3 Cool Cherry Blossom Facts You Didn’t Know
What do cherry blossoms and Star Wars have in common?
It’s April 4th, which means we are in peak cherry blossom season!
Across the world, cherry blossoms —or sakura, in Japanese — are in full bloom. Like snowflakes, their petals drift into the wind, captivating all who are lucky enough to see.
I’ve spent much of my life studying cherry blossoms, and I’ve learned some really cool things along the way. So to celebrate sakura season, are 3 Cool Cherry Blossom Facts You Didn’t Know!
1.) They’re the unofficial national flower
Contrary to popular belief, the cherry blossom is not the national flower of Japan.
That status belongs to the golden chrysanthemum — the sigil of the Imperial House. In a way, that’s poetic. Much like the Emperor, the chrysanthemum is very formal, with several off-limits contexts and associations.
But cherry blossoms are never off-limits. Textiles, logos, tattoos — you name it, cherry blossoms are everywhere. And from the southern Ryukyu isles (like Okinawa) all the way up to northern Hokkaido, you find cherry blossoms raining across the country. And wherever they bloom, you’ll also find flower-viewing parties, called hanami.
The spectacle is magical: Thousands of pink petals falling in the wind, like snow. But each tree flowers for only about a week, meaning as soon as the sakura reach their full magnificence, their life ends. It’s sad, yet joyous. Japanese society even has a special phrase for this bittersweet feeling, called mono no aware.
Mono no aware: “The ephemeral nature of beauty — the quietly elated, bittersweet feeling of having been witness to the dazzling circus of life — knowing that none of it can last.” — Mari Fujimoto
Thus, cherry blossoms symbolize mortality. Nothing lasts forever, after all. So it makes sense we should aspire to be like cherry blossoms: Inspiring, beautiful, and dignified until the end.
Spirit of the Samurai
This mortal aspect was appreciated by the samurai, who sought a noble death. While the code of bushido is Meiji-era nationalist propaganda, the concepts of shame and saving face were indeed very important to samurai.
To conservative western masculinity, flowers are not something for men to enjoy. But in east Asia, even the toughest soldier appreciated the quiet, feminine strength of something like the cherry blossom. In fact, many samurai families bore the sakura as their clan’s crest; and many blacksmiths decorated swords with the flower.
The samurai truly embraced their artistic side during the Edo period, two centuries of peace. Without battles to fight, the ruling samurai caste turned their attention to the arts. Calligraphy, poetry, and philosophy were their new hobbies — not warfare. Some of the most beautiful Japanese relics come from this age; and you needn’t look far to find the cherry blossom.
2.) They don’t actually grow cherries
Don’t expect to find bing cherries on these trees!
Sakura is an ornamental tree, which means it’s cultivated for its flowers, not its fruit or wood. In fact, their fruit is inedible. Bitter, tough, and with a big pit, these little fruits aren’t too great. And unlike ume plums — which are cousins of sakura — these fruits aren’t even redeemable through pickling.
…but you can eat the petals!
Curiously, what people eat from sakura trees aren its fruit, but its petals.
Sakura buds are plucked while young and tender; and undergo a process that pickles and dehydrates them. Then they’re packaged in airtight containers, and can be used whenever.
Many confections, contemporary and classical, make use of cherry blossom. Here are a few examples:
Sakurayu— A tea made from steeping cherry blossomsSakuramochi— Rice taffy dyed pink from cherry blossom pigment, and wrapped in a pickled sakura leafSakura-yokan— A traditional sweet made from gelatin and starch, seasoned with cherry blossom petals
3.) Most cherry blossom trees are clones
Did you know that today’s cherry blossom trees are designer babies?
Despite a rich history, the iconic, familiar tree is an artificial hybrid. Called the Yoshino cherry, it was created around two hundred years ago to produce the most exquisite blooms. Satisfied with the results, the arborists propagated the best single tree through a process called grafting.
Meaning most cherry blossom trees are clones!
In fact about 75% of all cherry blossom trees in Japan — and most in the world — share identical DNA. It’s like the Clone Army from Star Wars… except instead of an army of soldiers cloned from Jango Fett, it’s a planet of trees cloned from the Yoshino cherry.
Different species
But if most sakura trees are cloned, what do the “natural” trees look like? Quite varied, actually. The flowers alone differ wildly. Some, like the yamazakura, are white; while the edohigan are the palest tint of pink; and the kanhizakura of the Ryukyu isles are so bright they’re almost fuschia.
If you’re interested in the different types of cherry blossom trees, All About Japan has an awesome article on that subject!
Cherry blossoms may be shrouded in folklore, but they also have an exciting history. I hope I sparked your interest in these fascinating plants.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling to watch cherry blossoms is out of the question. But, through the magic of YouTube and NHK, there are plenty of gorgeous videos that will let you escape your shelter-in-place!
Check it out, and stay safe! 🌸
