A cherry tree sprouted blossoms six years earlier than normal, after spending eight months in space aboard the International Space Station. It is also now the only known descendant of a cherry tree that is legendary in Japan.
Cherry trees typically take 10 years to come into bloom, but this plant began to blossom after just four years. During that time, the plant grew to a height of 13 feet, and by April 4, 10 buds had appeared on the tree.
A total of 265 pits were taken from the well-known Chujohimeseigan-zakura cherry tree in the Ganjoji temple. The tree first sprouted in the mid-seventh century, soon after Islam became the dominant religion in the Arabian Peninsula.
"There is a theoretical possibility that the cosmic environment has had a certain impact on agents in the seeds that control budding and the growth process, but we have absolutely no answer as to why the trees have come into bloom so fast," Kaori Tomita, from the University of Tsukuba, said.
Strangely, the quick-blooming cherry tree also produced flowers with just five petals each, as opposed to the usual 30. Researchers believe the trees may revert to the standard compliment of 30 leaves as the tree matures.
Koichi Wakata, a Japanese astronaut, took the seeds into space, where he performed experiments on the cherry pits. The seeds then returned to Earth with the space traveler in July 2009.
Manned Space Systems Corp. managed the experiment, designed as a uniquely Japanese experiment for the International Space Station.
Botanists have tried several times before to grow trees from the Chujohimeseigan-zakura, but these are the first seeds from the tree to sprout. Takao Yoshimura sprouted one of the pits by planting the seed in layers of soil and sphagnum moss.
"We are amazed to see how fast it has grown. A stone from the original tree had never sprouted before. We are very happy because it will succeed the old tree, which is said to be 1,250 years old," Masahiro Kajita, chief priest at the Ganjoji Temple, told the press.
The ancient tree is a variant of the yamazakura species, which can be found in the wild in Japan.
Research into the causes of this rapid growth could lead to advances in space-based agriculture. Farming will become essential for the future colonization of space.
Yoshimura said several of the cherry stones that were sent aboard the station have also started to bloom, each much earlier than would be expected under normal conditions.
