Cherry Plum vs Japanese Cherry

Prunus cerasifera compared with Prunus serrulata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cherry Plum	Japanese Cherry
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family same	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus same	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)
Species	Prunus cerasifera	Prunus serrulata

Evolutionary Relationship

Cherry Plum and Japanese Cherry share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Prunus. (Cherries & Plums)

Conservation Status

Cherry Plum

NE — Not Evaluated

Japanese Cherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cherry Plum	Japanese Cherry
Diet	—	Autotroph
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	10.0 m
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cherry Plum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Asia (Armenia), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand).

Japanese Cherry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Brazil).

Cherry Plum

The Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) is a species in the genus Prunus. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Japanese Cherry

The quintessential symbol of spring in Japan, Japanese cherry trees produce transient clouds of white and pink blossom each spring — a cultural event called hanami (flower viewing) celebrated for centuries. Reaching up to 25 meters, they were domesticated from wild Prunus species over a millennium of selective cultivation, producing primarily sterile ornamental varieties that propagate by grafting. Over 200 cultivars are recognized, with Somei Yoshino accounting for the majority of Japan's famous cherry avenues.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 10 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States