Queen Anne Cherry Trees

Terminology

• The botanical term for the Queen Anne cherry tree is Prunus avium, It is commonly referred to as a type of sweet cherry and, occasionally, as a wild cherry. "Sweet cherry" distinguishes it from "sour" and "ornamental" cherry tree types. Within the sweet cherry type, the Queen Anne is also known as the Napoleon and Royal Anne. Other sweet cherries are the Bing, Ranier and Lambert, all of which have slightly different characteristics than the Queen Anne.

Tree and Flowers

• The Queen Anne cherry tree and can reach 25 to 50 feet tall. Its bark is smooth and ranges from gray to brown. Though not considered a member of the ornamental cherry tree type, the Queen Anne does flower. In early spring, before the summer bearing of its fruit, the Queen Anne blooms showy, white flowers that are generally 1 inch across and appear in clusters of three to five.

Fruit

• Despite the bright red color of maraschino cherries for which Queen Annes are commonly used, its fruit is overall light in color and matures by midsummer. A pink blush transitioning to red along the skin is characteristic as it ripens. The cherries are large, firm, sweet and juicy. Sweet cherries are popular right off the tree, though they appear much different in their natural state than they do once processed for maraschino cherries, brining or canning.

Benefits

• In addition to the attractiveness of a Queen Anne cherry tree during its flowering and fruit-bearing seasons, there can also be health benefits. Sweet cherries contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids and anthocyanins, which some believe (though it is not proved) can aid in the prevention and treatment of medical conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and muscular-skeletal inflammation.