(I’ll just say that if you ever earnestly Tweet a link to Chuckworthy, I’ll Unfollow you in a New York minute. That’s how I roll.)
What’s that, when you were a tyke, cherry trees bloomed in April and now they’re blooming in late January because of that darn global warming?
Well yeah, but what you’re looking at aint cherry trees, they’re plum trees, muchacho/a.
See? Plum:
Click to expand
What’s that, you just saw them in J-Town, so they must be cherry trees? NOPE! What you saw was Prunus cerasifera, a kind of plum. Yes, they planted plums on Post Street on purpose, to stagger the blooms from winter to spring, one supposes. Go back to Japantown in April and you’ll see blossoms from the real deal, Prunus serrulata aka Japanese Cherry, Hill Cherry, Oriental Cherry, East Asian Cherry, or soon enough, East Sea Cherry for all I know.
What’s that, Prunus cerasifera’s common name is cherry plum so close enough? NOPE! Cherry is cherry and plum is plum.
What’s that, global warming is real and trees are blossoming earlier and earlier? MAYBE SO! But just don’t call plum trees cherry trees, that’s what I’m saying. That’s the “one weird trick.”
Gotcha!
All right, here you go, here’s a genuine cherry tree during late January in the 415:
Cherries will be blooming soon enough.
Until then, enjoy eating plum blossoms, as this Wild Parrot of Telegraph Hill did near the Financial one winter long ago:
