Blossom

Inbotany,blossomsare theflowersofstone fruit trees(genusPrunus) and of some otherplantswith a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time inspring.

Colloquially,flowers of orangeare referred to as such as well.Peach blossoms(including nectarine), mostcherry blossoms,and somealmond blossomsare usually pink.Plum blossoms,apple blossoms,orange blossoms,some cherry blossoms, and most almond blossoms are white.^[1]

Blossoms providepollentopollinatorssuch as bees, and initiate cross-pollinationnecessary for the trees to reproduce by producing fruit.^[2]

Herbal use

Orange blossom

The ancientPhoeniciansused almond blossoms withhoneyandurineas atonic,and sprinkled them into stews and gruels to give muscular strength. Crushed petals were also used as apoulticeon skin spots and mixed with banana oil, for dry skin andsunburn.^[3]

In herbalism thecrab applewas used as treatment forboils,abscesses,splinters,wounds, coughs, colds and a host of other ailments ranging from acne to kidney ailments. Many dishes made with apples and apple blossom are ofmedievalorigin. In the spring, monks and physicians would gather the blossoms and preserve them in vinegar for drawing poultices and forbee stingsand other insect bites.^[4]

Plum blossom

Descending fromChina and south east Asia,the earliest orange species moved westwards via the trade routes.^[5]

In17th century Italypeach blossoms were made into a poultice forbruises,rashes,eczema, grazes andstings.^[6]

Inancient Greek medicineplum blossoms were used to treatbleeding gums,mouth ulcersand tightenloose teeth.Plum blossoms mixed withsageleaves and flowers were used in plum wine or plum brandy as amouthwashto soothe sore throats and mouth ailments and sweeten bad breath.^[7]

Blossom festivals

Hanami(Hoa kiến,"flower viewing" )is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; in this case almost always refer to those of thecherry(Anh,sakura)or, less frequently,plum(Mai,ume)trees.^[8]

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland theNational Trustorganises the environmental awareness campaign#BlossomWatch,which is designed to raise awareness of the first signs ofSpring,by encouraging people to share images of blossoms viasocial media.^[9]