Cherry tree

A cherry tree will take three to four years once it's planted in the orchard to produce its first crop of fruit, and seven years to attain full maturity.

Cherries have a short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. Cherries blossom in April (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the peak season for the cherry harvest is in the summer. 

In southern Europe in June, in North America in June, in England in mid-July, and in southern British Columbia (Canada) in June to mid-August. In many parts of North America, they are among the first tree fruits to flower and ripen in mid-Spring.

In the Southern Hemisphere, cherries are usually at their peak in late December and are widely associated with Christmas. 

Jerte Valley  (Extremadura)

It is impossible to know the exact date, but every year, in March, the Jerte Valley welcomes spring in white. Thousands of cherry trees in bloom in the good weather, covering their bare, skeletal branches with small, soft white flowers, the millions of which are a sight to behold.

Its beauty, colour and sheer spectacle, among a host of other characteristics, have seen the Cherry Blossom Festival become a Festivity of National Tourist Interest. Numerous activities revolve around the fiesta, which is held in a different place every year to complement the attraction of the flowers in bloom. To make it easier for you, the people from Jerte have divided their spring fiesta into three special moments:

Valley awakening: this is an ideal time for hiking, climbing, canyoning or, why not, paragliding over the valley. You can watch the waters run from the still, snow-covered mountain summits and make their way downstream into the gorge. And of course, it's the perfect time for bird watching, as the migratory flocks return home.

Cherry in bloom: this is the Festivity of National Tourist Interest proper. While leaving us a white-covered valley to admire, recreations and representations of the life and customs of the district are organised, as well as offering hiking and biking routes, among other outdoor activities.