- The fruits - a less popular alternative to sweet cherries
- The flowers - a pretty and edible decorative element
- The leaves - an unusual ingredient for salads
- tips and tricks
The blooming Japanese ornamental cherry often catches the eye, especially in spring. Anyone who encounters them or has planted them in their own garden may wonder whether their fruits are edible or poisonous. Here's the resolution!
The fruits - a less popular alternative to sweet cherries
They look like wild cherries. Their color is purple to black and they mature in July. Their diameter is between 0.8 and 1 cm. Their shape is spherical to ovoid. They are the fruits of the Japanese cherry tree. Contrary to popular belief, they are not poisonous.
Hungry birds like to eat these fruits. But most of it ends up on the ground and dries up. No wonder: These cherries do not taste like well-known sweet cherries. They are less sweet and juicy as they have not fallen victim to overbreeding.
If you are looking to enjoy delicious cherries, it is better to use a sour or sweet cherry tree. Even with a lot of care, the Japanese cherry tree rarely produces fruit and when fruit do appear, their number is usually sparse.
The flowers - a pretty and edible decorative element
In addition to the fruits, the blossoms of the Japanese cherry tree, which appear between the end of March and the beginning of April, are edible. They have a sweetish-tart taste and can be used, among other things:
- for salads
- for desserts such as vanilla pudding and ice cream
- for decorating food
- to snack on straight from the tree
The leaves - an unusual ingredient for salads
But your ornamental cherry has other edible parts of the plant. If you're open minded, give the leaves a try. You can e.g. B. do if you cut the plant in spring. The leaves are edible and have a cherry-like aroma.
They are best picked shortly after they have sprouted, when they are still mid-green and very shiny. Then they are mild and their consistency when chewing is pleasant and not crumbly in contrast to older leaves. You can use them for salads and smoothies, for example.
tips and tricks
For the very brave: The resin that escapes from the wood of the Japanese cherry tree is edible and a great 'natural chewing gum'.