:
For other uses, see Cherry (disambiguation).The
cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus
Prunus. It is a fleshy
fruit that contains a single stony
seed. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially
cultivars of the
wild cherry,
Prunus avium.
The name 'cherry', often as the compound term 'cherry tree', may also be applied to many other members of the genus Prunus, or to all members of the genus as a collective term. The fruits of many of these are not cherries, and have other common names, including
plum,
apricot,
peach, and others. The name 'cherry' is also frequently used in reference to
cherry blossom.
Botany
True cherry fruits are borne by members of the subgenus
Cerasus which is distinguished by having the
flowers in small
corymbs of several together (not singly, nor in
racemes), and by having a smooth fruit with only a weak groove or none along one side. The subgenus is native to the temperate regions of the
Northern Hemisphere, with two species in
America, three in
Europe, and the remainder in
Asia.
The majority of eating cherries are derived from either
Prunus avium, the
wild cherry (sometimes called the sweet cherry), or from
Prunus cerasus, the
sour cherry.
Species
This list contains many
Prunus species that bear the common name cherry; however they are mostly of little or no value for their fruit. For a complete list of these, see
Prunus. Some common names listed here have historically been used for more than one species, e.g. "Rock cherry" is used as an alternative common name for both
P. prostrata and
P. mahaleb.
- Prunus avium (L.) L. - Wild cherry, Sweet cherry, Mazzard or Gean
- Prunus fruticosa Pall. - European dwarf cherry, Dwarf cherry, Mongolian cherry or Steppe cherry
- Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) Walp. - Hollyleaf cherry, Evergreen cherry, Holly-leaved cherry or Islay
- Prunus jamasakura Siebold ex Koidz. - Japanese mountain cherry or Japanese hill cherry
- Prunus mahaleb L. - Saint Lucie cherry, Rock cherry, Perfumed cherry or Mahaleb cherry
- Prunus mume (Siebold & Zucc.) Ume, Japanese apricot, Chinese plum
- Prunus prostrata Labill. - Mountain cherry, Rock cherry, Spreading cherry or Prostrate cherry
- Prunus serrula Franch. - Paperbark cherry, Birch bark cherry or Tibetan cherry
- Prunus serrulata Lindl. - Japanese cherry, Hill cherry, Oriental cherry or East Asian cherry
- Prunus tomentosa Thunb. - Nanking cherry, Manchu cherry, Downy cherry, Shanghai cherry, Ando cherry, Mountain cherry, Chinese dwarf cherry, Chinese bush cherry or Hansen's bush cherry
History
Etymology and antiquity
The cherry is sometimes understood to have been brought to
Rome from northeastern
Anatolia, historically known as the
Pontus region, in 72 BC. The city of
Giresun in present-day
Turkey was known to the ancient Greeks as Kerasous or Cerasus. It should be noted however that the range of the
wild cherry extends through most of Europe, and that the fruit is believed to have been consumed through its range since prehistoric times.
The English word
cherry, French
cerise, Spanish
cereza all come from the Classical Greek (κέρασος) through the Latin
cerasum, thus the ancient roman place name
Cerasus, from which the cherry was first exported to Europe.
A form of cherry was introduced into England at
Tyneham, near
Sittingbourne in
Kent by order of
Henry VIII, who had tasted them in
Flanders.
Food value
Cherries contain
anthocyanins, the red pigment in berries. Cherry anthocyanins have been shown to reduce pain and
inflammation in rats. Anthocyanins are also potent
antioxidants under active research for a variety of potential health benefits. According to a study funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute presented at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting in San Diego, rats that received whole tart cherry powder mixed into a high-fat diet did not gain as much weight or build up as much body fat, and their blood showed much lower levels of inflammation indicators that have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. In addition, they had significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than the other rats.
Wildlife value
Cherry trees also provide food for the
caterpillars of several
Lepidoptera. See
List of Lepidoptera which feed on Prunus.
Cultivation
The cultivated forms are of the species
Wild Cherry (
P. avium) to which most cherry
cultivars belong, and the
Sour Cherry (
P. cerasus), which is used mainly for cooking. Both species originate in
Europe and western
Asia; they do not cross-pollinate. Some other species, although having edible fruit, are not grown extensively for consumption, except in northern regions where the two main species will not grow. Irrigation, spraying, labor and their propensity to damage from rain and hail make cherries relatively expensive. Nonetheless, there is high demand for the fruit.
Growing season
Cherries have a very short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. In Australia they are usually at their peak around
Christmas time, in southern Europe in June, in North America in June, in south British Columbia (Canada) in July-mid August and in the UK in mid July, always in the summer season. In many parts of North America they are among the first tree fruits to ripen.
Ornamental trees
Besides the fruit, cherries also have attractive
flowers, and they are commonly planted for ornamental purposes due to their flower display in spring; several of the Asian cherries are particularly noted for their flower displays. The Japanese
sakura in particular are a national symbol celebrated in the yearly
Hanami festival. Many flowering cherry cultivars (known as "ornamental cherries") have the
stamens and
pistils replaced by additional
petals ("double" flowers), so are sterile and do not bear fruit. They are grown purely for their flowers and decorative value. The most common of these sterile cherries is the cultivar "Kanzan".
Commercial production
Annual world production (as of 2007) of cultivated cherry fruit is about two million
tonnes. Around 40% of world production originates in Europe and around 13% in the United States.
Europe
Major commercial cherry orchards in Europe extend from the
Iberian peninsula east to
Asia Minor, and to a smaller extent may also be grown in the
Baltic States and southern
Scandinavia.
United States
In the
United States, most sweet cherries are grown in
Washington,
California,
Oregon, and Northern
Michigan.
[ National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA, Retrieved on August 19, 2008.] Important sweet cherry cultivars include "
Bing", "Brooks", "Tulare", "King" and "
Rainier". In addition, the Lambert variety is grown on the eastern side of
Flathead Lake in northwestern
Montana. Both
Oregon and
Michigan provide light-colored "Royal Ann" ('Napoleon'; alternately "Queen Anne") cherries for the
maraschino cherry process. Most sour (also called tart) cherries are grown in
Michigan, followed by
Utah,
New York, and
Washington. Additionally, native and non-native cherries grow well in
Canada (
Ontario and
British Columbia). Sour cherries include Nanking and
Evans Cherry.
Traverse City, Michigan claims to be the "Cherry Capital of the World", hosting a
National Cherry Festival and making the world's largest cherry pie. The specific region of Northern Michigan that is known the world over for tart cherry production is referred to as the "Traverse Bay" region. Farms in this region grown many varieties of cherries, sold through companies in the region.
Australia
In
Australia, the
New South Wales town of
Young is famous as the "Cherry Capital of Australia" and hosts the internationally famous National Cherry Festival. Popular varieties include the "Montmorency", "Morello", "North Star", "Early Richmond", "Titans", and "Lamberts".
Cherries come in a variety of different colors, like red as well as yellow.
Gallery
See also
