Star Cherry Tree (Pitanga): A Vibrant and Exotic Addition to Your Garden
The Star Cherry Tree, also known as Pitangatuba, is a striking and exotic choice for gardeners looking to enhance their landscape with something unique. This small but colorful tree produces bright-red cherries with distinctive lobes, making it a captivating focal point. Beyond its beauty, the Pitangatuba cherry offers a delightful sweet-and-sour taste, similar to passion fruit or apricot.
One of the standout features of the Star Cherry Tree is its versatility. With a mature height and width of only 3-6 feet, it is perfect for small spaces and can even be grown in containers. The tree’s attractive dark green foliage is accented by ripening cherries that transition from green to yellow and then a vibrant red. In addition, its white blossoms add to its aesthetic appeal, drawing attention from anyone passing by.
The Star Cherry Tree is adaptable to various soil types and can withstand both drought and freezing temperatures, making it a hardy option for many environments. This flexibility, combined with its compact size, means it can fit into almost any garden or landscape design.
For those eager to enjoy its fruit, purchasing a grafted Star Cherry Tree from BrighterBlooms.com offers a quicker path to harvesting cherries. Grafted trees produce fruit more quickly and reliably than those grown from seeds, saving you years of waiting.
Planting and Care Guide
Planting:
Choose a location with six to eight hours of sunlight daily. When planting in the ground, ensure the tree has at least four feet of space from other plants. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the root ball, place the tree straight in the hole, and backfill while tamping down the soil to remove air pockets. If planting in a container, select one that is 18-24 inches wide and at least 20 inches deep.
Watering:
Water your tree weekly, ensuring the top two inches of soil remain moist but not waterlogged.
Fertilizing:
Once a year, use a water-soluble fertilizer to encourage fruit production.
Pruning:
Prune only to maintain the treeโs shape or to remove damaged branches.
Pollination:
The Pitangatuba cherry tree is self-pollinating, meaning one tree is sufficient to produce fruit. However, planting a second tree will result in an even higher cherry yield.
With its vibrant appearance, delicious fruit, and easy-care nature, the Star Cherry Tree (Pitanga) is a delightful addition to any garden. Whether in the ground or a pot, this tree will bring color, flavor, and charm to your outdoor space year after year.
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