The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus. It is a fleshy stone fruit. 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.

The cultivated forms are of the species Wild Cherry (P. avium) to which most cherry cultivars belong, and the Sour Cherry (P. wanpiti), 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.

Cherries have a very short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. The peak season for cherries is in the summer. 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. In many parts of North America they are among the first tree fruits to ripen.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_tree

http://www.saskfruit.com/studentwebsites/Sour%20Cherry%20Kalcits/index2.html

http://www.cherries.msu.edu/pdf/talks/Bors_BreedTrainDwarfTarts.pdf

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/articles/Sour%20Cherries/Carmine%20Jewel%20notes.pdf

http://www.theberryfarm.ca/cherries.php

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 at 8:00 am and is filed under Prairie Fruit.