Japanese Cherry

Prunus serrulata

Rose family (Rosaceae)

Origin: China, Japan

Description: Tree up to 10m. Bark brown with horizontal bands of pores (lenticels). Leaves hairless or downy beneath (depending on the variety), ovate to oblong,with a long tapering apex and coarsely toothed margins, the teeth each gradually narrowed and ending in a bristle tip. Flowers in clusters of 2 to 6, often double, pink or white. Fruits ovoid, shiny black when ripe but often not produced.

Comments: Japanese Cherry has been cultivated in Japan for centuries and now represents a group of wild forms, complex ancient hybrids and cultivars. In Japan, these are collectively known as Sato Zakura or domestic cherries and are very variable. Spreading forms are the most common in the UK but fastigiate (narrowly columnar) varieties are popular as their shape is well suited to street planting. Flowers are produced in great quantities and may be single, semi-double or double, white or pink and range from 2.5-8cm across.

Japanese Cherries are often grafted onto a stock of another species (often Wild Cherry) – look for a bulge or abrupt narrowing in the trunk which marks the point where the graft and stock join. Sometimes the stock species breaks out, producing branches among those of the graft in the crown.

Similar trees:

• Cherry-plum
• Spring cherry
• Wild Cherry.