Crabapple flowers and cherry blossoms look very much alike - what is the difference between the two?

If you are a flower admirer, then you certainly will not miss the cherry blossoms and crabapples that bloom in the warmth of spring. Each has its own characteristics, yet they always leave many people unable to tell them apart. Below, we will make it all clear to everyone at once.

Generally speaking, the main reason people find it hard to distinguish cherry blossoms from crabapples is that both flowers bloom in March. Secondly, they both belong to the Rosaceae family, so they are more or less related, and their appearance is therefore somewhat similar. However, to truly tell them apart: they are in the same family but different genera. Crabapple flowers belong to the Rosaceae family, genus Malus, while cherry blossoms belong to the Rosaceae family, genus Prunus (subgenus Cerasus). The cherry blossom family has more than 300 varieties in total, and is further divided into early, middle and late blooming periods.

In terms of flower shape and inflorescence, the flower shape and inflorescence of cherry blossoms are the most eye-catching. For example, the well-known Tokyo cherry blossom (Prunus x yedoensis) flowers before its leaves emerge, the petal edges often have subtle notches, the trunk lenticels are flat, the leaf stalks have glands, and the leaves are ovate, smooth and hairless on the front and sparsely hairy on the back. Crabapples, by contrast, are characterized by flowers and leaves appearing together, such as the Hall crabapple (Malus halliana), whose flowers are rich in color, including white and pink, whose main branches are relatively smooth and grayish-brown, and whose leaves are usually elliptical and hairless on both sides.

In addition, crabapple flowers and cherry blossoms can also be distinguished by their flower stalks and main branches. The former usually has flower stalks with an obvious purplish-red color; the flower stalks are slender and delicate, and the main branches are relatively smooth, mostly grayish-brown in color. The latter's cherry blossom flower stalks are green, feel relatively firm to the touch, have obvious texture, and are mostly dark gray in color.
There are other differences as well: the two also differ in fruit type. Cherry blossoms form drupes and carry a slight fragrance when in bloom, while crabapples develop into pomes and have no fragrance when in bloom. These characteristics give crabapples and cherry blossoms their own unique charm in nature.

In short, crabapple flowers and cherry blossoms are truly stunning when in bloom. Friends who love flowers can go and observe more of both their similarities and their differences.