midsummer when it is fruiting.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Identifying Cherry Tree Flowers and Fruit

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  1. . 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. [1]
    • 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.
  2. 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. [2]
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  3. 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.
  4. 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. [3]
    • 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.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Identifying Cherry Tree Leaves and Bark

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  1. The cherry tree’s leaves are toothed. They are oval shaped, and they have a point at the tip. [4] There are serrated margins on the leaves. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long. [5]
    • 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. [6]
  2. 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. [7]
    • 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.
  3. 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. [8]
  4. 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. [9]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Spotting Different Kinds of Cherry Trees

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  1. Japan alone has over 100 varieties of cherry trees. [10] 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.
  2. These trees are native to North America. They can grow very large and they are usually quite straight. Their flowers are smaller and white. [11]
    • 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. [12]
  3. 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. [13]
    • 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.
  4. People often mistake plum trees for cherry trees, especially when they start blossoming. Here are the main distinctions: [14]
    • 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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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you identify a cherry tree leaf?
    Michael Simpson, PhD
    Registered Professional Biologist
    Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.
    Michael Simpson, PhD
    Registered Professional Biologist
    Expert Answer
    They are typically oval, although some can be lanceolate (shaped like the end of a spear). They also tend to have a protruding pointed tip and fine teeth along the leaf margins
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  • Question
    Can you identify a cherry tree by its height?
    Community Answer
    Cherry trees’ height varies dramatically, so you won’t be able to spot the tree that way. Cherry tree height ranges between 6 and 40 feet tall.
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  • Question
    My tree was planted in our yard by our builder 13 years ago. It finally has fruit this year. Why does it take so long?
    Sandra Grace Kunze Sarkisian
    Community Answer
    Conditions may not have been right. What's in your soil can make all the difference, as well as if you have been pruning it or not. Over pruning will stop a tree from producing fruit. Weather can also have an impact. Fruit trees can be fickle, and require specific circumstances in order to fruit.
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      Tips

      • Flowering cherry trees are often seen in parks and formal gardens.
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      • Flowering crab apple trees are often mistaken for cherry trees, but if you look closely at their leaves, you will not see the small red glands. These are staggered glands that appear on the leaf stems that look like red dots.
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      • Mature flowering cherry trees can reach 20’ (6.96 m) in height. Keep in mind that other trees can be this height as well.
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      Warnings

      • All cherries have a stone pit in the center. The pits are hard enough to crack a tooth, so take care when biting into a cherry.
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      • Be sure to rinse cherries after you pick them because the tree may have been treated with pesticides.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm
      2. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm
      3. ↑ https://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/iowa_trees/trees/black_cherry.html
      4. ↑ https://treegrowing.tcv.org.uk/identify/wild-cherry
      5. ↑ Michael Simpson, PhD. Registered Professional Biologist. Expert Interview. 25 June 2021.
      6. ↑ Michael Simpson, PhD. Registered Professional Biologist. Expert Interview. 25 June 2021.
      7. ↑ https://extension.umd.edu/resource/ornamental-cherry-trees-identify-and-manage-problems
      8. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/8-ways-to-tell-a-cherry-blossom-from-a-plum-blossom-1.2595629
      9. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/8-ways-to-tell-a-cherry-blossom-from-a-plum-blossom-1.2595629
      1. ↑ http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_species.html
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9jJLIN9cRk
      3. ↑ https://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/iowa_trees/trees/black_cherry.html
      4. ↑ https://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/iowa_trees/trees/black_cherry.html
      5. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/8-ways-to-tell-a-cherry-blossom-from-a-plum-blossom-1.2595629

      About This Article

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      To identify cherry trees, begin by studying the leaves and looking for an oval shape with a point at the tip and serrated edges. Also, the leaves should be shiny, medium-green, and up to 5 inches long. Next, look at the bark on the trunk, which will be gray or brown and have horizontal markings, called lenticels, on it. The bark of a cherry tree is soft, but not shaggy. In the spring, cherry trees will have white or pink blossoms with small clefts in each petal. In the summer, look for yellow, black or red fruits that are small and round. For tips on distinguishing between a plum and cherry tree, read on!

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