IT’S brilliant February has arrived, every gardener knows what that means, it’s the perfect time to start planting those trees we forgot to plant last year just before the spring hits us with a bang.
There is such a large variety of trees that we can plant some fine examples include Alder, Birch, Acer, Laburnum, Malus, Eucalyptus and of course the oh so famous Prunus also known as the cherry blossom. As you would imagine when selling such a massive selection of trees, I am asked regularly what’s my favourite tree and why. Well my answer is always the cherry blossom, so today we are going to discuss just that.
It’s not really shocking why the cherry blossom is one of our best-selling trees every single year. The cherry blossom is one of nature’s most breathtaking wonders. They have delicate flowers and are known for their stunning beauty and fragility, they’ve captivated people’s hearts around the world for many years.
The cherry blossoms originated from the Himalayan Mountains in China. However, there does sometimes be a misconception that the tree originated in Japan, however that is untrue as the cherry blossom was not brought to Japan until the 8th century, it had been first grown in China over one thousand years before this.
Certain cherry blossom trees can live for a century or even longer, serving as enduring symbols of resilience. With most varieties you are guaranteed between twenty-five to fifty years, so still a long time even if it doesn’t survive the full century.
Interestingly each variety of cherry blossom tree possesses both male and female reproductive parts in their flowers. This unique aspect of each cherry blossom tree’s biology is crucial for pollination and the eventual production of fruit. However, the fruit eventually produced by the cherry blossom is not one you would like to dip in cream and have as a snack, as they do not taste good at all.
The colours exhibit a wide range, spanning from pure white to vibrant pink. Various cherry tree varieties produce blossoms with distinct shades, allowing for a diverse and stunning display during the spring bloom.
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