The most favored Japanese cherry tree is the hybrid known as Somei-Yoshino, for the fantasy and romance of their cloud-like blossoms. Almost always, the trees bloom in Tokyo just in time for school entrance ceremonies in early April.
Why is it that all the trees in any given geographical area tend to bloom at the same time?
Answer: because they share the same genetics.
Somei-Yoshino is a hybrid tree, propagated by cuttings, not seeds. Recent research indicates that every Somei-Yoshino alive today originated from one ancestor. One branch of ancient lore suggests that the beautiful tree resulted from combining the best of two beautiful trees from rival districts in Japan. Another source suggests that Korean and Japanese trees were combined.
Joining forces to create something new and beautiful! At least in the world of cherry trees, there is a lot to be said for making love, not war.
Okinawa Looks Like This
Peaceful: a beautiful place for a walk
自己紹介
- Chura
- Born and raised in the USA (NJ), I’ve spent most of my adult life in Japan. One of my favorite places in Japan is Okinawa. To me, Okinawa is a land of stories and an island of music, magic and mystery. The music is shima-uta, songs sung to the rhythm of a three-stringed lute called a sanshin. The magic is in the colors of land, sea and sky. The mystery? Mystery begins where the line between legend and verifiable human memories begins to blur. I am a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, chapter chief of a sanshin study society, and a founding member of the Marine Culture Research Association of Okinawa.