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Cherry
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What is a cherry tree?
Cherry trees of the genus Prunus, are cultivated for their beautiful spring flowers and edible fruits. Commercial production includes tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) and sweet cherries (P. avium). Tart cherries are processed for use in sauces, pastries, and juice, while sweet cherries are consumed fresh.
Cherry trees require moderate summer and winter temperatures to blossom in the spring. Many cherry species are native to the Northern Hemisphere, specifically eastern Asia. Some varieties are grown for their flowers, and the wood is used to make fine furniture.
The sweet cherry fruit is a fleshy drupe that is heart-shaped with colors ranging from yellow to black. They have a mildly tart flavor with low acid content. Tart cherries are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.
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What does a cherry fruit look like?
Cherry fruits are fleshy drupes, also known as stone fruits. The sweet cherry, tart cherry, and duke cherry are the three main types grown for their fruits. Sweet cherries are about 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter and range in color from yellow to red to nearly black. They have low acidity, giving them a sweet flavor. Tart cherries have a higher acid content, which gives them a characteristic sour flavor and makes them less appealing to eat fresh. They are generally dark to bright red. Duke cherries have characteristics intermediate between sweet and tart cherries.
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Where do cherry trees usually grow?
Cherry trees, from the genus Prunus, are native to the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest concentration of species in eastern Asia. The species from which cultivated cherries originate are believed to be from western Asia and eastern Europe, from the Caspian Sea to the Balkans. Cherry trees are now cultivated worldwide in areas with moderate summer temperatures and where winter temperatures are not too severe. Cherry trees need winter cold to blossom in the spring and typically bloom early in the season, after peaches and before apples. Sweet cherries (P. avium) are usually eaten fresh, while tart cherries (P. cerasus) are frozen or canned and used in pastries and sauces.
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What are the main types of cherries?
The three main types of cherries grown for their fruits are sweet cherries, tart cherries, and duke cherries, which are hybrids of sweet and tart cherries. Sweet cherries, such as the Bing, are typically eaten fresh. Tart cherries are more acidic and are usually canned or frozen for use in pastries and sauces. Duke cherries have characteristics intermediate between sweet and tart cherries. All three types contain vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and antioxidants.
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How do cherry trees produce fruit?
After a cherry tree's flowers are fertilized or develop without fertilization, also known as parthenocarpy, several changes take place. The anthers and stigma wither, the petals fall off, and the sepals may either shed or undergo modifications. The ovary then enlarges, and the ovules develop into seeds, each containing an embryo plant. The fruit, which is the mature ovary, serves to protect and disseminate the seed. Sweet cherry trees need winter cold to blossom in the spring. The sweet cherry fruit is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit) borne on a long stem.
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Why are cherries important to people and animals?
Cherries, belonging to the genus Prunus, are globally cultivated where winters aren't severe and summers are moderate, needing winter cold to blossom in spring. Tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) are made into juice or used in sauces and pastries.
Both tart and sweet cherries enrich diets. Cherries are full of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties, potentially aiding muscle repair, reducing joint inflammation, improving sleep, and reducing risks of stroke and diabetes. Birds and other wildlife consume the fruits of cherry trees.
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Cherry, any of various trees belonging to the genus Prunus and their edible fruits. Commercial cherry production includes tart cherries (Prunus cerasus), which are frozen or canned and used in sauces and pastries, and sweet cherries (P. avium), which are usually consumed fresh and are the principal type preserved in true or imitation maraschino liqueur. A number of species, hybrids, and cultivars are grown as ornamentals for their prolific spring flowers, and the dark red wood of some cherry species is especially esteemed for the manufacture of fine furniture.
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Angiosperm
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Rosaceae
- Genus: Prunus
Most cherry species are native to the Northern Hemisphere. Some 10 to 12 species are recognized in North America and a similar number in Europe. The greatest concentration of species, however, appears to be in eastern Asia. The native habitat of the species from which the cultivated cherries came is believed to be in western Asia and eastern Europe from the Caspian Sea to the Balkans. Cherries are grown in all areas of the world where winter temperatures are not too severe and where summer temperatures are moderate. They require winter cold in order to blossom in spring. The trees bloom quite early in the spring, just after peaches and earlier than apples.
Fruits
Three types of cherries are mainly grown for their fruits, which are fleshy drupes (stone fruit): sweet cherries, tart cherries, and, grown to a much smaller extent, the dukes, which are crosses of sweet and sour cherries. The sweet cherry fruit measures about 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter and varies in color from yellow through red to nearly black. The acid content of the sweet cherry is low. The higher acid content of the tart cherry produces its characteristic sour flavor. The fruit is generally dark to bright red in color and has so much acid that it is not appealing for eating fresh. The duke cherries are intermediate in both tree and fruit characteristics. The fruits of all varieties provide vitamin A and small amounts of such minerals as calcium and phosphorus.
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Flowering cherries
In Asia, particularly Japan, cherry varieties have been selected for the beauty of their pink or white flowers, and most of them do not set fruit. Although members of the genus Prunus typically have flowers with five petals, many ornamental cherries have been developed to produce double blooms with numerous petals. Beautiful ornamental cherry trees are featured in many gardens and after about 1900 were widely disseminated throughout the moderate-temperature areas of North America and Europe. The Japanese flowering cherries around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., were presented by the mayor of Tokyo in 1912; the majority of those trees are Yoshino cherry (Prunus ×yedoenis). Other popular ornamental species include weeping cherry (P. subhirtella, variety pendula), autumn-flowering cherry (P. subhirtella, variety autumnalis), Kwanzan cherry (P. serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), Sargent cherry (P. sargentii), and Takesimensis cherry (P. takesimensis).
Wood
In the United States, cherrywood used in furniture making is typically from black cherry (Prunus serotina). The wood of sweet cherry is also used. Cherry wood has a characteristic warm, deep red color.