Prunus serrulata
Prunus serrulata is otherwise known as the Japanese Flowering Cherry and is native to Japan, Korea, China and Russia. The name also refers to a cultivar produced from Prunus speciosa the ‘Oshima Cherry’ which is endemic to Japan. The Japanese have, for centuries, developed many cultivars by selective breeding produced by complicated crossing of several wild species, which are now used as ornamentals all over the world.
The original species is a small deciduous tree reaching, at most, 12 meters.Making it ideal for gardens and parks. Grown for blossom not fruit, the fruit are mostly very small, and do not mature fully, although they are still used by some birds as food.
Funky Facts File: The very many cultivars have been produced in Japan since around 1600 CE during the ‘Edo period’. If you are keen to know more there is a lot of information HERE.
