Cherry Tree: A Sweet Tree to Grow [Bonsai]
This little cherry tree is overjoyed to have a second year of rebirth. It is a true representation of second chances in life. To me also represents the ability to find joy and purpose after a painful death in the family.
Once a majestic old tree that collapsed, the tiny cutting I saved became what I have here.
Cherry trees are fast growers. They root expansively, and the push out leaves and stems quickly once it gets hot and sunny.
Some of you might remember this tree, which we named Soda Pop last year. It wasn't much. I only had a few leaves, small roots, and looked very weak and fragile. It got the name Soda Pop because it resembles the type of thin straw one might find inside an old fashioned soda pop drink.
The original tree this cutting came from had plum purple leaves when they became mature. The fruit on it was edible and sweet enough to enjoy in moderation. It fruited prolifically, providing surplus snacks for birds and squirrels.
Recently I came across a cherry tree I found in town, and I snapped a few photos. You can clearly see the iconic fruit starting to ripen.
Most ornamental cherry trees, grown for their smaller size, leaf color, and flowers form berries that are not pure red. Cherry fruit can range in color from green, yellow, pink, orange, red, candy-apple red, magenta, plum purple, and burgundy. The fruit will often be a swirl of yellow, orange, and red when they ripen. Under the skin is a grape-like fruit that is juicy and sticky sweet, but there is also a hard pit, containing the seed. Watch out for the the pit! It can chip a tooth if not careful. Eat the fruit around the pit and then spit out the pit.
Sppptew!
Most cherry trees produce hundreds of thousands of popcorn shaped flowers in early Spring. The flowers can be either white or pink.
In Japan, the blooming of the cherry tree is a festival season. It represents rebirth and new life, as it heralds the end of winter and the start of spring. When the dead-looking tree blossoms, it is a miracle because the tree becomes covered completely in flowers suddenly, even though there are no leaves. It brings hope that the tree is alive and has not died. It is a good omen that seeds can be planted soon, and earth is fertile once again.
I really hope my little cherry tree is able to make lots of pink flowers some day. I have a good feeling it probably will in a few years. This tree is so full of new life energy, I hope it will survive for a long age into the future, and perhaps outlive me.
More fruit tree photos from my bonsai collection coming up this week. I grow lime, lemon, cherry, apple, goji berry, and grape.
Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.
Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.
I like the interesting facts you share about your trees because I have any of the ones you have. I tried to root some cuttings of my cherry when I hard pruned my tree. It looked promising but they died. Did you use any special trick?
And by the way, did you know American robins also eat cherries? I had no idea since I previously only saw them eat worms.
I think birds especially enjoy cherries because they might gobble down the entire pit down their gullet. Chickens and other birds that eat worms, often eat the little rocks too, because it helps them tear through the food they are digesting. Crows will even grab hard nuts and use cars driving down the street to crack them open. Then they can eat the hard shell too, in smaller bits.
Perhaps I used commercial rooting compound on these cuttings. Can't recall. I think these came from a semi-hard cutting, which means they were mostly green wood starting to harden off. Baby the cuttings with wet sand and shade if you can. Maybe even use a plastic bag or dome to keep the air wet. When it has no roots, it's in a very weak phase. Drastic temperature in a single day or night can cause it to stress. When the the green wood becomes brittle, the cambium layer is already dead.
Wow! I didn't know they ate the shells too! I think I'll try the wet sand, because that's what I used to stratify some mulberry seeds and I had a high germination rate.