Question
Can the blessing on blossom (said on sight of the first blossom of a fruit tree in Nissan) be said on sight of blossom on a branch which has been removed recently from the tree, or does the blossom need to be still on the tree?
Answer
To the best of my knowledge, once the branch has been removed from the tree, the blossom is, in effect, dead. We only make this blessing on a living blossom. The blessing therefore may only be made prior to the branch being removed, while it is still “alive” on the tree.
Rabbi Moshe Rosenstein