HSOC - Flowering Cherries

Flowering Cherries for Cool Australian Climates
Neil Mitchell

In recent years I have enjoyed the rare privilege of establishing a new garden over a generous amount of space.
I wanted to establish a three level woodland border – a key component of the middle level is spring flowering trees. After a springtime visit to Japan about four years previously, Japanese flowering cherries seemed a worthwhile choice because their soft pink to white colours would harmonise with almost everything and there is the added bonus of excellent autumn colour, a variety of bark in the winter and no fruit to dispose of.

Having read through the RHS Encyclopaedia and Hillier’s Manual, I had visions of a representative collection of cherries. There are dozens of Japanese clones and many more that have been raised in the West. At present, however, flowering cherries are available in only a limited selection and are outnumbered several fold by varieties of crab apples. For example, Fleming’s Deciduous Tree Guide (catalogue) of 2003 listed 11 cherries and 17 crab apples and this is by far a more complete representation of the available cherries than crab apples.

Another thing that I learnt was that it is possible to buy the same variety repeatedly, for there is an indiscriminate use of synonyms (duplicated names) by plant propagators. This is a deplorable state of affairs and I shall try to clear up some of this mess in this article. I have used the most authoritative source1 for names2 and these are used below.

1. Garden Forms of Cherries

1.1 Weeping Cherries

These are derived from Prunus pendula, a Japanese species that is present in the wild in both upright and weeping forms. They are invariably and incorrectly labelled as forms of Prunus subhirtella. These trees are better able to stand hot winds than the other garden forms and the large number of flower buds means that the spring floral display is effective for several weeks. These trees are offered as weeping standards, so sparing the gardener some effort in training them. They are early bloomers, in September here.

‘Pendula Rosea’ is commonly encountered. Single, rose pink flowers. With careful pruning it will, from a broad tree. Modest fruit set. It may be a hybrid.

‘Pendula White’ is also commonly seen. Single, white flowers. Sets fruit but there seems to be little problem with weediness in consequence of this.

‘Falling Snow’ is similar to the above.

‘Snofozam’ (Snow FountainsTM) is also a single, white form or hybrid of Prunus pendula (parentage does not appear to have been disclosed). It is distinguished by its extreme tendency to be pendulous. Its leaf burst is perhaps a little faster than the above two cultivars. Generous fruit set.

| Top |

1.2 Spreading Cherries

This category includes those cherries that are of Japanese origin and that are best grown on standards as the branches will often prefer to grow horizontally, leading to a broad tree with a low crown.

‘Shirotae’ has fragrant, white double flowers that are held below the braches, clear of the emerging leaves.

‘Shogetsu’ has fragrant blush pink very double pendulous flowers. A late bloomer. It is offered here as ‘Shimidsu’.

‘Cheal’s Weeping’ has rose madder tightly double flowers. It is a late bloomer.

1.3 Upright Cherries

1.3.1 Japanese garden forms

‘Amanogawa’ is the one cherry you can easily grow in a small space for it is a narrowly upright grower, making it ideal for courtyards and driveways. It has fragrant (almond scented) semi-double blush pink flowers. Its growth habit alone makes it instantly recognisable. Even the flower clusters and any fruit are held upright.

‘Fugenzo’ is commonly seen and offered but never under its true name! It is a late bloomer with very double, rather flat deep rose pink flowers that are often paler in their centres, darkening as the flower ages. It has no scent. The flowers have a pair of leafy pistils in the centre that make the identification certain.

‘Kanzan’ is the most commonly seen and most commonly offered but usually not under its true name. This is a late bloomer with large, ruffled, double deep rose pink flowers. This tree will grow large, is very floriferous and is probably the most widely grown cultivar in this country and worldwide.

‘Pink Perfection’ was raised in the UK from two Japanese cultivars (‘Shogetsu’ and ‘Kanzan’). This has the growth habit of ‘Kanzan’ with softer pink flowers that are held below the emerging leaves.

‘Tai Haku’ has very large single white flowers from blush pink buds on a robust tree. For those interested in raising flowering cherries, it is a fertile tetraploid.

‘Ukon’ has a vigorous growth habit with some tendency to spread. The chief feature is its cream to greenish flowers that become pink with age. The effect is more attractive than this terse description would suggest. It opens rather late, with ‘Kanzan’. Excellent autumn colour.

In a class of its own is ‘Jugatsu-zakura’, an upright form of Prunus X subhirtella (P. pendula X P. incisa) that produces white to palest pink single blooms on and off from autumn through to spring. It is never offered under its correct name – see table.

| Top |

1.3.2 Species Cherries and their Hybrids

This group does not include traditional garden forms but they have horticultural merit.

Prunus X yedoensis is a relatively recent chance hybrid from Japan that is broadly upright tree with innumerable pale pink flowers. It is thought to be a hybrid of Prunus serrulata var. speciosa and Prunus pendula. Very widely grown in Japan, a number of clones are available internationally but it seems that the original clone, ‘Somei-yohsino’ is offered here. It sets fruit readily. Highly recommended.

‘Okame’ a UK hybrid of Prunus incisa and Prunus campanulata. Early blooming, it offers small pink flowers on a small tree. Grown on its own roots, it can become tall. best grown from cuttings.

Prunus campanulata is offered as one clone. This cherry is from Taiwan and the clone offered here is deep rose red to purplish pink. It is the darkest of flowering cherries, so consider carefully its placement. The pendulous double flowers are bell shaped (campanulate). Heat tolerant.

Prunus sargentii is a wild Japanese cherry that comes from high mountainous areas. It is a robust grower with soft pink single blooms and it may be considered to be related to the ancestral species of the garden forms. Heat tolerance appears to be slight. It is very highly thought of in Europe and in North America.

Three upright Australian garden forms of flowering cherry follow. All are listed by Pyke’s Nursery and I have no information about them other than my own observations and what is on the tags. All appear to be hybrids involving Prunus pendula.

‘Dave’s Delight’ is a very vigorous upright cherry with white almost single flowers emerging from pinkish buds. Fertile. It has the look of a Japanese garden form to it, so it is probably a hybrid involving Prunus X yedoensis. The tendency for the centre of each flower to darken with age may reflect some ancestral influence of Prunus incisa.

‘Millenium Sunset’ (often labelled as ‘Millenium’) is another upright grower that blooms early with single deep rose flowers. The donor of these two attributes is Prunus campanulata. I understand that the fruiting cherry, Prunus avium, is another parent. Heat tolerant, early blooming and best grown from cuttings because grafted plants seem to flower later than own root plants.

‘Spring Bouquet’ is similar to ‘Dave’s Delight’ but it has slightly pink flowers and looks closer to Prunus pendula. Its deeply impressed leaves are a distinguishing feature.

| Top |

2.4 Miscellaneous

Prunus serrula var. tibetica is not a Japanese cherry but it is often seen in garden centres here. Grow it if you likely deep brown, peeling bark (if you are the sort of gardener who admires Acer griseum, for example). It has no other merits.

3. Cultivation

As plants from monsoonal climates, cherries will happily coexist with Acer palmatum, rhododendrons and camellias. Planting on the southeast aspect of a building or windbreak will reduce leaf burn in summer. They and their companions need water through our summer. Leaf mulch or compost would be appreciated

In this country, flowering cherries are grafted e.g. onto Mazzard rootstocks. You will need to be vigilant for stem and root suckers – this seems to be a frequent problem in public and amenity plantings.

Cherry slug is a nuisance that will feed on the leaves and borers may affect older trees. The former can be defeated by dusting the leaves or by use of insecticides.

4. Synonyms

I regret that it is necessary to include the following table of synonyms: -

Standard Name1 Variant name3 Synonyms to be discarded4.
Jugatsu-zakura Autumnalis
Kanzan Sekiyama Kwanzan, New Red, Prunus serrulata, Prunus serrulata deep pink, Sekizan
Fugenzo J.H. Veitch, Alborosea, Shiro-fugen
Cheal’s Weeping Kiku-shidare-zakura is a clone that is more upright and is distinct from ‘Cheal’s Weeping’. However, Kiku-shidare-zakura is offered but it is obviously ‘Cheal’s Weeping’.
Prunus pendula e.g. as ‘Rosea’ or ‘White’ Prunus X subhirtella
Shirotae Mt Fuji
Shogetsu Shimidsu (Shimidsu is a different cultivar)

Notes

1. The most scholarly reference that I can find, W. Kuitert, 1999 Japanese Flowering Cherries Timber Press Portland Oregon, ISBN 0-88192-468-7
2. The authors exhaustively searched primary Japanese sources and included full botanical descriptions of each cultivar and even of clones.
3. This arises from reading the same characters to provide an alternative reading.
4. Warning – these are in common use.

Neil Mitchell

| Top |