Cherry Blossoms

Introduction

Emblematic figure of the country of the Rising Sun, cherry is a majestic tree that is often represented as a symbol of ephemeral beauty. Sakura is a Japanese term that refers to a type of tree symbolism. Species of the Rosaceae family, the sakura (also called “prunus serrulata”, “Japanese cherry” or “Oriental cherry”), is actually native to the Japanese archipelago, where it plays a very important, especially in the manufacture of green space (Seligson, 55-61).

One of the fastest growing and popular flowering trees in U.S.A is cherry blossom. Much of the domination in the landscape of the nation's capitol is the multicoloured variety of the Yoshino cherry and Kwanzan cherry. In Washington Dc, the Kwanzan of the Japanese Flowering cherry was planted as a token of gratitude from the Japanese people to USA. It was made possible through the efforts of the wife of the president Taft. Beside these origins, thousand others genres of cherry blossoms have been planted in U.S.A and many tourists visit the capital in the spring to experience the extravaganza. There are numerous festivals of cherry blossom that are held annually in cities across the country during the spring season.

Characteristics and culture

The Japanese cherry tree is relatively small. Indeed, it is only 8 to 12m maximum. In return, it has a crown (branches, twigs and leaves) very dense, particularly at the foliage once flourished, is filling small pink petals (sometimes reaching a dark, pulling fuchsia). This flowering is abundant from the first heat of April and disappears quickly in mid-May. This is the end of autumn the leaves of the cherry tree, usually green, are tinted with a color between red and orange. Its fruit, meanwhile, is a small drupe (stone fruit of “cherry” or “fishing”) black (Ohnuki-Tierney, 122-30).

In Japan the cherry tree is traditionally planted in autumn or in spring, preferably in an ordinary soil and humid, prone to sun but sheltered from the wind, to protect its leaves and flowers. The tree itself does not require much effort for maintenance, but it needs to be pruned every winter and to be regularly enriched with manure when spring arrives. Despite its thin branches and its frail appearance, the Japanese cherry tree is very robust that can withstand negative temperatures down to -20 ° C. Note that there are also more than four hundred varieties of cherry trees from Japan, the favorite of its ...