Cherry Trees Important to Both Washington's

Cherry Trees Important to Both Washington's

Cherry Trees Important to Both Washington’s. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

My one lone cherry tree has been putting on a show this spring. It has been flowering like never before and of course all across the state cherry trees are blossoming. While this Washington is famous for our cherries Washington DC has always been known for it’s cherry blossoms.

POOLER: The primary reason that everyone loves them is their floral display in the Spring. The flowers only last for maybe a week to ten days if you’re lucky and so it’s something you enjoy it in the moment and then it’s gone for another year.

That’s Margaret Pooler, Research Geneticist with the National Arboretum who talk about the history of the trees.

POOLER: The gift from Japan consisted of approximately three thousand trees that were given from Japan to the U-S as a symbol of friendship. They came over in 1912 and there are some of those of trees that came are still alive on the tidal basin today.

Pooler says researchers at the Arboretum are working to make the trees durable as well as pretty.

POOLER: We’re looking at breeding and developing new types that are, for example, disease resistant, tolerant of various environmental stresses, that can do well in an urban environment, but that also obviously have the flowering qualities that people have come to expect and love. The National Arboretum is actually just another form of a museum where you can come and see different plant types and learn about them and see historical plant types, different ones that are both native to the U-S and not native.

Enjoy the blossoms while they’re here.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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