Himalayan wild cherry blossoms are blooming in the lower Himal these days. Locally the tree is called Padam or Padmakh. Its tiny petals fall like flurries taking their own sweet time to land and create a circular pink carpet on the sidewalk. In Uttarakhand and Himachal, a concoction made from its seeds is used in treating kidney stones and paste made from its bark is supposedly helpful in treatment of skin ailments. Mukteshwar, November 2022