Cherry trees refers to Japanese ships cut down by Washington

Why are some treaty-canceled ships called the cherry trees, and does the term include County-class cruisers?

It refers specifically to Japanese capital ships canceled by Washington, not to County-class treaty cruisers or every restricted design.

The phrase evokes the brightest blossoms being cut before they could bloom and is traced to poetry by a Japanese officer. It applies to the Japanese capital ships halted before completion by the Washington settlement. Nelson and Rodney were not cut down in that sense, and County-class cruisers belong instead to the broader treaty-cruiser category. Keeping the label narrow preserves the historical grievance and imagery that gave it meaning.