19902 Mon May 20 03:32:39 -0700 2002 6 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 67560 Why does a little rain in the bay area always seem to ruin the cherry crop. Doesn't it rain constantly the state of Washington? They seem to have the same variety of cherries...Bing....RAINier... Why doesn't the rain in Washington ruin the cherries? While we're on the topic, what do they do with the cherries in Golden Gate park? There are lots of cherry blossoms. What about the cherries in Washington DC? Mon May 20 03:32:39 -0700 2002 0 Stanley Stephan 1 67562 The showiest blossoms are from ornamental, nonfruiting varieties of cherry trees. Mon May 20 03:39:03 -0700 2002 67560 0 Melanie Wong 1 67579 Most of the WA produce is grown in the drier, East of the Cascades area and irrigated. Mon May 20 11:55:34 -0700 2002 67560 0 Sharuf 1 67593 Ornamental Japanese cherry trees (like the ones in DC and GG Park) are not the same as fruit-producing trees. As far as I know, the pretty flowering ones don't set fruit. Mon May 20 13:07:32 -0700 2002 67560 0 dixieday 2 67599 What about the early-flowering variety that has red leaves? There's lots of them growing along the streets in the Mission and Cole Valley. They produce large, dark-red fruit that someone once told me were sour pie cherries, but I didn't believe them. Anyone know if there's any truth to that? Mon May 20 13:49:48 -0700 2002 67593 0 chibi 3 67607 any chance they are what we have always called "cherry plums"? They are cherry sized plums. The trees come in several varieties -- we had three over our fences when I was a kid: green leaves with red plums, red leaves with red plums, and green leaves with yellow plums. They make great wine. And my mother made jam from them too. Plums are about the only fruit tree whose roots can take standing water -- most fruit trees are grafted to wild plum root stock for that reason (I have been told). anyway, the cherry plum trees grow like weeds! Mon May 20 14:30:13 -0700 2002 67599 0 Kim Cooper 3 67747 The sour pie cherries are called Montmorency and the leaves on those trees are a kelly green color. The cherries tend to be a little smaller than bings, and they are a funky translucent yet very bright light red color. So. . . size wise they're actually kinda small. Oh, also the leaves have kind of a serrated edge to them. Tue May 21 15:53:58 -0700 2002 67599 0 Buen Provecho