It’s said that there are over 800 different breeds of cherry trees. Somei Yoshino, developed in the late Edo period, has since become the iconic cherry tree. When people mention cherry blossoms, they’re often referring to the Somei Yoshino variety. The cherry trees gifted to Washington, D.C. from Japan in 1912 are also Somei Yoshino.
A new Somei Yoshino tree is created through grafting or cutting methods because growing it from a pollinated seed results in a different breed. As a result, all the Somei Yoshino trees in the world are essentially clones, originating from a single tree. This is why cherry blossoms in one area bloom simultaneously.
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