Cherry Blossom
 

just out of curiosity, is there any cherry blossom expert here on the forum?

MY question is, does anyone know if the cherry blossom planted in washingdon maintain the same genetic sequence as the ones in Japan? I understand that the Japanese gave them the plant years ago, but given the difference in weather, geographic location and such, did the plan mutate/evolve? If so, is it something that can be identified physically?

They are the same
 

Most plants don't change like that, the Cherry blossom may not grown as healthy but it will still be a Cherry Blossom. Now if you plant of Cherry Blossom seed with that of, say an oak tree seed it may make a new type of tree all together. They do this type of gene splicing the flowers all the time:D

I wasn't aware that planting one seed with another causes gene splicing? I'd research that if I were you :) . It's more likely that one seed would out compete the other thus suppressing it's growth. I'm not a botanist though so I could be wrong.

You can get hybridisation between some trees, but this is usually between trees in the same genus rather than family. So if there are other cherry trees in the area it's possible (although I haven't read of this in any id keys for cherries) that through cross pollination there might be hybrid seedlings/saplings. If you didn't know by the way the latin name for J-cherry tree is Prunus serrulata although I think there might be others.

You also have to remember that it is a combination of genes (genotype) and environmental factors that affect physical appearance (phenotype). Depriving (or heavily loading) an organism of certain nutrients can result in a very different appearance from the norm e.g. a lack of vitamin D in humans causes rickets resulting in legs that are bowed.

It's unlikely that the trees have majorly evolved (if at all) or mutated (unless they've been subject to heavy metals,abnormal radiation or a very nasty pathogen).

You might want to check out these guys too:
Reconsideration of the Prunus serrulata complex (Rosaceae) and related taxa in eastern Asia
Authors: CHANG, KAE-SUN1; CHANG, CHIN-SUNG1; PARK, TAE YOON2; ROH, MARK S.3
Source: Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 154, Number 1, May 2007 , pp. 35-54(20)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing


Science-bit over. :D

all i can say is that the cherry blossoms do evolve i don't know how i wasn't at school for the second day of studding the cherry blossoms.>^_^<

The trees in D.C. were a gift from the emperor of Japan to the people of the United States. Initially, many trees were gifte, but since they were not planted they died. The current trees were re-gifted to replace the dead trees. I don't remember too many details on the story, but they were directly from Japan.

Yeah, I always assumed from what I heard that for splicing plants you actually have to make a hybrid seed. Almost like making a testtube baby. Just planting two seeds will either make both plants grow in conflict or one will outweigh the other, killing it off.

O.o? That's what I learned in school though.