Fun Fact #378 Sand Cherries
Fun Fact #378
Sand Cherries
From Maine to Oregan, and Colorado to Sascatchewan an odd cousin of the Rose can be found which produces clusters of black cherries. This is the Sand Cherry, and it plays a pivotal role in ecosystems by growing in sandy soil and dunes helping to stabilize them. The plant then acts as an anchor around which topsoil can develop allowing a prairie ecosystem to form. Much of Michigan has topsoil formed in this way and it's the one of the only plants purposefully used to “Terraform” sandy regions today. They ripen in early August and are the largest of the North American Cherries.
They were also made famous by Lewis and Clark with the pair loving to place them in whiskey, letting it infuse for a month and then enjoying. The drink is still commonly enjoyed due to its simplicity though syrup is sometimes added to sweeten the drink. It should be noted that their expedition more commonly ate the cherries in a dried cake, or as a sauce Wozapi.
Yet in recent years the species has been decimated by a disease known as Fireblight which clogs plant vascular systems preventing the movement of water and sap resulting in a husk which catches fire extremely easily.
