Cherry Blossom Festivals In Japan
Cherry blossoms reach their peak in Tokyo and Kyoto this week. The traditional Japanese practice of viewing flowers, or Hanami, dates back to the Nala period in Japan (approximately 700 AD) when the members of the imperial court would gather to view the flowers, write poetry and feast in the shade of trees in full bloom. Pretty refined stuff.
"Under the Cherry Trees" by Kunisada 1852
In recent times, Hanami has taken on more of a party hearty character with plenty of sake and beer to aid in the enjoyment of the flowers. Family and friends stake out places in Japan's parks and gardens hoping to get the best vantage points to enjoy the flowers and set up a picnic. Such gathering are similar in character to American celebrations like Memorial Day or Fourth of July but in Japan they are done on a communcal scale.
In 1991, my wife and I were students in Japan and visited Ueno Park in Tokyo during Hanami. As we walked through the park, a group of drunken students who we didn't know insisted that we join them in their hanami celebration (see below). I suppose, nothing livens up a Hanami party like foreigners that don't speak the language all that well and who don't really know why they've been invited. It was a bit strange at the time but is now a fond memory of our time in Japan.
One quick cultural side note....Many readers probably know that it is standard Japanese practice to remove your shoes before entering a home or temple. However, this practice extends to many other venues. In the photo above, you can see how people have placed tarps and cardboard on the floor to make a clean area to sit on during their Hanami celebration. You'll also note that they have removed their shoes and placed them just outside them outside the seating area. Even tipsy, Japanese exhibit good manners.
Cherry blossoms at Himeji Castle, photo by Quasipalm
Hanami occurs in Japan from late March through early May depending on the year and region with the country. If you plan to visit that country in the Spring, check out this link on the Japan-Guide.com web site that forecasts when the flowers will be in peak bloom each year in key cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Nala, and Sapporo.
Tips on How to Grow Fruiting Cherry Trees
As far as I can tell, Japanese Hanami parties are conducted under ornamental cherry trees, but cherries that produce fruits also are quite showey when flowering. My Sweetheart cherry tree was in peak bloom in late March and my Bing cherry went into bloom at the end of last week.
Tips on Growing Cherry Trees In Your Garden
If you would like to put a cherry tree in your garden, here are some tips to help you choose and grow them:
- Hardiness Zones - Cherries grow best in cooler climates. Tart cherry varieties do well in zones 4-6 while sweet cherries grow well in zones 5-7. Gardeners in warmer climates will find cherries a challenge. I live in zone 8 and have not had much success so far. I'm giving my trees another year or two. If they don't produce well, I'll have to throw in the towel and switch them out for another type of fruit.
- Soil - Cherry trees need good drainage. If you have heavy clay soil like I do, it's probably best to get a dwarf variety and plant it in a large container like a half wine barrel. (FYI, A mature dwarf cherry should produce about 10 quarts of cherries each year. While a full size tree can produce 40 quarts)
- Planting Season - Cherries should be planted in early Spring. Bare root trees should be ordered in January and February. You can also buy potted trees from your local nursery later in the season but the selection is likely to be much more limited.
- Cherry Varieties - Cherries come in sweet and tart varieties. The sweet varieties are eaten as fresh fruit while the tart are generally used for making pies, preserves and juice. Some common tart varieties include: Montmorency, North Star and English Morello. Common sweet varieties include: Black Tartarian (dark cherry), Bing (dark cherry), Sweetheart (dark cherry), Stella (dark cherry), Gold (yellow cherry), Ranier (yellow cherry), and Sweet Ann (white cherry).
- Self-Fertile and Cherries that Require Pollinators - Most sweet cherry varieties require a second cherry tree be planted nearby in order to ensure pollination of the blossoms. Sometimes this tree can be of the same variety, but frequently, cherries that require pollination need to be crossed with a cherry tree of a different variety. If you are only going to have one of two trees in your garden, it's best to grow varieties that are self pollinated (see list below). If you have room for a cherry orchard, then you can choose pretty much any veriety you like as long as you pair it with an appropriate pollinator. You can find a partial list of such pairings at the RainTree Nursery web site. It's also easy to find other pairings by doing a Google search on the name of the variety that interests you plus "pollinator."
- Self-Fertile Cherry Trees: Stella, Lapins, North Star, Sweetheart, and Van are all self fertile sweet cherry varieties. Tart cherry are all self fertile.
You can buy bare root cherry trees from Raintree, Trees of Antiquity and other suppliers.
Happy hanami to all. 乾杯 (Cheers)!
