Is the cherry blossom a woody plant? A detailed explanation of the cherry blossom's plant characteristics

Other names for cherry blossom

Cherry blossom, also known as mountain cherry blossom, is also called fairy cherry blossom, Fukushima cherry, green-skinned cherry, and Jing peach. It is a plant in the genus Cerasus, subgenus Cerasus, of the family Rosaceae.

Morphological characteristics of cherry blossom

The bark of the cherry blossom is purplish brown, smooth and glossy, with horizontal lines. Flowers and leaves are alternate; the leaves are elliptical or obovate-elliptical, with awned teeth along the margin, pointed tips with glands, dark green and glossy on the surface, and slightly paler on the underside. Stipules are lanceolate-linear, with finely divided serrate margins, and the cleft ends have glands. Each cluster has three to five flowers, forming umbel-like flowers; the sepals spread horizontally, and the petal tips have notches, white, red, or pink. The flowers bloom together with the leaves in March, or after the leaves.

Growth habits of cherry blossom

Cherry blossoms like sunlight and prefer a warm, humid climate. They are not demanding about soil, but grow best in deep, fertile sandy soil. The root system is shallow, and resistance to smoke, dust, harmful gases, and sea breeze is relatively weak. They are not tolerant of saline-alkaline soil. The root system is relatively shallow, and waterlogged low-lying land should be avoided. They have a certain tolerance to cold and drought, but weak resistance to smoke and wind. Cherry blossoms are extremely beautiful; when in full bloom, the whole tree is lush and splendid, like clouds and rosy clouds. They are a famous ornamental flowering tree that blooms in early spring.

Variety classification of cherry blossom

Common types of cherry blossom

1, Japanese cherry blossom. The trunk bark is dark gray, the leaves are elliptical, with acuminate or caudate tips, and the margins have awn-like fine double serrations, with glands at the tooth tips. The upper end of the petiole has 2 glands, and the stipules are linear with glandular teeth. The flowers are often double, white, pink, or rose red. The drupe is spherical, about 1 cm in diameter, purplish black when ripe. This species has two varieties: 1) Colorful Cloud Japanese cherry blossom, double, large, rose red; 2) Pink Japanese cherry blossom, double, medium, pink.

2, Mountain cherry. Also known as green-skinned cherry. The trunk bark is millet brown, and the leaves are mostly elliptical-lanceolate, often caudate at the tip, with fine single or double serrations along the margin, and glandular spines at the tooth tips. The leaf surface is pale green and smooth, the underside is slightly white-powdered, with hairs on the midrib, and young leaves are often brown. The petiole has 2-4 glands. The flowers are single or double, white or pink. The fruit is ovoid-spherical, black when ripe. It may be native to China, and wild plants are commonly seen in the mountains of North China. It grows quickly, has strong sprouting ability, resists smoke and dust, and is often used as rootstock for cherries. The kernel can be used as medicine.

3, Cold cherry. The flowers are small, with pale red single-layer petals. If the climate is relatively warm, it blooms around mid-January, so it is also called Atami cherry. It is presumed to be a hybrid of the cold crimson cherry and the mountain cherry.

4, Shuzenji cold cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with red-purple single-layer petals. It grows in the garden of Shuzenji Temple on the Izu Peninsula, and is presumed to be a hybrid of the cold crimson cherry and the Oshima cherry.

5, Cold crimson cherry. The flowers are small, with deep red-purple single-layer petals. Wild cherry blossoms also grow in Taiwan, China, so it is also called Taiwan crimson cherry or crimson cold cherry. The flowers are bell-shaped and present a special feeling when combined with it.

6, Kawazu cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with red-purple single-layer petals. It is an early-spring cherry blossom growing in Kawazu Town on the Izu Peninsula, and is presumed to be a hybrid of the cold crimson cherry and the Oshima cherry.

7, Oshima cherry. The flowers are large, with white single-layer petals. It grows in places such as the Izu Seven Islands and the Boso Peninsula, and is a wild cherry blossom very resilient to sea breeze. The cherry leaves used in sakura mochi are the leaves of this cherry blossom.

8, Daisy cherry. The flowers are small, like white chrysanthemum petals. It is a small cherry blossom of the Oding character cherry line growing at Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, with more than 100 petals, a precious and rare cherry blossom.

9, American cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with pale red single-layer petals. This is a variety cultivated in the United States from the seeds of Somei Yoshino. Its original name was Akebono, but because Japan already had a cherry blossom with the same name, it was renamed to its current name.

10, Baikoji Juzu-kake cherry. The flowers are large, like pale red chrysanthemum petals. It is a cherry blossom said to be connected with Shinran Shonin, and the cherry tree growing at Baikoji Temple in Kyose Village, Niigata Prefecture, has been designated a national natural monument.

11, Great cold cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with pale red single-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom growing in Angyo, Saitama Prefecture, also called Angyo cold cherry, a beautiful cherry blossom that blooms about one week earlier than Somei Yoshino.

12, Kenrokuen chrysanthemum cherry. The flowers are large, like pale red chrysanthemum petals. It grows at Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, and has more than 300 petals.

13, October cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with pale red multi-layer petals. It begins blooming around October and blooms again the following spring, a precious cherry blossom that blooms 2 times a year.

14, Nara double cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with pale red multi-layer petals. It belongs to the Kasumi cherry line, and the cherry tree growing at Chisokuin in Nara City has been designated a national natural monument.

15, Edo higan. The flowers are small, with pale red single-layer petals. This cherry blossom has a very long lifespan; Yamataka Jindai cherry (Takekawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture) and the Usuzumi cherry of Neodani (Neo Village, Gifu Prefecture) are presumed to have lived for more than 1,000 years.

16, Winter cherry. The flowers are medium-sized, with white single-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom that blooms twice a year (spring and autumn). A considerable number of this cherry blossom are planted in Sakura-yama Park in Onishi Town, Gunma Prefecture, among which "Sanbagawa winter cherry" is the most famous.

17, Eigenji. The flowers are large, with white multi-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom growing in the garden of Eigenji Temple in Shiga Prefecture, a double cherry with very large white flowers.

18, Ichihara Toranoo. The flowers are medium-sized, with pale red multi-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom growing in Ichihara, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. Because the branches extend outward very long and the flowers also grow very densely like a tiger's tail, Otani Kozui named it Ichihara Toranoo.

19, Taibai. The flowers are large, with white single-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom given to Japan in 1932 by a British cherry blossom researcher. It is already extinct in Japan. Taibai was named by the former duke Takatsukasa Nobusuke.

20, Gyoiko. The flowers are medium-sized, with green-yellow multi-layer petals. It has been widely known since ancient times, a cherry blossom with a rare color.

21, Shogetsu. The flowers are large, with pale red multi-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom that formerly grew along the Arakawa embankment in Tokyo, a very beautiful double cherry.

22, Imose. The flowers are large, with red multi-layer petals. It is a cherry blossom located at Hirano Shrine in Kyoto. Because it has two pistils and also sets two fruits, it got this name.

23, Kanzan. The flowers are large, with deep red multi-layer petals. It is a representative variety of double cherry and is also widely planted in Europe and the United States. In addition, the salted petals of this cherry blossom are also used in cherry blossom soup.

Common cultivated varieties of cherry blossom

1. Cherry blossom, deciduous tree. About 5 to 25 m tall. Bark dark chestnut brown, smooth and glossy, with horizontal lines. Branchlets hairless. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptical, margin with awned semi-mature teeth, both sides hairless. Corymbose or racemose inflorescence, flowers white or pale pink. Diameter 2.5 to 4cm, flowering period April to May. Drupe spherical, black, fruit ripens in July.

2. Japanese late cherry, about 10m tall, bark light gray. Leaves obovate, margin with long awn-like teeth; flowers single or double, drooping, pink or nearly white, fragrant, 2 to 5 clustered, flowering period April.

3. Japanese early cherry, a small tree, about 5m tall, bark horizontally lined, old bark braided. Branchlets brown, leaves obovate to ovate-lanceolate. Flowers pink, diameter 2 to 2.5cm, 2 to 5 in umbel-like inflorescences, blooming before the leaves in spring.

4. Oyamazakura, 12 to 20m tall, bark brown, branchlets purplish brown, leaves elliptical-ovate. Flowers pink, 2 to 4 clustered, diameter 3 to 5cm, flowering period March to April.

5. Yunnan cherry, about 10m tall, bark brown, branchlets purplish brown, leaves elliptical-ovate or obovate, margin with double teeth. Flowers pink to deep red, 2 to 5 clustered, flowering period February to March.

6. Ke cherry, about 25m tall, bark light brown, branchlets green, leaves long elliptical to lanceolate, flowers pink, flowering period January to January of the following year.

7. Mountain cherry blossom: mostly wild, flowers small, single, white or pink, pedicels and calyx hairless.

8. Hairy cherry blossom: basically the same appearance as mountain cherry blossom, but its leaves, petioles, and calyx all have hairs.

9. Double white cherry blossom: flowers white, double, a main cultivated variety.

10. Double red cherry blossom: flowers pink, double.

11. Red-white cherry blossom: flowers pale red, double.

12. Magnificent cherry blossom: flowers pale red, straight petals, flowers large and pedicels long.

13. Weeping cherry blossom: flowers pink, double, flowering branches spread out and droop.

Cherry blossom flower language

Cherry blossom flower language - life. It is said that in the past cherry blossoms were only white, and brave warriors chose to disembowel themselves under the cherry tree they loved. Because when a warrior believed he had reached the glory of life, he would choose to end his own life. So blood flowed beneath the cherry trees, and from then on the cherry blossoms bloomed red... The redder the cherry petals, the more souls of the dead beneath the tree, and the more it embodied the "Japanese spirit."

Cherry blossom flower language - passionate, pure, noble. The life of a cherry blossom is very short. In Japan there is a folk saying: "cherry blossom 7 days," meaning that from opening to withering a single cherry blossom takes about 7 days, and from flowering to full withering a whole cherry tree takes about 16 days, forming the characteristic of cherry blossoms blooming while falling. It is precisely this characteristic that gives cherry blossoms such great charm. Being revered as the national flower is not only because of their charming beauty, but more importantly because of the "heroism" of withering immediately after a brief splendor. Japanese people believe that life is short, and while alive one should be as splendid, pure, and beautiful as cherry blossoms; even in death, one should leave decisively. When cherry blossoms fall, they are unstained and untainted, very crisp and neat, and are revered as a symbol of the Japanese spirit.

Different cherry blossoms also represent different meanings.

Cherry blossom flower language: life, a lifetime of happiness never giving up, loving only you for a lifetime, the law of fate is circulation, waiting for you to return.

Mountain cherry: smiling at you, beauty of spirit.

Western cherry blossom: the education of goodness.

Winter cherry blossom: the mystery of the East.

Double cherry blossom: quiet/pure.

Primrose: youth/besides you, no other love.

Mountain cherry blossom: pure/noble/indifferent.