Strawberries have always had a reputation for being an aphrodisiac. With their red colour and heart shapes, they became a symbol of Venus, the Greek goddess of love. In France, there was even a tradition of serving strawberry soup to newlyweds.

The first garden strawberries were produced 300 years ago in France thanks to king Louis XIV, a well-known admirer of the fruit. Strawberries originated through cross-breeding of the Virginian and Chilean woodland berries.

The peach tree and its fruit were once worshipped in China - the fruit was considered sacred. It was forbidden to cut the tree down, and when the trunk decayed, it was burnt.

The common peach, or Prunus persica, belongs to the Rosaceae family. It comes from China, where its fruit was already being eaten 4000 years ago!

The mango tree is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. People in India use its leaves to decorate the room of a new-born child. And when they visit their friends, they take a basket full of mango as a visible sign of their friendship.

Mango is believed to be the food of the gods. The tree is a symbol of love, wealth, fertility and even immortality.

The apple hasn't always been a snack. Originally, it was used as a medicine, with its high content of health-promoting substances and vitamins. Wild apple trees originated in China and Central Asia, and from that region they travelled to Europe, finding perfect conditions for growth.

Due to their high content of boron, pears stimulate the functioning of the human brain. The mouth-watering sweet pear has been known to people for thousands of years. While Homer  mentioned the fruit in the "Odyssey", Julius Caesar passionately cultivated it in his garden.

In many cultures cherry blossom is a symbol of the fleeting nature of life, life's transience but also beauty.

The Cherry is a member of the Rosaceae  family. Around 60 cherry species are cultivated in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, mainly eastern Asia.