Flowering
Cherries for Cool Australian Climates
Neil Mitchell
| Weeping
Cherries | Spreading Cherries |
Upright Cherries |
| Species Cherries
| Miscellaneous | Synonyms
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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