Cherry belongs to the genus Li, subgenus Cherry, family Rosaceae. At present, China's cultivation of cherry mainly has four species: large cherry (foreign cherry, sweet cherry), Chinese cherry, sour cherry, hairy cherry, of which the economic value of large cherry is the highest. The life span, fruiting age and economic fruiting years of cherries vary according to species, varieties, cultivation environmental conditions and management conditions.

(1) big cherry (sweet cherry, foreign cherry)

Native to Europe and West Asia, mainly concentrated in western Europe and northern America. Trees, in the origin of the tree up to 10 to 30 meters high, economic cultivation of the orchard general tree height of 3 to 5 meters. Cherry planted 4 to 5 years after the beginning of the results, 8 to 10 years into the fruiting season, the economic life can continue for more than 20 years, single-plant yield up to 300 kg. Big cherry life expectancy can reach about 50 years.

(2) Chinese cherry

Native to China, distributed in Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan and other places, is a species widely cultivated in China. Chinese cherry is a small tree or shrub, generally 3 to 5 meters high. Branched propagation of Chinese cherry 2 ~ 3 years will be fruit, 5 ~ 6 years into the fruiting period, the economic fruiting years can continue for 15 ~ 20 years, life expectancy of up to one hundred years.

(3) Sour cherry (European sour cherry)

Native to Europe and West Asia. Small trees or shrubs, tree height up to 10 meters, economic cultivation in the orchard tree height of about 4 meters. Sour cherry planting 3 to 4 years after the beginning of the fruit, 7 to 8 years after the fruiting period, the economic fruiting years continue 15 to 20 years.

(4) hairy cherry

Native to China, distributed in Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and other places. Shrubs, trees 2 to 3 meters high. Hairy cherry began to bear fruit in the third year after sowing, entered the fruiting period after 4 to 5 years, and the yield declined after 10 to 15 years, but it can be renewed to continue to bear fruit by using the rootstocks.