Cherries Proclaim that it's Spring

Cherries in bloom are a sure sign that spring has arrived. When the cherry trees along Cherry Road leading into the Memphis Botanic Garden are in full bloom, it looks like there has been a heavy late-season snow. Cherry Road is one of the most beautiful vistas in Memphis, a city of trees. People are attracted to the cherries for their color, pattern, and fragrance. The same attractions call to our bees which pollinate the garden. The Memphis Botanic Garden is the home of one of the bee yards of Peace Bee Farm. Our honey bees provide pollination for the flowering plants and serve to illustrate to the public the importance of bees to the plants and the environment.

The cherry is a member of the rose family, an important family of bee plants. Most of the roses provide both pollen and nectar to the bees. Some of the other roses are the plum, pear, apple, almond, blackberry, and the hawthorns.
--Richard