Space Exposure Accelerates Growth of Cherry Tree Seed
- 10 years ago
A cherry tree that sprouted from a space-traveling pit has begun to exhibit some very unique behaviors.
A cherry tree that sprouted from a space-traveling pit has begun to exhibit some very unique behaviors. (1,1,1)
Years ago, Japan sent several cherry tree seeds to the International Space Station for both scientific and symbolic purposes.
That was in 2008, and the seeds have since returned to Earth and in some cases been planted.
Typically, it takes a cherry tree about 10 years to grow to the point where it will blossom.
The space cherry, remarkably, did it in just 4.
Also notable is that the seed hailed from a 12 hundred and 50 year old specimen that has until now, not produced any trees from its fruit.
The fact that it grew so quickly, let alone at all, isn’t the only strange thing about the tree.
Each of the 10 flowers it produced this year had only 5 petals. Its parent tree produces blooms of 30 each.
In the cases of both the early development and the irregular blossoms, the botanists in charge are dumfounded.
One does say there’s a chance that the new plant will someday grow to more closely resemble its parent.
A cherry tree that sprouted from a space-traveling pit has begun to exhibit some very unique behaviors. (1,1,1)
Years ago, Japan sent several cherry tree seeds to the International Space Station for both scientific and symbolic purposes.
That was in 2008, and the seeds have since returned to Earth and in some cases been planted.
Typically, it takes a cherry tree about 10 years to grow to the point where it will blossom.
The space cherry, remarkably, did it in just 4.
Also notable is that the seed hailed from a 12 hundred and 50 year old specimen that has until now, not produced any trees from its fruit.
The fact that it grew so quickly, let alone at all, isn’t the only strange thing about the tree.
Each of the 10 flowers it produced this year had only 5 petals. Its parent tree produces blooms of 30 each.
In the cases of both the early development and the irregular blossoms, the botanists in charge are dumfounded.
One does say there’s a chance that the new plant will someday grow to more closely resemble its parent.