Hualien Cherries

Hualien Cherries

　　Cherries belong to the Rosaceae family and are deciduous fruit trees. When ripe, cherries are bright red, delicate, translucent, delicious, and visually appealing, rich in nutrients and of high medicinal and health value, also known as "han tao." The types of cherries cultivated as fruit trees in China include Chinese cherry, sweet cherry, sour cherry, and downy cherry. Cherries ripen early and are honored as the first fruit of early spring. China’s cherry production amounts to 35 million kg, which averages only 29g per person—equivalent to about three large cherries or 15–17 Chinese cherries per person. This indicates a broad market potential for cherries. The main sweet cherry varieties cultivated in China are of European and American origin and perform well in northern regions. However, since European sweet cherries generally require 900–1400 hours of temperatures below 7.2°C to complete their winter dormancy, this limits their large-scale cultivation in southern China. As a result, Chinese cherry remains the dominant variety in southern provinces. At the same time, there are very few high-quality cultivars of Chinese cherry, and commonly grown varieties tend to have drawbacks such as small fruit size, sour taste, pre-harvest fruit cracking, and fruit drop. The successful breeding of an outstanding Chinese cherry variety—Black Pearl—has effectively addressed these issues.