Sweet CherriesPosted 10 years ago under Uncategorized

In addition to being a delicious and healthy snack, sweet cherries have a number of health benefits. The antioxidants in sweet cherries have been shown to help with a number of ailments including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. They also may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. (1) Their anti-inflammatory properties mean they are useful in counteracting muscle soreness, arthritis, and gout as well. (2)

Taxonomy

Sweet cherries come from the Prunus avium tree.

Kingdom (Plantae) –> Angiosperms –> Eudicots –> Rosids –> Order (Rosales) –> Family (Rosaceae) –> Genus (Prunus) –> Subgenus (Cerasus) –> Species (Prunus avium)

Description

Sweet cherries, sometimes called wild cherries, grow on a tree that can range in height from 50 to 100 feet and has branches that spread into a wide canopy. The leaves are light green and the flowers are white. The edible fruits are drupes of a bright red color and contain a single stone, or seed. (3)

Distribution

Sweet cherry trees are native to Europe from the British Isles east to the Himalayas, but are now grown throughout the world in comparable mild climates. They do not tolerate frost well. (4) The top producers of cherries in the world are Turkey, America, and China. (5) Sweet cherry trees do well in a variety of soil types but thrive in slightly acidic soil with full sun. (6)

Nutritional Information

Sweet cherries are high in minerals, vitamins, and other antioxidants and phytonutrients. They are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, B vitamins, potassium, copper, and manganese. They’re also relatively low on the glycemic index and are high in anthocyanins. (7)

Commercial Cultivation

Sweet cherry trees are not self-pollinating and so must be planted near other sweet cherry trees. They are typically planted from grafts and seedlings and not from seed. Typically, they take four to five years to produce fruit. (8)

Diseases, Pests, Predators

Sweet cherry trees are susceptible to a variety of common pests including aphids, caterpillars, and birds. They also can suffer from fungal and bacterial infections including black knot, brown rot, and canker. (9)

Sources

(1) http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/issue/16-cherries-the-superfood-you-should-know-about/
(2) http://www.naturalnews.com/z026091_cherries_gout.html
(3) http://www.botanical-online.com/english/cherrytree.htm
(4) http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/growing-cherries
(5) http://www.botanical-online.com/english/cherrytree.htm
(6) http://www.almanac.com/plant/cherries
(7) http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/issue/16-cherries-the-superfood-you-should-know-about/
(8) http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/growing-cherries
(9) http://www.almanac.com/plant/cherries