Content
- The Japanese cherry - edible or poisonous?
- The fruits - a less popular alternative to sweet cherries
- The flowers - a pretty and edible decoration element
- The leaves - an unusual ingredient for salads
- Tips & Tricks
The Japanese cherry - edible or poisonous?
Often, especially in the spring, the blossoming Japanese cherry tree catches the eye. Anyone who encounters them or has planted them in their own garden may wonder if their fruits are edible or poisonous. Here is the resolution!
The fruits - a less popular alternative to sweet cherries
They look like wild cherries. Their color describes a purple to black and they mature in July. Their diameter is between 0.8 and 1 cm. Their shape is spherical to ovate. These are the fruits of Japanese cherry. They are - contrary to the wandering erroneous beliefs - not poisonous.
Gladly these fruits are eaten by hungry birds. But most of them land on the ground in most cases and dry up. No wonder: these cherries do not taste like familiar sweet cherries. They are less sweet and juicy, as they have not fallen victim to overbreeding.
Who is looking for the enjoyment of delicious cherries, should prefer to fall back on a sour or sweet cherry tree. The Japanese ornamental cherry rarely forms fruit even with much care and when fruits appear, their number is usually sparse.
The flowers - a pretty and edible decoration element
In addition to the fruits, the blossoms of the Japanese ornamental cherry appear between late March and early April are edible. They are sweet-tart in taste and can be used among others:
The leaves - an unusual ingredient for salads
But your cherry has more edible plant parts. If you are open for something new, try the leaves. You can z. For example, if you cut the plant in spring. The leaves are edible and have a cherry-like aroma.
They are best picked shortly after sprouting, if they are still medium green and very shiny. Then they are mild and their consistency in chewing is pleasant and not crunchy unlike older leaves. You can use them for salads and smoothies, for example.
Tips & Tricks
For the very courageous: The resin, which emerges from the wood of the Japanese cherry, is edible and a great 'natural rubber'.