Hi Everybody!!
Now is a good time to plant new trees. Tonight I share with you the new blooms on several fruit trees in the yard. You know if the insects pollinate these flowers, fruit will grow and ripen on the tree. I love my little fruit trees. They are first to bloom in the early spring (at this location). Fruit trees have become so popular, they can be found at Walmart! From Wikipedia, is excerpts of info about the fruit trees featured in the photostudy. Tonight: a feast for the eyes! A few months: a tasty treat for the mouth! Enjoy!
Link to G+ Photo Album:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117645114459863049265/albums/5984786703365736625
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malus
Malus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Malus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Malus 'Purple Prince'[1] | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amygdaloideae[2] |
| Tribe: | Maleae |
| Subtribe: | Malinae |
| Genus: | Malus Mill. |
Malus (/ˈmeɪləs/[3] or /ˈmæləs/), apple, is a genus of about 30–55 species[4] of smalldeciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple (M. domestica). The other species are generally known as crabapples, crab apples, crabs, or wild apples.
Uses[edit]
Crabapple fruit is not an important crop in most areas, being extremely sour and (in some species) woody, and is rarely eaten raw for this reason. In some southeast Asian cultures they are valued as a sour condiment, sometimes eaten with salt and chilli pepper, or shrimp paste.
Some crabapples varieties are an exception to the reputation of being sour, and can be very sweet, such as the 'Chestnut' cultivar.[11]
Crabapples are an excellent source of pectin, and their juice can be made into a ruby-coloured preserve with a full, spicy flavour.[12] A small percentage of crabapples in cider makes a more interesting flavour.[13] As Old EnglishWergulu, the crab apple is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century.
Apple wood gives off a pleasant scent when burned, and smoke from an apple wood fire gives an excellent flavour to smoked foods.[14] It is easier to cut when green; dry apple wood is exceedingly difficult to carve by hand.[14] It is a good wood for cooking fires because it burns hot and slow, without producing much flame.[14]
Crabapple has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies,[15] a kind of alternative medicinepromoted for its effect on health. However according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".[16]
File:Flowering crabapple in Washington DC.jpg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
File:Crabapples.jpg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Apricots:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot
Apricot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Description[edit]
The apricot is a small tree, 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm (0.8–1.8 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupesimilar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.6–1.0 in) diameter (larger in some moderncultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as: glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically: pubescent). The flesh is usually firm and not very juicy. Its taste can range from sweet to tart. The single seed is enclosed in a hard, stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.[2][3]
Cultivation and uses[edit]
History of cultivation[edit]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 201 kJ (48 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| - Sugars | 9 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 2 g |
| Fat | 0.4 g |
| Protein | 1.4 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 96 μg (12%) |
| - beta-carotene | 1094 μg (10%) |
| - lutein and zeaxanthin | 89 μg |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.03 mg (3%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.04 mg (3%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 0.6 mg (4%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.24 mg (5%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.054 mg (4%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 9 μg (2%) |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg (12%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.89 mg (6%) |
| Vitamin K | 3.3 μg (3%) |
| Calcium | 13 mg (1%) |
| Iron | 0.4 mg (3%) |
| Magnesium | 10 mg (3%) |
| Manganese | 0.077 mg (4%) |
| Phosphorus | 23 mg (3%) |
| Potassium | 259 mg (6%) |
| Sodium | 1 mg (0%) |
| Zinc | 0.2 mg (2%) |
| Link to USDA Database entry Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database | |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,009 kJ (241 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| - Sugars | 53 g |
| - Dietary fibre | 7 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Protein | 3.4 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 180 μg (23%) |
| - beta-carotene | 2163 μg (20%) |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.015 mg (1%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.074 mg (6%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 2.589 mg (17%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.516 mg (10%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.143 mg (11%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 10 μg (3%) |
| Vitamin C | 1 mg (1%) |
| Vitamin E | 4.33 mg (29%) |
| Vitamin K | 3.1 μg (3%) |
| Calcium | 55 mg (6%) |
| Iron | 2.66 mg (20%) |
| Magnesium | 32 mg (9%) |
| Manganese | 0.235 mg (11%) |
| Phosphorus | 71 mg (10%) |
| Potassium | 1162 mg (25%) |
| Sodium | 10 mg (1%) |
| Zinc | 0.29 mg (3%) |
| Link to USDA Database entry Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database | |
The origin of the apricot is disputed. It was known in Armenia during ancient times, and has been cultivated there for so long, it is often thought to have originated there.[4][5] Its scientific name Prunus armeniaca (Armenian plum) derives from that assumption. For example, De Poerderlé, writing in the 18th century, asserted, "Cet arbre tire son nom de l'Arménie, province d'Asie, d'où il est originaire et d'où il fut porté en Europe ..." ("this tree takes its name from Armenia, province of Asia, where it is native, and whence it was brought to Europe ...").[6] An archaeological excavation at Garni in Armenia found apricot seeds in an Eneolithic-era site.[7] Despite the great number of varieties of apricots that are grown in Armenia today (about 50),[5] according to Vavilov its center of origin would be the Chinese region, where the domestication of apricot would have taken place. Other sources say that the apricot was first cultivated in India in about 3000 BC.[8]
Its introduction to Greece is attributed to Alexander the Great;[8] later, the Roman GeneralLucullus (106–57 B.C.) also would have imported some trees – the cherry, white heart cherry, and apricot – from Armenia to Rome[citation needed]. Subsequent sources were often confused about the origin of the species. Loudon (1838) believed it had a wide native range including Armenia, Caucasus, the Himalaya, China, and Japan.[9]
Apricots have been cultivated in Persia since antiquity, and dried ones were an important commodity on Persian trade routes. Apricots remain an important fruit in modern-day Iran, where they are known under the common name of zard-ālū (Persian: زردآلو).
Egyptians usually dry apricots, add sweetener, and then use them to make a drink called amar al-dīn.
More recently, English settlers brought the apricot to the English colonies in the New World. Most of modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by Spanish missionaries. Almost all U.S. commercial production is in California, with some in Washington andUtah.[10]
Many apricots are also cultivated in Australia, particularly South Australia, where they are commonly grown in the region known as the Riverland and in a small town calledMypolonga in the Lower Murray region of the state. In states other than South Australia, apricots are still grown, particularly in Tasmania and western Victoria and southwestNew South Wales, but they are less common than in South Australia.
Today, apricot cultivation has spread to all parts of the globe with climates that support it.
Cultivation[edit]
Although the apricot is native to a continental climate region with cold winters, it can grow in Mediterranean climates if enough cool winter weather allows a properdormancy.[citation needed] The dry climate of these areas is good for fruit maturation. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30°C or lower if healthy. A limiting factor in apricot culture is spring frosts: They tend to flower very early, meaning spring frost can kill the flowers. Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. In China, winters can be very cold, but temperatures tend to be more stable than in Europe and especially North America, where large temperature swings can occur in winter. Hybridisation with the closely related Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50°C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.[11]
Apricot cultivars are most often grafted onto plum or peach rootstocks. The scion from an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics, such as flavour and size, but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant.
Cultivators have created what is known as a "black apricot" or "purple apricot", (Prunus dasycarpa), a hybrid of an apricot and the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). Other apricot–plum hybrids are variously calledplumcots, apriplums, pluots, or apriums.
Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900 chilling units. They are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. Some of the more popular US cultivars of apricots include 'Blenheim', 'Wenatchee Moorpark', 'Tilton', and 'Perfection'.
An old adage says an apricot tree will not grow far from the mother tree; the implication is that apricots are particular about the soilconditions in which they are grown.[citation needed] They prefer well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Some apricot cultivars are self-compatible and do not require pollinizer trees; others are not, such as Moongold and Sungold, which must be planted in pairs so that they can pollinate each other.
Apricots are susceptible to numerous diseases whose relative importance is different in the major production regions as a consequence of their climatic differences. Diseases include bacterial canker and blast, bacterial spot and crown gall, and an even longer list of fungal diseases, including brown rot, black knot, Alternaria spot and fruit rot, and powdery mildew. Other problems for apricots are nematodes, viral and phytoplasma diseases, including graft-transmissible problems.
Kernels[edit]
Main article: Apricot kernel
Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in central Asia and around the Mediterranean are so sweet, they may be substituted for almonds.[citation needed] The Italian liqueur amarettoand amaretti biscotti are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds.[citation needed] Oil pressed from these cultivar kernels, and known as oil of almond, has been used as cooking oil. Kernels contain between 2.05% and 2.40%hydrogen cyanide, but normal consumption is insufficient to produce serious effects.[12][clarification needed]
Peach:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach
Peach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peach (Prunus persica) is a deciduous tree, native to North-West China, in the region between the Tarim basin and the north slopes of the Kunlun Shan mountains, where it was first domesticated and cultivated. [2] It bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. The species name persica refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia, whence it was transplanted to Europe. It belongs to the genus Prunus which includes the cherry andplum, in the family Rosaceae. The peach is classified with the almond in the subgenusAmygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell.
Peaches and nectarines are the same species, even though they are regarded commercially as different fruits. In contrast to peach whose fruits present the characteristic fuzz on the skin nectarines are characterized by the absence of fruit skin trichomes (fuzz-less fruit); genetic studies suggest nectarines are produced due to a recessive allele, whereas peaches are produced from a dominant allele for fuzzy skin.[3]
China is the world's largest producer of peaches and nectarines.
| Peach Prunus persica | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Autumn Red Peaches, cross section | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Subgenus: | Amygdalus |
| Species: | P. persica |
Description[edit]
Prunus persica grows to 4–10 m (13–33 ft) tall and 6 in. in diameter. The leaves arelanceolate, 7–16 cm (2.8–6.3 in) long, 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) broad, pinnately veined. Theflowers are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 2.5–3 cm diameter, pink, with five petals. The fruit has yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a skin that is either velvety (peaches) or smooth (nectarines) in different cultivars. The flesh is very delicate and easily bruised in some cultivars, but is fairly firm in some commercial varieties, especially when green. The single, large seed is red-brown, oval shaped, approximately 1.3–2 cm long, and is surrounded by a wood-like husk. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes). There are various heirloom varieties, including the Indian peach, which arrives in the latter part of the summer.[4]
Cultivated peaches are divided into clingstones and freestones, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity, while yellow-fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Both colours often have some red on their skin. Low-acid white-fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighbouring Asian countries, while Europeans and North Americans have historically favoured the acidic, yellow-fleshed kinds.
Etymology[edit]
The scientific name persica, along with the word "peach" itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia. The Ancient Romans referred to the peach as malum persicum "Persian apple", later becoming French pêche, hence the English "peach".[5]
Planting[edit]
Most peach trees sold by nurseries are cultivars budded or grafted onto a suitable rootstock. This is done to improve predictability of the fruit quality.
Peach trees need full sun, and a layout that allows good natural air flow to assist the thermal environment for the tree. Peaches are planted in early winter. During the growth season, peach trees need a regular and reliable supply of water, with higher amounts just before harvest.[24]
Peaches need nitrogen rich fertilizers more than other fruit trees. Without regular fertilizer supply, peach tree leaves start turning yellow or exhibit stunted growth. Blood meal, bone meal, and calcium ammonium nitrate are suitable fertilizers.
The number of flowers on a peach tree are typically thinned out, because if the full number of peaches mature on a branch, they are under-sized and lacking in flavor. Fruits are thinned midway in the season by commercial growers. Fresh peaches are easily bruised, and do not store well. They are most flavorful when they ripen on the tree and eaten the day of harvest.[24]
The peach tree can be grown in an espalier shape. The Baldassari palmette is a palmette design created around 1950 used primarily for training peaches. In walled gardens constructed from stone or brick, which absorb and retain solar heat and then slowly release it, raising the temperature against the wall, peaches can be grown as espaliers against south-facing walls as far north as southeast Great Britain and southern Ireland.
File:Van Gogh - Blühender Pfirsichbaum.jpeg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Purple Leaf Plum:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_plum
Cherry plum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prunus cerasifera is a species of plum known by the common names cherry plum andmyrobalan plum.[2] It is native to Europe[3] and Asia.[2]
Wild types are large shrubs or small trees reaching 6-15 m tall, with deciduous leaves 4-6 cm long. It is one of the first European trees to flower in spring, often starting in mid-February. The flowers are white and about 2 cm across, with five petals. The fruit is adrupe, 2-3 cm in diameter, and yellow or red in colour. It is edible, and reaches maturity from early July to mid-September.
This species can be found growing wild where it has escaped cultivation and becomenaturalized, such as in North America.[4][5]
Cultivated cherry plums can have fruits, foliage, and flowers in any of several colors. Some varieties have sweet fruits that can be eaten fresh, while others are sour and better for making jam.
The cherry plum is a popular ornamental tree for garden and landscaping use, grown for its very early flowering. Numerous cultivars have been developed, many of them selected for purple foliage, such as 'Atropurpurea'.[6][7] These purple-foliage forms (often called purple-leaf plum), also have dark purple fruit, which make an attractive, intensely coloured jam. They can have white or pink flowers. The cultivar 'Thundercloud' has bright red foliage which darkens purple.[8] Others, such as 'Lindsayae', have green foliage. Some kinds of purple-leaf plums are used for bonsai[7] and other forms of living sculpture.
The variety 'Nigra' with black foliage and pink flowers, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9]
The cherry plum has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies,[10] a kind of alternative medicine promoted for its effect on health. However according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".[11]
| Cherry plum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Subgenus: | Prunus |
| Section: | Prunus |
| Species: | P. cerasifera |
File:Cherry plums.jpg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
...this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek. See You next time!
O+O
My rainbow crab is one of my favorite fish ive ever owned its fun to watch because he likes to chase his own reflectoin and he got along with all my fish fine.
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