The ground under a neighbour’s cherry tree is speckled with the white blossoms that cloud the branches above. But they have not fallen through a final and voluntary surrender to gravity. It is the doing of tiny dryads hiding among the fragrant cumulusses: House Finches and Pine Siskins. They pluck the blossoms from the branch, then chomp on the ovaries and let the unfavoured petals and bracts float down to the ground. Curious about this culinary habit, I tried said delicacy, and found it to taste quite sweet and almond-like, while the rest of the flower is slightly more bitter, and probably less nutritious.
