The fruit of Ornamental cherry trees tends to be smaller and less well formed than that of trees grown for fruit production. In fact, many flowering cherry trees are sterile and bear no fruit at all! Additional petals replace stamens and pistols, creating double flowers. These ornamental cherry trees provide a dazzling display that, as sure as Cupid's arrow, captures the heart and lures tourists to cherry blossom festivals in Washington DC, Michigan, Australia, Japan and many other locations worldwide.
"Blossom Pink, Blossoms White. Cherry Bloom - Bringing Delight"
from "Cherry Bloom", a Japanese Folk Song
In Japan, Cherry blossoms are considered an emblem of the transitory nature of life. Sakura is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, (P.serrulata) and is a well-known and familiar symbol of Japan, reproduced in Japanese art and many consumer goods, such as kimonos, stationery, and dinnerware.
cherry blossoms
In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura to the United States, which were ceremoniously planted by First Lady Helen Taft and the Vicountess Chinda of Japan. The gift was replenished n 1956. Today more than 3700 different varieties of cherry trees grow in East Potomac Park around the Tidal Basin on the Washington Monument Grounds, signaling the arrival of spring in an ebullience of pink and white.
Cherries for Eating or 'Bing' Go the Strings of Your Heart!
From the family Rosaceae, the cherry is related to peaches, plums, apricots and almonds.
Cherries have teased the human palate for centuries. Rich red colors and a flavor range from lip-smacking sweet to lip-puckering tart ensured a favored place on tables that stretched from the Orient to Europe. The fruit of the cherry embraces a single hard stone seed or drupe, a quality that made them light baggage for ocean voyages with American settlers in the early 17th Century.
Both tart and sweet cherry species originated in Europe and Western Asia. Today's sweet cherries are mainly descendants of the wild cherry (P. avium). Their 'sour' cousins, the Morello Cherries (P. cerasus) such as the Nanking and Evans cultivars, are those most often used for pie and jam making and other dessert fillings.
In a splash of pure sweetness, you can nearly taste the rich burgundy of the Bing cherry, an attribute that keeps it at the head of the sweet cherry popularity list. However, in recent years, light flavored cultivars such as the Rainier, have forged a pathway into American hearts as well. Other sweet cherry cultivars include Brooks, Kristin, Tulare, King and the Royal Anne.
The cherry atop your ice cream sundae or used to flavor your soda is probably a Maraschino cherry. The modern Maraschino cherry was developed from the Marasca, a sweet cherry grown in Yugoslavia and Northern Italy. Originally flavored with a sweet *******, the Marasca was regarded as a delicacy found only in the finest hotels and restaurants. In the 1890's, American cherry growers began experimenting with a new, light-flavored cherry cultivar, the domestic 'Royal Anne', substituting almond oil for some of the *******. By the 1920's the process was perfected, the ******* completely eliminated, and the 'Royal Anne' (also known as "Queen Anne" or the "Napoleon") took control of the Marschino cherry throne.
Cherry Trees You Can Grow
Cherry trees grow in a variety of climates and adapt well to many different soil types as long as the surrounding soil is well drained although not excessively dry.
Ornamental Cherry Trees grow in two distinct types: upright and 'weeping'.
The most common of the ornamental cherry trees is the upright cultivar 'Kwanzan' (P.serrulata), which grows best in zones 5 to 8. The Kwanzan blossoms in a panorama of spectacular blooms in a color range from near white to hot pink. At maturity, the diameter of the tree is nearly as wide as the Kwanzan is tall, reaching a span of 15' to 25'.
The purple leaf Sand Cherry Tree is another upright cultivar that is suited for zones 3 and 4 as well as zones 5 through 8. It's a bit shorter, growing from 7 to 14 feet tall with a span of up to 10 feet. However, what it lacks in size, the Sand Cherry makes up for in color and fragrance with flowers and red-purple foliage that last throughout the growing season.
A profusion of flowers makes the Higan cherry tree a favorite ornamental. Growing from 20 to 30 feet tall with a span of 15 to 25 feet, the Higan is an outstanding choice to add drama to your landscape.
Cascades of branches kiss the soil with a waterfall of blossoms to make the Snow Fountains another popular landscaping choice. The short stature (8 to 15 feet tall with a 6 to 8 foot spread) of the Snow Fountains is a plus for smaller, less spacious yards. This 'weeping' cherry tree is a slow growing ornamental that is best suited for the warmer temperatures in zones 5-8.