---
title: "Prunus: cherries, plums and peaches — classification, 417 accepted species and toxicity | Floreboard"
url: https://floreboard.com/en/plants/prunus/
language: en
last_reviewed: 2026-10-24
publisher: Floreboard
---

Flora Japonica · Tab. 11 · 1835–1870 · S. Minsinger, W. Siegrist · public domain

# Prunus L.

cherries, plums, peaches and almonds · Rosaceae

- **Accepted name:** Prunus L.
- **First published:** Sp. Pl.: 473 (1753)
- **Family:** Rosaceae
- **Accepted species:** 417 (including 58 natural hybrids)
- **Native range:** 238 TDWG regions, almost worldwide, chiefly in the northern temperate zone
- **Common names:** cherries, plums, peaches and almonds, cherries, plums and almonds
- **Databases:** [POWO](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30003057-2) · [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/n/30003057-2) · [WCVP](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232/taxon/2958711) · [Catalogue of Life](https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6Y6H) · [GBIF](https://www.gbif.org/species/3020559)

## Overview

Prunus belongs to the rose family, Rosaceae. The cherry, plum and peach branches florists sell in spring all fall within this one genus in WCVP: former genera such as Cerasus, Armeniaca, Amygdalus, Padus and Lauro-cerasus are now synonyms (see below). Trees of New Guinea notes that the genus is economically important for fruits, nuts, timber and ornamentals.

In WCVP, P. mume (Japanese apricot, mei) is native to south-central China, Laos and Vietnam; P. persica (peach) to north-central China; and P. serrulata to south-central and south-east China, Korea and Manchuria.

## Classification and characters

Linnaeus published the genus in Species Plantarum in 1753. Trees of New Guinea describes shrubs to trees 25 m tall; simple, petiolate, spirally arranged leaves, entire or toothed; five sepals and five white or pink petals, with numerous stamens (15–80) in two whorls; and a drupe with fleshy to dry mesocarp and hard endocarp. Cut trunks and branches may smell of almonds. Older floras give about 200 species; the number WCVP accepts today is in the table below.

| Genus name | Published in |
| --- | --- |
| × Amygdalopersica Delpino ex L.L.Daniel | Rev. Gén. Bot. 27: 33 (1915) |
| × Armenoprunus Janch. | Cat. Fl. Austr., I. Pteridophyt. & Anthophyt. 2: 351 (1958) |
| × Cerapadus Buia | T.Săvulescu, Fl. Republ. Popul. Român. 4: 880 (1956) |
| × Cerasolouiseania E.N.Lomakin & Juschev | Byull. Vsesoyuzn. Ordena Lenina Ordena Druzhby Narodov Nauchno-Issl. Inst. Rasteniev. N. I. Vavilova 81: 23 (1978) |
| × Ceropadus Buia | T.Săvulescu, Fl. Republ. Socialist. România 4: 880 (1956) |
| × Prunoamygdalus Kovalev | Alycha Prirodye Kulturye Selekts.: 55 (1955) |
| Aflatunia Vassilcz. | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 17: 261 (1955) |
| Amygdalophora Neck. | Elem. Bot. 2: 70 (1790) |
| Amygdalopsis Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 11: 91 (1862) |
| Amygdalopsis M.Roem. | Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 15 (1847) |
| Amygdalus L. | Sp. Pl.: 472 (1753) |
| Armeniaca Scop. | Meth. Pl.: 15 (1754) |
| Ceraseidos Siebold & Zucc. | Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 3(3): 743 (1843) |
| Cerasophora Neck. | Elem. Bot. 2: 71 (1790) |
| Cerasus Mill. | Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4.: 1 (1754) |
| Chamaeamygdalus (Spach) Fedor. | Botanica (Lithuania) 30(1): 45 (2024) |
| Chimanthus Raf. | Fl. Ludov.: 26 (1817) |
| Digaster Miq. | Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste Bijv.: 329 (1861) |
| Dodecadia Lour. | Fl. Cochinch.: 304 (1790) |
| Druparia Clairv. | Man. Herbor. Suisse: 159 (1811) |
| Emplectocladus Torr. | Proc. Amer. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 4: 192 (1851) |
| Germaria C.Presl | Abh. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., ser. 5, 6: 221 (1851) |
| Hagidryas Griseb. | Reise Rumel. 1: 311 (1841) |
| Jadelotia Buc'hoz | Herb. Color. Amérique: t. 42 (1783) |
| Lauro-cerasus Duhamel | Traité Arbr. Arbust. 1: 345 (1755) |
| Louiseania Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 44: 34 (1872) |
| Maddenia Hook.f. & Thomson | Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 6: 381 (1854) |
| Mahaleb Takht. | Fl. Armen. 3: 324 (1958) |
| Microcerasus Webb & Berthel. | Hist. Nat. Iles Canaries 3(2; 2): 19 (1842) |
| Orospodias Raf. | Atlantic J. 1: 182 (1833) |
| Padellus Vassilcz. | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 185 (1973) |
| Padus Mill. | Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. 3: (1754) |
| Polydontia Blume | Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 1104 (1826) |
| Polystorthia Blume | Fl. Javae, Praef.: viii (1828) |
| Prunoaflatunia Tkatsch. | Derev. Kustarnik. Dik. Fl. Kirg.: 305 (1972) |
| Prunophora Neck. | Elem. Bot. 2: 71 (1790) |
| Prunopsis André | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 55: 369 (1883) |
| Prunus-lauro-cerasus Marshall | Arbust. Amer.: 114 (1785) |
| Pygeum Gaertn. | Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 218 (1788) |
| Trichocarpus Neck. | Elem. Bot. 2: 70 (1790) |
| Tubopadus Pomel | Mat. Fl. Atl.: 8 (1860) |
| Turetta Vell. | Fl. Flumin.: 233 (1829) |

## Distribution

WCVP records the genus as native to 238 TDWG botanical regions and introduced in 16 more.

Native regions (238)

AfghanistanAlabamaAlbaniaAlbertaAlgeriaAltayAmurAndaman Is.AngolaArgentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestArizonaArkansasAssamAustriaAzoresBahamasBalearesBaltic StatesBangladeshBelarusBelgiumBismarck ArchipelagoBoliviaBorneoBrazil NorthBrazil NortheastBrazil SouthBrazil SoutheastBrazil West-CentralBritish ColumbiaBulgariaBurundiBuryatiyaCaliforniaCambodiaCameroonCanary Is.Cape ProvincesCentral European RussiaChina North-CentralChina South-CentralChina SoutheastColombiaColoradoComorosConnecticutCorseCosta RicaCubaCyprusCzechia-SlovakiaDelawareDenmarkDistrict of ColumbiaDominican RepublicDR CongoEast Aegean Is.East European RussiaEast HimalayaEcuadorEl SalvadorEswatiniEthiopiaFinlandFloridaFranceFree StateFrench GuianaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreat BritainGreeceGuatemalaGulf of Guinea Is.Gulf StatesGuyanaHainanHaitiHondurasHungaryIdahoIllinoisIndiaIndianaInner MongoliaIowaIranIraqIrelandIrkutskItalyJamaicaJapanJawaKamchatkaKansasKazakhstanKentuckyKenyaKhabarovskKirgizstanKoreaKrasnoyarskKritiKrymKuril Is.KwaZulu-NatalLabradorLaosLebanon-SyriaLeeward Is.LesothoLesser Sunda Is.LibyaLouisianaMadagascarMadeiraMagadanMaineMalawiMalayaMalukuManchuriaManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMexican Pacific Is.Mexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMongoliaMontanaMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNansei-shotoNebraskaNepalNetherlandsNevadaNew BrunswickNew GuineaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundlandNicaraguaNorth CarolinaNorth CaucasusNorth DakotaNorth European RussiaNorthern ProvincesNorthwest European RussiaNorthwest TerritoriesNorwayNova ScotiaNW. Balkan Pen.OhioOklahomaOmanOntarioOregonPakistanPalestinePanamáParaguayPennsylvaniaPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPrimoryePrince Edward I.Puerto RicoQinghaiQuébecRhode I.RomaniaRwandaSakhalinSardegnaSaskatchewanSaudi ArabiaSiciliaSolomon Is.South CarolinaSouth DakotaSouth European RussiaSpainSri LankaSulawesiSumateraSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandTadzhikistanTaiwanTanzaniaTennesseeTexasThailandTibetTranscaucasusTrinidad-TobagoTunisiaTürkiyeTürkiye-in-EuropeTurkmenistanTuvaUgandaUkraineUruguayUtahUzbekistanVenezuelaVermontVietnamVirginiaWashingtonWest HimalayaWest SiberiaWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingXinjiangYakutiyaZambiaZimbabwe

### Introduced

AlaskaArgentina SouthCape VerdeFalkland Is.MarianasMauritiusNew South WalesNew Zealand NorthNew Zealand SouthQueenslandRéunionRodriguesSouth AustraliaSt.HelenaTasmaniaVictoria

## Accepted species

WCVP accepts 417 species; names with × are natural hybrids. The count changes with revisions; checked 2026-10-24.

Show all 417 accepted species

| Name | On this site |
| --- | --- |
| Prunus accumulans (Koehne) C.L.Li & Aymard |   |
| Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus aitchisonii (Korsh.) Kitam. |   |
| Prunus alaica (Pojark.) Gilli |   |
| Prunus albicaulis Koehne ex Bornm. |   |
| Prunus alidagensis Erol, Ciftci & Yaprak |   |
| Prunus americana Marshall |   |
| Prunus amplifolia Pilg. |   |
| Prunus amygdalus Batsch |   |
| Prunus × andarobi Seraf. |   |
| Prunus andersonii A.Gray |   |
| Prunus angustifolia Marshall |   |
| Prunus annularis Koehne |   |
| Prunus antioquensis Pérez-Zab. |   |
| Prunus apetala (Siebold & Zucc.) Franch. & Sav. |   |
| Prunus aquifolioides (Chun ex T.T.Yu & L.T.Lu) W.C.Chen ex Huan C.Wang |   |
| Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle |   |
| Prunus arborea (Blume) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus argentea (Lam.) Rehder |   |
| Prunus armeniaca L. |   |
| Prunus × arnoldiana Rehder |   |
| Prunus austrosinensis Huan C.Wang |   |
| Prunus avium (L.) L. |   |
| Prunus axitliana Standl. |   |
| Prunus balansae (Boiss.) Fritsch |   |
| Prunus barbata Koehne |   |
| Prunus beccarii (Ridl.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus bifrons Fritsch |   |
| Prunus × blireana André |   |
| Prunus bokhariensis Royle ex C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus brachybotrya Zucc. |   |
| Prunus brachypetala (Boiss.) Walp. |   |
| Prunus brachypoda Batalin |   |
| Prunus brachystachya Kalkman |   |
| Prunus bracteopadus Koehne |   |
| Prunus brahuica (Boiss.) Aitch. & Hemsl. |   |
| Prunus brasiliensis (Cham. & Schltdl.) D.Dietr. |   |
| Prunus brassii Kalkman |   |
| Prunus brigantina Vill. |   |
| Prunus brittoniana Rusby |   |
| Prunus browiczii (Freitag) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus brunnescens (T.T.Yu & T.C.Ku) J.R.He |   |
| Prunus bucharica (Korsh.) Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus buergeriana Miq. |   |
| Prunus buxifolia Koehne |   |
| Prunus campanulata Maxim. |   |
| Prunus canescens Bois |   |
| Prunus carduchorum (Bornm.) Meikle |   |
| Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Aiton |   |
| Prunus cathayana (D.L.Fu, B.R.Li & J.Hong Li) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus caudata Franch. |   |
| Prunus ceraseidos Maxim. |   |
| Prunus cerasia Blanche ex Post |   |
| Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. |   |
| Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don |   |
| Prunus cerasus L. | 1 plate |
| Prunus cercocarpifolia Villarreal |   |
| Prunus ceylanica (Wight) Miq. |   |
| Prunus chamissoana Koehne |   |
| Prunus chiapensis Standl. & L.O.Williams ex Ant.Molina |   |
| Prunus × chichibuensis H.Kubota & Moriya |   |
| Prunus chiliangensis S.S.Ying |   |
| Prunus × chodshaatensis (Pjataeva & Lincz.) Sennikov |   |
| Prunus choreiana Nakai ex T.H.Chung |   |
| Prunus chorossanica (Pojark.) Rech.f. |   |
| Prunus × cistena N.E.Hansen ex Koehne |   |
| Prunus clarofolia C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus clementis (Merr.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus cocomilia Ten. |   |
| Prunus compacta L.O.Williams |   |
| Prunus × compta (Koidz.) Tatew. |   |
| Prunus conadenia Koehne |   |
| Prunus conradinae Koehne |   |
| Prunus cornuta (Wall. ex Royle) Steud. |   |
| Prunus cortapico Kerber ex Koehne |   |
| Prunus costata (Hemsl.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus crassifolia (Hauman) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus crataegifolia Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus cyclamina Koehne |   |
| Prunus darvasica Temb. |   |
| Prunus × dasycarpa Ehrh. |   |
| Prunus davidiana (Carrière) Franch. |   |
| Prunus × dawyckensis Sealy |   |
| Prunus debilis Koehne |   |
| Prunus detrita J.F.Macbr. |   |
| Prunus dictyoneura Diels |   |
| Prunus dinabandhuana Mekrini & Biseshwori |   |
| Prunus discadenia Koehne |   |
| Prunus discoidea (T.T.Yu & C.L.Li) Z.Wei & Y.B.Chang |   |
| Prunus discolor (Spach) C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus dolichadenia Cardot |   |
| Prunus dolichobotrys (Lauterb. & K.Schum.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus dolichophylla (T.T.Yu & L.T.Lu) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus domestica L. |   |
| Prunus douglasii Basualdo & Zardini |   |
| Prunus eburnea (Spach) Aitch. |   |
| Prunus elaeagrifolia (Spach) Fritsch |   |
| Prunus emarginata (Douglas ex Hook.) Eaton |   |
| Prunus × eminens Beck |   |
| Prunus eremophila Prigge |   |
| Prunus erioclada (Bornm.) ined. |   |
| Prunus erythrocarpa (Nevski) Gilli |   |
| Prunus erythroxylon Koehne |   |
| Prunus espinozana C.L.Li |   |
| Prunus falcata Cuatrec. |   |
| Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) A.Gray |   |
| Prunus fengyangshanica (L.X.Ye & X.F.Jin) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus fenzliana Fritsch |   |
| Prunus × ferganica O.A.Lincz. |   |
| Prunus ferruginea (DC. ex Ser.) Steud. |   |
| Prunus × fontanesiana (Spach) C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus fordiana Dunn |   |
| Prunus fragrans (Elmer) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus fremontii S.Watson |   |
| Prunus × fruticans Weihe |   |
| Prunus fruticosa Pall. |   |
| Prunus fujianensis (Y.T.Chang) J.Wen |   |
| Prunus × furuseana Ohwi |   |
| Prunus gazelle-peninsulae (Kaneh. & Hatus.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus geniculata R.M.Harper |   |
| Prunus gentryi Standl. |   |
| Prunus georgica (Desf.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus ghahremanii (Maroofi, Attar & Vafadar) Falat. |   |
| Prunus × gigantea (Späth) Koehne |   |
| Prunus glabrifolia Kalkman |   |
| Prunus glandulosa Thunb. |   |
| Prunus glauca (Browicz) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus × gondouinii (Poit. & Turpin) Rehder |   |
| Prunus gongshanensis J.Wen |   |
| Prunus gracilis Engelm. & A.Gray |   |
| Prunus grayana Maxim. |   |
| Prunus griffithii (Boiss.) C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus grisea (Blume ex Müll.Berol.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus guanaiensis Rusby |   |
| Prunus guanwuensis S.S.Ying |   |
| Prunus guatemalensis I.M.Johnst. |   |
| Prunus gyirongensis Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus hainanensis (G.A.Fu & Y.S.Lin) W.C.Chen |   |
| Prunus harae H.Ohba & S.Akiyama |   |
| Prunus hargraonensis (Vassilcz.) Ghora & Panigrahi |   |
| Prunus haussknechtii C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus havardii (W.Wight) S.C.Mason |   |
| Prunus hefengensis (X.R.Wang & C.B.Shang) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus henryi (C.K.Schneid.) Koehne |   |
| Prunus herthae Diels |   |
| Prunus himalaica Kitam. |   |
| Prunus himalayana J.Wen |   |
| Prunus hippophaeoides (Bornm.) Bornm. |   |
| Prunus hirtipes Hemsl. |   |
| Prunus × hisauchiana Koidz. ex Hisauti |   |
| Prunus hongiaoensis Tagane & Yahara |   |
| Prunus hongpingensis (C.L.Li) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus hortulana L.H.Bailey |   |
| Prunus huadongensis J.P.Li, Z.H.Chen & X.F.Jin |   |
| Prunus huantensis Pilg. |   |
| Prunus humilis Bunge |   |
| Prunus × hybrida (Schmidt) Banfi, Galasso & Bartolucci |   |
| Prunus hypoleuca (Koehne) J.Wen |   |
| Prunus hypotricha Rehder |   |
| Prunus hypotrichodes Cardot |   |
| Prunus hypoxantha (Koehne) J.Wen |   |
| Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) D.Dietr. |   |
| Prunus incana (Pall.) Batsch |   |
| Prunus incisa Thunb. |   |
| Prunus incisoserrata (T.T.Yu & T.C.Ku) J.Wen |   |
| Prunus insititia L. |   |
| Prunus × insueta (S.Serafimov) S.Serafimov |   |
| Prunus integrifolia (C.Presl) Walp. |   |
| Prunus × iranshahrii (Khat.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus itosakura Siebold |   |
| Prunus jacquemontii Hook.f. |   |
| Prunus jajarkotensis H.Hara |   |
| Prunus jamasakura (Makino) Siebold ex Koidz. |   |
| Prunus japonica Thunb. | 1 plate |
| Prunus javanica (Teijsm. & Binn.) Miq. |   |
| Prunus × javorkae Kárpáti |   |
| Prunus jenkinsii Hook.f. & Thomson |   |
| Prunus × juddii E.S.Anderson |   |
| Prunus jugata (Browicz) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus kaengkrachanensis Nagam., Tagane & Suddee |   |
| Prunus kalkmanii Idrees & J.M.H.Shaw |   |
| Prunus × kalmykovii (O.A.Lincz.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus × kamiaranensis (Khat. & Assadi) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus kansuensis Rehder |   |
| Prunus × katonis (H.Ohba) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus × keredjensis (Browicz) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus kinabaluensis Kalkman |   |
| Prunus koelzii (Browicz) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus korshinskyi Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus kotschyi (Boiss. & Hohen. ex Spach) Meikle |   |
| Prunus × kubotana Kawas. |   |
| Prunus kumanoensis (T.Katsuki) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus kuramica (Korsh.) Kitam. |   |
| Prunus kurdistanica (Attar, Maroofi & Vafadar) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus lamponga (Miq.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus lancilimba (Merr.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus × lannesiana (Carrière) E.H.Wilson |   |
| Prunus laoshanensis (D.K.Zang) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus laurocerasus L. |   |
| Prunus laxinervis Kalkman |   |
| Prunus ledebouriana (Schltdl.) Y.Y.Yao |   |
| Prunus leiocarpa (Boiss.) Fritsch |   |
| Prunus leucophylla Blatt. |   |
| Prunus leveilleana Koehne |   |
| Prunus lichoana Aymard |   |
| Prunus ligustrina Koehne |   |
| Prunus limeixing (J.Y.Zhang & Z.M.Wang) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus littlei Pérez-Zab. |   |
| Prunus longispinosa Shahbaz & Abdulr. |   |
| Prunus lundelliana Standl. |   |
| Prunus lusitanica L. |   |
| Prunus luxurians Pérez-Zab., Á.J.Pérez, Romol. & N.Albán |   |
| Prunus lycioides (Spach) C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus maackii Rupr. |   |
| Prunus macrocarpa (T.T.Yu & L.T.Lu) H.F.Wang, X.Y.Dong & K.P.Ma |   |
| Prunus mahaleb L. |   |
| Prunus malayana Kalkman |   |
| Prunus mandshurica (Maxim.) Koehne |   |
| Prunus maritima Marshall |   |
| Prunus marsupialis Kalkman |   |
| Prunus matudae Lundell |   |
| Prunus maximowiczii Rupr. |   |
| Prunus mazandaranica Habibi, H.Maleki & Attar |   |
| Prunus megacarpa Pérez-Zab. |   |
| Prunus menghaiensis (T.T.Yu & L.T.Lu) Huan C.Wang |   |
| Prunus mexicana S.Watson |   |
| Prunus microcarpa C.A.Mey. |   |
| Prunus microphylla (Kunth) Hemsl. |   |
| Prunus minutiflora Engelm. ex A.Gray |   |
| Prunus mira Koehne |   |
| Prunus × mitsuminensis Moriya |   |
| Prunus × miyasakana H.Kubota |   |
| Prunus × miyoshii Ohwi |   |
| Prunus × mohacsyana Kárpáti |   |
| Prunus mongolica Maxim. |   |
| Prunus moritziana Koehne |   |
| Prunus × mozaffarianii (Khat.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus mugus Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus mume (Siebold) Siebold & Zucc. | 1 plate |
| Prunus munsoniana W.Wight & Hedrick |   |
| Prunus muris Cuatrec. |   |
| Prunus murrayana E.J.Palmer |   |
| Prunus myrtifolia (L.) Urb. |   |
| Prunus nairica (Fed. & Takht.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus nakatakei (H.Ohba & Mas.Saito) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus napaulensis (Ser.) Steud. |   |
| Prunus nigra Aiton |   |
| Prunus nipponica Matsum. |   |
| Prunus × nudiflora (Koehne) Koidz. |   |
| Prunus nutantiflora D.G.Zhang & Z.H.Xiang |   |
| Prunus oblonga J.F.Macbr. |   |
| Prunus obtusata Koehne |   |
| Prunus occidentalis Sw. |   |
| Prunus ocellata Koehne |   |
| Prunus ochoterenae D.Ramírez |   |
| Prunus oleifolia Koehne |   |
| Prunus oligantha Kalkman |   |
| Prunus omissa Koehne |   |
| Prunus × oneyamensis Hayashi |   |
| Prunus oocarpa (Stapf) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus opaca (Benth.) Walp. |   |
| Prunus orazii (Attar, Maroofi & Vafadar) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus × orthosepala Koehne |   |
| Prunus ovalis Ruiz ex Koehne |   |
| Prunus pabotii (Browicz) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus padus L. |   |
| Prunus × palmeri Sarg. |   |
| Prunus pananensis Z.L.Chen, W.J.Chen & X.F.Jin |   |
| Prunus paradoxa (Dehshiri & Mozaff.) Falat. |   |
| Prunus × parvifolia (Matsum.) Koehne |   |
| Prunus patentipila Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus pearcei Rusby |   |
| Prunus pedunculata (Pall.) Maxim. |   |
| Prunus pensylvanica L.f. |   |
| Prunus persica (L.) Batsch |   |
| Prunus perulata Koehne |   |
| Prunus petunnikowii (Litv.) Rehder |   |
| Prunus phaeosticta (Hance) Maxim. |   |
| Prunus pleiantha Pilg. |   |
| Prunus pleiocerasus Koehne |   |
| Prunus podperae Nábělek |   |
| Prunus pogonostyla Maxim. |   |
| Prunus polystachya (Hook.f.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus polytricha Koehne |   |
| Prunus prostrata Labill. |   |
| Prunus pseudocerasus Lindl. |   |
| Prunus pseudoprostrata (Pojark.) Rech.f. |   |
| Prunus × pugetensis Jacobson & Zika |   |
| Prunus pulgarensis (Elmer) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus pullei (Koehne) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus pumila L. |   |
| Prunus pusilliflora Cardot |   |
| Prunus pygeoides Koehne |   |
| Prunus quanzhouensis Jian L.Li, S.H.Liang & R.H.Jiang |   |
| Prunus ramburii Boiss. |   |
| Prunus ramonensis (Danin) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus ravenii Zardini & Basualdo |   |
| Prunus rechingeri (Browicz) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus reflexa (Gardner) Walp. |   |
| Prunus rhamnoides Koehne |   |
| Prunus × rhodia (Browicz) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus rigida Koehne |   |
| Prunus rivularis Scheele |   |
| Prunus rotunda J.F.Macbr. |   |
| Prunus rubiginosa (Elmer) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus rufa Wall. ex Hook.f. |   |
| Prunus rufoides C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus ruiziana Koehne |   |
| Prunus runemarkii Eisenman |   |
| Prunus × sacra Miyoshi |   |
| Prunus salasii Standl. |   |
| Prunus salicina Lindl. |   |
| Prunus samydoides Schltdl. |   |
| Prunus sargentii Rehder |   |
| Prunus × saviczii (Pachom.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus schlechteri (Koehne) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus schneideriana Koehne |   |
| Prunus sclerophylla Kalkman |   |
| Prunus scoparia (Spach) C.K.Schneid. |   |
| Prunus × sefinensis (Bornm.) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus serotina Ehrh. |   |
| Prunus serrula Franch. |   |
| Prunus serrulata Lindl. |   |
| Prunus setulosa Batalin |   |
| Prunus × shikamae (H.Ohba) Meng Li & Idrees |   |
| Prunus shikokuensis (Moriya) H.Kubota |   |
| Prunus sibirica L. |   |
| Prunus × sieboldii (Carrière) Wittm. |   |
| Prunus × simmleri Palez. |   |
| Prunus simonii (Decne.) Bonard |   |
| Prunus singalilaensis H.Ohba & S.Akiyama |   |
| Prunus × slavinii E.J.Palmer ex Rehder |   |
| Prunus speciosa (Koidz.) Nakai |   |
| Prunus spicata Kalkman |   |
| Prunus spinosa L. |   |
| Prunus spinosissima (Bunge) Franch. |   |
| Prunus spinulosa Siebold & Zucc. |   |
| Prunus ssiori F.Schmidt |   |
| Prunus × stacei Wójcicki |   |
| Prunus stellipila Koehne |   |
| Prunus stipulacea Maxim. |   |
| Prunus stipulata J.F.Macbr. |   |
| Prunus strobilifera Cuatrec. |   |
| Prunus subcordata Benth. |   |
| Prunus subcoriacea (Chodat & Hassl.) Koehne |   |
| Prunus subcorymbosa Ruiz ex Koehne |   |
| Prunus subglabra (Merr.) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus × subhirtella Miq. |   |
| Prunus sunhangii D.G.Zhang & T.Deng |   |
| Prunus susakensis (Vassilcz.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus susquehanae Willd. |   |
| Prunus × syodoi Nakai |   |
| Prunus × syriaca Borkh. |   |
| Prunus szechuanica Batalin |   |
| Prunus tadzhikistanica Zaprjagaeva |   |
| Prunus × takenakae Ohwi |   |
| Prunus takesimensis Nakai |   |
| Prunus tangutica (Batalin) Koehne |   |
| Prunus taplejungnica H.Ohba & S.Akiyama |   |
| Prunus tartarea Lundell |   |
| Prunus tatsienensis Batalin |   |
| Prunus tayulinensis S.S.Ying |   |
| Prunus tenella Batsch |   |
| Prunus tetradenia Koehne |   |
| Prunus texana D.Dietr. |   |
| Prunus tomentosa Thunb. |   |
| Prunus tongmuensis X.G.Yi & X.R.Wang |   |
| Prunus topengii (Merr.) J.Wen & L.Zhao |   |
| Prunus topkegolensis H.Ohba & S.Akiyama |   |
| Prunus transarisanensis Hayata |   |
| Prunus trichamygdalus Hand.-Mazz. |   |
| Prunus trichantha Koehne |   |
| Prunus trichostoma Koehne |   |
| Prunus triloba Lindl. |   |
| Prunus × tschonoskii Koehne |   |
| Prunus tuberculata Koehne |   |
| Prunus tucumanensis Lillo |   |
| Prunus turcomanica (Lincz.) Kitam. |   |
| Prunus turfosa Kalkman |   |
| Prunus turneriana (F.M.Bailey) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus ulei Koehne |   |
| Prunus ulmifolia Franch. |   |
| Prunus umbellata Elliott |   |
| Prunus undulata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don |   |
| Prunus urartu (Tamamsch.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus urotaenia Koehne |   |
| Prunus urumiensis (Bornm.) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus × uzbekistanica (Sabirov) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus vachuschtii Bregadze |   |
| Prunus × vavilovii (Popov) A.E.Murray |   |
| Prunus veitchii Koehne |   |
| Prunus velutina Batalin |   |
| Prunus verrucosa Franch. |   |
| Prunus versteeghii Kalkman |   |
| Prunus virginiana L. |   |
| Prunus walkeri (Wight) Kalkman |   |
| Prunus wallaceana Kalkman |   |
| Prunus wangii Q.L.Gan, Z.Yu Li & S.Z.Xu |   |
| Prunus webbii (Spach) Fritsch |   |
| Prunus wendelboi (Freitag) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus wilsonii (C.K.Schneid.) Koehne |   |
| Prunus wurdackii C.L.Li |   |
| Prunus xianjuxing (J.Y.Zhang & X.Z.Wu) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus xingshanensis Huan C.Wang |   |
| Prunus yaoiana (W.L.Cheng) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus × yasujensis (Khat.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus yazdiana (Mozaff.) Falat. |   |
| Prunus × yedoensis Matsum. |   |
| Prunus yunkaishanensis B.H.Wu, W.Y.Zhao & W.B.Liao |   |
| Prunus yunnanensis Franch. |   |
| Prunus × yuyamae Sugim. |   |
| Prunus zabulica (Seraf.) Eisenman |   |
| Prunus zhengheensis (J.Y.Zhang & M.N.Lu) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia |   |
| Prunus zhuxiensis Q.L.Gan, W.B.Xu & Xin W.Li |   |
| Prunus zielinskii (Browicz) Kosiński, D.Tomasz. & Ziel. |   |
| Prunus zinggii Standl. |   |
| Prunus zippeliana Miq. |   |

## Historic plates

Plates in date order; the printed names are kept as they appear, current names are on the species pages and the topic page.

- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/bot-register-27.jpg)Prunus japonicaEdwards's Botanical Register · 27 · 1815, Sydenham Edwards, Smith
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/flora-japonica-11.jpg)Prunus MumeFlora Japonica · Tab. 11 · 1835–1870, S. Minsinger, W. Siegrist
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/kohler-36.jpg)Prunus CerasusKöhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen · 36 · 1887,

## Ornamental cherries and safety

The RHS describes ornamental cherry flowers as borne in clusters along the branches, single, semi-double or fully double and sometimes lightly fragrant, in white through to deep pink, opening before or just as the leaves emerge. Grow them in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil, not in poorly drained or waterlogged ground; heavy pruning, especially in winter, may increase the risk of disease.

The ASPCA lists Prunus as toxic to dogs, cats and horses: the stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides and are particularly toxic while wilting; signs include brick-red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock.

## Further reading

- [Flower guide](https://floreboard.com/en/flowers/cherry/)
- [Flower guide](https://floreboard.com/en/flowers/plum/)
- [Flower guide](https://floreboard.com/en/flowers/peach/)
- [Reference library](https://floreboard.com/en/library/)

## References

- [WCVP · World Checklist of Vascular Plants (via ChecklistBank dataset 2232)](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232) · accessed 2026-10-24
- [Kew (POWO data on the ColPlanta site) · Prunus, with genus descriptions from Trees of New Guinea and Flora Zambesiaca](https://colplanta.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30003057-2/general-information)
- [RHS · Large prunus (ornamental cherry)](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/prunus/large-prunus-ornamental-cherry)
- [ASPCA Animal Poison Control · Cherry (Prunus spp.)](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/cherry)

Names, places of publication, synonyms and distribution checked against WCVP (2026-10-24); the text follows the cited sources and awaits specialist review.