Cherry blossom trees originated in Asia and are one of the most beautiful trees that have been produced. They bloom flowers of pale pink and white and have a sweet fragrance that adds beauty to any landscape that they are placed in.
Cherry blossoms are part of the Prunus family, which is also the family of apricot, peach, and plum trees. As the cherry blossoms are part of the same family as fruit trees, do they produce fruit?
There are many varieties of cherry blossoms that are dotted all over the world, making them extremely popular for their stunning pink appearance.
Many people are unsure where the cherry fruit comes from as they are rarely seen pictured on cherry blossom trees. Here we have all of the information for you on whether or not cherry blossoms produce cherries.
Find out all about cherry blossom trees here and all of their incredible uses!
What Are Cherry Blossom Trees?
Cherry blossom trees produce pink and white flowers called cherry blossoms which are popular for their soft colors and sweet smells. They fully bloom in the springtime but lose all of their leaves in the fall, so the best time to see cherry blossoms (see also, ‘Best Time to Visit Japan for Cherry Blossoms‘) in all of their glory is in the spring.
You can easily identify cherry blossoms by their flowers, but if you are struggling, their bark is very distinguishable from other trees. Instead of brown bark, the cherry blossom tree bark is very dark and gray and chips very easily.
Do Cherries Grow On Cherry Blossom Trees?
Although you rarely see cherries growing on cherry blossom trees, they do produce cherries in the summer months. The cherries that are produced from a cherry blossom tree are sweet and range in color from pink, red, and purple.
The sweet cherries that are grown on cherry blossom trees are snacked on all over the world and used in a variety of desserts and sauces as they add sweetness and a delicious taste to any dish.
Cherry blossom trees also grow cherries that are categorized as sour or tart cherries. These aren’t as popular as the sweet cherries, but they still have a lot of uses. They are sometimes used in cooking syrups and some recipes specify the use of sour cherries.
Some people even prefer the taste of sour cherries to sweet cherries. They are also popular in the pharmaceutical industry in cherry-flavored medicine.
The Benefits Of Cherry Blossom Trees
Cherry blossom trees are beautiful to look at, but they also have a lot of health benefits too. The cherries that are produced from the cherry blossom trees have great health impacts on your body and parts of the tree can be used for lots of different reasons that you wouldn’t have expected.
Antioxidants In Cherries
Cherries contain antioxidants that help your body fight against diseases such as lung cancer, mouth cancer, and colon cancer. By regularly consuming antioxidants, studies have shown that you can lower your chances of having some types of cancers.
Vitamins In Cherries
Cherries provide lots of different vitamins and nutrients to our bodies which are very beneficial to everyone, but especially to vegans and vegetarians. Cherries are great sources of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Better Sleep
Cherries contain melatonin, a phytochemical that can help improve the quality of your sleep. If you regularly eat cherries, your sleep quality can improve and you will wake up feeling fresh. Regular consumption of cherries will help you to see a big improvement in your sleep quality (see also ‘Do Japanese People Sleep On The Floor?‘).
The Bark
You may not think so, but the bark of a cherry blossom tree has a lot of different uses. The outer bark can be used as a substitute for chewing gum and the inside bark can be used to make medicine.
The inner bark can be used in medicine to treat illnesses such as headaches, common colds, and bronchitis.
The Wood
The wood of the cherry blossom tree is a very popular wood that is used to barbecue. If you use cherry blossom wood on your barbecue, it is very aromatic and adds a subtle flavor to your food. Some people prefer to only use cherry blossom wood to barbecue for the flavor that it adds.
Types Of Cherry Blossom Trees
There are many varieties of cherry blossom trees that are all around the world that you may not realize. Here are some of the other types of cherry blossom trees.
Akebono Cherry Blossom Tree
The Akebono cherry blossom trees can grow up to 12 meters tall and have clusters of pale pink flowers. The flowers fade into a white color but are often found in a single pink color in full bloom. The crown of the tree is round, wide, and full.
Yoshino Cherry Blossom Tree
The Yoshino cherry blossom tree (see also ‘Are Cherry Blossoms Edible?‘) is one of the most well-known cherry blossom trees as they produce white clusters of flowers that grow very wide. They are very recognizable as they can grow up to 10 meters tall when they are fully grown.
Autumn Flowering Tree
The Autumn Flowering tree is slightly different in appearance than the usual pink cherry blossom tree as the leaves are a bronze and gold color in full bloom. They live longer, grow faster than cherry trees, and only bloom twice a year.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, cherry blossom trees do grow cherries and are very popular all over the world.
The cherries are either pink, red, or purple and usually have a sweet taste that is popular for snacking and to use in desserts. The cherries grow in the summer months and have many health benefits for people who regularly consume them.
There are a variety of different types of cherry blossom trees around the world, but the trees are more than just beautiful to look at. They produce fruit, their bark has many different medicinal uses, and the wood can be used to cook as it adds a beautiful flavor to food.