Sweetheart cherry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sweetheart cherry |
|
|---|---|
| Genus | Prunus |
| Species | Prunus avium |
| Hybrid parentage | Van × Newstar |
| Cultivar | Sweetheart |
| Breeder | David Lane |
| Origin | Summerland, British Columbia, Canada |
The Sweetheart cherry is a special type of cherry plant. It's a mix of two other cherry types, the Van and Newstar cherries. Scientists in Canada first created this unique cherry.
Contents
Sweetheart Cherry: A Juicy Story
How Sweetheart Cherries Were Created
The Sweetheart cherry was developed by scientists at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre. This research center is located in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada. They first crossed the parent cherry plants in 1975. After watching the new plants grow, they picked the best one in 1982. The Sweetheart cherry was officially introduced to the world in 1994.
Since then, the Sweetheart cherry has become very important. It has been used to create even more new cherry types! Some of these new varieties include Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign. In 2012, the American Society for Horticultural Science gave the Sweetheart cherry an award. They called it an "Outstanding Fruit Cultivar," which means it's a really great fruit!
What Makes the Sweetheart Tree Special?
The Sweetheart cherry tree is special because it is "self-fertile." This means it can produce fruit all by itself, without needing pollen from another cherry tree. Because of this, it's often called a "universal pollinator." It can help other cherry trees that bloom around the same time to produce fruit too!
The flowers on a Sweetheart cherry tree usually bloom a few days before the famous Bing variety. These trees are known for growing a lot of cherries. Sometimes, they even grow too many! This can be a challenge for farmers. However, Sweetheart trees can sometimes get a plant sickness called powdery mildew.
All About the Sweetheart Fruit
Sweetheart cherries are known as a "late-season" cherry. This means they ripen later in the summer, about three weeks after Bing cherries are ready to pick. The fruit itself is a medium size. It has bright red skin and red flesh inside.
