Cherry

The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and 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.

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

The list below contains many Prunus species that bear the common name cherry, but they are not necessarily members of the subgenus Cerasus, or bear edible fruit. For a complete list of species, 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 apetala (Siebold & Zucc.) Franch. & Sav. - clove cherry

Prunus avium (L.) L. - wild cherry, sweet cherry, mazzard or gean

Prunus besseyi - western sand cherry, Hansen's or Hanson's bush cherry, Rocky Mountain cherry, or Bessey's cherry

Prunus campanulata Maxim. - Taiwan cherry, Formosan cherry or bell-flowered cherry

Prunus canescens Bois. - greyleaf cherry

Prunus caroliniana Aiton - Carolina laurel cherry or laurel cherry

Prunus cerasoides D. Don. - wild Himalayan cherry

Prunus cerasus L. - sour cherry

Prunus cistena Koehne - purpleleaf sand cherry

Prunus cornuta (Wall. ex Royle) Steud. - Himalayan bird cherry

Prunus cuthbertii Small - Cuthbert cherry

Prunus cyclamina Koehne - cyclamen cherry or Chinese flowering cherry

Prunus dawyckensis Sealy - Dawyck cherry

Prunus dielsiana C.K. Schneid. - tailed-leaf cherry

Prunus emarginata (Douglas ex Hook.) Walp. - Oregon cherry or bitter cherry

Prunus eminens Beck - (semisour cherry)

Prunus fruticosa Pall. - European dwarf cherry, dwarf cherry, Mongolian cherry or steppe cherry

Prunus gondouinii (Poit. & Turpin) Rehder - duke cherry

Prunus grayana Maxim. - Japanese bird cherry or Gray's bird cherry

Prunus humilis Bunge - Chinese plum-cherry or humble bush cherry

Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) Walp. - hollyleaf cherry, evergreen cherry, holly-leaved cherry or islay

Prunus incisa Thunb. - Fuji cherry

Prunus jamasakura Siebold ex Koidz. - Japanese mountain cherry or Japanese hill cherry

Prunus japonica Thunb. - Korean cherry

Prunus laurocerasus L. - cherry laurel

Prunus lyonii (Eastw.) Sarg. - Catalina Island cherry

Prunus maackii Rupr. - Manchurian cherry or Amur chokecherry

Prunus mahaleb L. - Saint Lucie cherry, rock cherry, perfumed cherry or mahaleb cherry

Prunus maximowiczii Rupr. - Miyama cherry or Korean cherry

Prunus mume (Siebold & Zucc.) - ume, Japanese apricot, Chinese plum

Prunus myrtifolia (L.) Urb. - West Indian cherry

Prunus nepaulensis (Ser.) Steud. - Nepal bird cherry

Prunus nipponica Matsum. - Takane cherry, peak cherry or Japanese alpine cherry

Prunus occidentalis Sw. - western cherry laurel

Prunus padus L. - bird cherry or European bird cherry

Prunus pensylvanica L.f. - pin cherry, fire cherry, or wild red cherry

Prunus pleuradenia Griseb. - Antilles cherry

Prunus prostrata Labill. - mountain cherry, rock cherry, spreading cherry or prostrate cherry

Prunus pseudocerasus Lindl. - Chinese sour cherry or false cherry

Prunus pumila L. - sand cherry

Prunus rufa Wall ex Hook.f. - Himalayan cherry

Prunus salicifolia Kunth. - capulin, Singapore cherry or tropic cherry

Prunus sargentii Rehder - Sargent's cherry or Ezo Mountain cherry

Prunus serotina Ehrh. - black 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 speciosa (Koidz.) Ingram - Oshima cherry

Prunus ssiori Schmidt- Hokkaido bird cherry

Prunus stipulacea Maxim.

Prunus subhirtella Miq. - Higan cherry or spring cherry

Prunus takesimensis Nakai - Takeshima flowering cherry

Prunus tomentosa Thunb. - Nanking cherry, Manchu cherry, downy cherry, Shanghai cherry, Ando cherry, mountain cherry, Chinese dwarf cherry, Chinese bush cherry

Prunus verecunda (Koidz.) Koehne - Korean mountain cherry

Prunus virginiana L. - chokecherry

Prunus x yedoensis Matsum. - Yoshino cherry or Tokyo cherry

History

Etymology and antiquity

The native range of the wild cherry extends through most of Europe, western Asia and parts of northern Africa, and the fruit has been consumed through its range since prehistoric times. A cultivated cherry is recorded as having been brought to Rome by Lucius Licinius Lucullus from northeastern Anatolia, also known as the Pontus region, in 72 BC.

A form of cherry was introduced into England at Teynham, near Sittingbourne in Kent by order of Henry VIII, who had tasted them in Flanders.

The English word cherry, French cerise and Spanish cereza all come from the classical Greek (κέρασος) through the Latin cerasum, thus the ancient Roman place name Cerasus, today a city in northern Turkey Giresun from which the cherry was first exported to Europe.

Nutritional 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. 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 to mid August, and in the UK in mid July. In many parts of North America, they are among the first tree fruits to ripen.

Ornamental trees

See cherry blossom and Prunus.

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.

Eurasia

Major commercial cherry orchards in Europe extend from the Iberian peninsula east to Anatolia, and to a smaller extent may also be grown in the Baltic States and southern Scandinavia.

North America

In the United States, most sweet cherries are grown in Washington, California, Oregon, and northern Michigan. 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 nonnative 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 is known all over the world over for tart cherry production is referred to as the "Traverse Bay" region. Traverse Bay Farms is one northern Michigan, co-operative-supported organization in this region that helps to market Michigan-grown cherry products across the globe.

Australia

In Australia, cherries are grown in all the states except for the Northern Territory. The major producing regions are located in the temperate areas within New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Western Australia has limited production in the elevated parts in southwest of the state. Key production areas include Young, Orange and Bathurst in New South Wales, Wandin, Goulburn Valley and Murray Valley in Victoria, Adelaide Hills region in South Australia, Huon and Derwent Valleys in Tasmania.

Key commercial varieties in order of seasonality include Empress, Merchant, Supreme, Rons Seedling, Chelan, Ulster, Van, Bing, Stella, Nordwunder, Lapins, Simone, Regina, Kordia and Sweetheart. New varieties are being introduced, including the late season Staccato and early season Sequoia. The Australian Cherry Breeding program is developing a series of new varieties which are under testing evaluation.

The New South Wales town of Young is called the "Cherry Capital of Australia" and hosts the National Cherry Festival.

See also

Cherry blossom

Cherry pitter

Marasca cherry

Griotte de Kleparow

Dried cherry

Notes

Dried cherry cultivars infused with raspberry concentrate are sold commercially under the name razzcherries.

External links

"Cherry juice hailed as superfood", Daily Mail, 26 September 2008.

Phenolic compounds in sweet and sour cherries—Cornell University study.

Category:Medicinal plants Category:Prunus Category:Symbols of Utah Category:Plants of temperate climates