The cherry is generally understood to have been brought to
Rome from
Persia.
Giresun was known to the ancient Greeks as Choerades or Pharnacia and later as Kerasous or Cerasus, < title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry#cite_note-0">[1]
The
Wild Cherry (P. avium) has given rise to the Sweet Cherry to which most cherry
cultivars belong, and the
Sour Cherry (P. cerasus) is used mainly for cooking. Both species originate in
Europe and western
Asia; they do not cross-pollinate each other. The 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, spaying, labor, and the their propensity to damage from rain and hail make cherries relatively expensive. Nonetheless, there is high demand for the fruit.
Major commercial cherry orchards in Europe extend from the
Iberian peninsula east to
Asia Minor, and to a smaller extent may also be grown in the
Baltic States and southern
Scandinavia. In the
United States, most sweet cherries for fresh use are grown in
California and
Washington. Important sweet cherry cultivars include "
Bing", "Brooks", "Tulare", "King", and "
Rainier".
Oregon and
Michigan provide light-coloured "Royal Ann" ('Napoleon'; alternately "Queen Anne") cherries for the
maraschino cherry process. Most sour (also called tart) cherries are grown in four states bordering the
Great Lakes, in
Michigan (the largest producers of cherries among the states),
New York,
Pennsylvania, and
Wisconsin; however, native and non-native cherries grow well in
Canada (
Ontario and
British Columbia) as well. 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 that is known the world over for tart cherry production is referred to as the "Traverse Bay" region. Farms in this region grown many varieties of cherries and companies like Traverse Bay Farms sell the fruit of the region. Likewise in
Australia the
New South Wales town of
Young is famous nationwide as the "Cherry Capital of
Australia", and also hosts the internationally famous National Cherry Festival. Popular varieties include the "Montmorency", "Morello", "North Star", "Early Richmond", "Titans" and "Lamberts".
Cherries have a very long growing season and can grow anywhere, including the great cold of the tundra. In Australia they are usually at their peak around
Christmas time, in southern Europe in June, in America in June, and in the UK in mid July, always in the summer season. In many parts of North America they are among the first tree fruits to ripen; hence the colloquial term "cherry" to mean "new" or "the first", e.g. "in cherry condition".
Annual world production (as of 2003) of domesticated cherries is about 45698 million
tonnes, of which a third are sour cherries. Around 75 percent of world production originates in Europe.
Besides the fruit, cherries also have attractive
flowers, and they are commonly planted for their flower display in spring; several of the Asian cherries are particularly noted for their flower displays. The Japanese
sakura in particular are a national symbol celebrated in the yearly
Hanami festival. Many flowering cherry cultivars (known as 'ornamental cherries') have the
stamens and
pistils replaced by additional
petals ("double" flowers), so are sterile and do not bear fruit. They are grown purely for their flowers and decorative value. The most common of these sterile cherries is the cultivar 'Kanzan'. Cherry trees provide food for the
caterpillars of several
Lepidoptera. See
List of Lepidoptera which feed on Prunus.
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