A Real Washington Cherry Tree?

Everyone has heard the story of our first President (George Washington) cutting down the cherry tree! Now, over two centuries later, we may be able to watch a new cherry tree grow thanks to Mr. (or Mrs.) Washington! How? Well, let’s “dig” into that right now…

Earlier this month, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, archaeologists recently made a pretty fascinating discovery. They unearthed more than two dozen glass bottles from the 18th century in the mansion’s cellar.

Perfectly preserved cherries and berries were found in these bottles, some of which still contained whole pieces of fruit. The quality of preservation is remarkable, considering they date back over 250 years!

These cherries were likely bottled for consumption, rather than mixed with brandy as in Martha Washington’s famous “cherry bounce” cocktail recipe. The preservation process was overseen by enslaved individuals who worked on the plantation.

The researchers are even testing cherry pits to see if any can be planted to grow trees. How cool would it be if one of these pits actually led to a full grown cherry tree?!

Truly an amazing find!