Do Cherries Grow on Cherry Blossom Trees? Types, Facts & FAQs

The Cherry Blossom is an ornamental tree that produces many attractive pink blossoms each spring. Many people flock to Washington, D.C. each year in March for the Cherry Blossom Festival to see these trees, and the flower is the national flower of Japan. While you’re standing among these trees, it’s natural to assume that the flowers will eventually turn to fruit, like many other plants, especially since the tree has the word cherry in its name. However, while some trees produce a fruit that might look like a cherry, it’s quite different from the cherries that we eat. So, keep reading as we look closer at these trees to help you be better informed.

Do Cherry Blossoms Create Cherries?

Many Cherry Blossom trees do indeed create fruits that resemble small cherries. But although they are edible, they are not the fruits that we typically consider cherries. To get cherries for baking in a pie or covering with chocolate, you’ll need to plant a traditional cherry tree.

What Is the Significance of Cherry Blossoms?

Cherry Blossom trees are an important part of Japanese tradition, as they signify the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The Japanese look at these trees to predict the year’s harvest, and they embody their ideals of impermanence, renewal, and hope. The fallen petals also represent the Samurai’s undying courage. Cherry Blossom trees became popular in America when former First Lady Helen Taft fell in love with them and wanted to plant them around the city. The mayor of Tokyo gifted her with 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees, which were planted along the Tidal Basin and Potomac River.

What Types of Cherry Blossom Trees Are There?

Yoshino

The Yoshino cherry tree is likely the most popular Cherry Blossom in America. It’s quite common in Japan and the United States and is the one that you typically see when going to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. or searching “Cherry Blossom” on the internet. It usually blooms in mid-March, but blossoms can occur anytime from the beginning to the end of March or even into April.

Yamazakura

The Yamazakura cherry tree is not as cultivated as much as the Yoshino, and you don’t find it as much in the United States. It typically grows wild and seems to prefer the mountain regions of Japan, which is why many people also like to call it the Hill Cherry. A Yamazakura Cherry Blossom typically has five light-pink petals.

Weeping Cherry

The Weeping Cherry is one of the oldest of the Cherry Blossom varieties, and it is similar in appearance to the Yoshino. This variety is easiest to find in the Fukushima region of Japan.

What Kinds of Trees Produce the Cherries That We like to Eat?

If you want to grow a tree that produces cherries that you can eat, you will need to stick to regular cherry trees instead of Cherry Blossom trees. Varieties like Early Richmond grow quickly and produce many tasty cherries. Other types include Montmorency, Carmine Jewel, and Juliet.

Summary

While Cherry Blossom trees look amazing in the spring, they don’t produce traditional cherries. The fruits that some of them produce won’t hurt you, but they won’t taste sweet and delicious like regular cherries. Grow these trees if you want something that doesn’t get too big or require much maintenance but looks amazing each spring. Choose a regular cherry tree, like the Early Richmond or the Carmine Jewel if you want fruit that you can bake or snack on. Standard cherry trees also offer more shade because they tend to be larger.

Featured Image Credit: Cherry Blossom, Pixabay