To those who know about Japan

[karohemd]

When you read about Japan, they say you should go during cherry blossom season because it's so beautiful and from what I've seen on TV and photos, it indeed is.

However, I wouldn't associate Japan with the actual fruit. Are cherry trees simply decorative?

Comments

[blue-cat.livejournal.com]

I think these ones are simply decorative. But cherry blossom is also very associated with samurai as the blossom falls when in full bloom, not wilting first, as the Samurai expects to die in battle, not of old age.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*nods* I just thought "With all these billions of cherry blossoms, where are the cherries?".

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Maybe the birds eat them? Or the giant Japanese hornets of scariness.

[gbsteve.livejournal.com]

Many types of cherry are indeed ornamental as opposed to edible. But edible ones are nicer.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*nods* There's a (wild) cherry tree in front of our house but even when ripe, they are nasty (when I tried one a few years ago). I just wait until they are overripe and then watch the birds gorge themselves and crash about in a drunken fashion. ;o)

[sarahloo.livejournal.com]

You can still make cherry brandy with wild ones though :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Heee! :o)

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

When it's cherry (fruit) season in the US, cargo planes full of cherries are exported to japan

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

...

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Hey, we import apples and pears, even though there are trees full that nobody eats e.g. our next door neighbours.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

That is true.

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

A sour cherry preserve/pickle is a common ingredient in cooking too.

So people go to the right bit, blossom forecasts go out on national TV.

In the UK, the best two avenues I know are the A316 at Richmond and the A308 between Esher and Hampton Court.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Can't say I've come across it but that sounds nice.

*nods*

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

blossoms only, never saw any fruit. Not just about samurai though, but life itself, Japanese version version of "gather rosebuds while ye may". Life is beautiful, but transient and you must stop and appreciate it. Despite strong buddhist influences, Shinto-ism is still stronger in day to day life and this reflects it. EVERYTHING stops for Cherry blossoms, it was funny to see hoards of businessmen come pouring out of buildings when the first strong winds blow the blossoms, grey birds in pink storm.
Once it begins, work is cancelled and everyone goes to the parks to just sit,eat, spend time with family. Despite perceived work ethic, I have never lived in any other country which consecrates so much time to relaxing and enjoying the stages in life.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

This made me smile, thanks!

If they only have blossoms but no fruit, how are they propagated?

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

They can't just not fruit, that's the point of the flowers. They must just have really small fruit, or somebody comes along and picks it before anybody sees.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm thinking.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Both of the small cherry trees in my garden are ornamental - they seem to have miniature fruit, but it gets eaten - although watching a fat pigeon try to work out how to get to the fruit of a not-especially-sturdy weeping cherry can be amusing - like watching a sumo on a tightrope.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Who needs TV when you have PIGEON GLADIATORS in your own garden?

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

[giggle]

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

My parents had a MASSIVE cherry tree outside one of their old houses; I don't remember the cherry blossom, what I do remember is the frantic rush to pick up the cherries as they came down every year (to fill yet more and more bag of frozen cherries in the freezer) before hordes of wasps descended into the garden and made it a no-go zone.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

The blossoms of our (morello) cherry tree (before it was killed by a beetle invasion) were rather pathetic compared to the fruit. Our main predators were birds, though, starlings and blackbirds mostly.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

In general cherry varieties either are good for blossom, or good for fruit -- I dont think there are any kinds that are good for both.

Some of the ornamental ones don't fruit at all, although presumably those are artifial cultivars... others just have a small, sour hard fruit that birds eat.

[aardnebby.livejournal.com]

Check this link out:

http://www.justhungry.com/cherry-blossoms-ohanami-and-japanese-culture

Something pointed out to me by a little bird ;)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks!