Prunus serrulata - Japanese Flowering Cherry or Oriental Cherry (Rosaceae) ------Prunus serrulata is a popular flower tree because of Trunk -bark is thin, smooth, reddish to bronze, glossy with its dramatic display of flowers in the spring. very prominent horizontal lenticels Japanese Flowering Cherry is a relatively short-lived plant in the landscape because of numerous pest and disease problems. The cultivar 'Kwanzan' (or USAGE Function 'Kanzan') is the most popular and cold hardy of many cultivars that can be grown in Western countries. -specimen, massing, foundation, border, or entranceway ornamental tree Texture FEATURES -medium texture in foliage and when bare Form -open density in foliage and when bare -vase-shaped to rounded outline Assets -deciduous tree -dramatic floral display -the species is a large tree -variable form (depending on cultivar) growing 50-75' tall; but mainly -soil adaptable grown from numerous cultivars Liabilities which grow 20-25' -several potential diseases and pests, as is typical of -the form of the cultivars varies most Rose Family members -aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, and pear slugs -relatively short-lived because of the large number of Culture pests that will attack the tree -full sun to partial sun -many cultivars are not cold hardy in zone 5 -prefers damp, well-drained, fertile soils but will ('Kwanzan' is the most cold hardy) tolerate others; especially of variable pH. Habitat -does not tolerate poor drainage. -Zones 5 (6) to 8 -the cultivar 'Kwanzan' is cold hardy and tolerates -Native to Japan heat and humidity. Foliage SELECTIONS -alternate, simple, Alternates elliptical shape (2-5" long -early- to mid-Spring-flowering ornamental trees x 1-2.5" wide), serrated (Amelanchier, Cornus florida, Malus, Prunus margins, shiny, reddish subhirtella, Pyrus calleryana, etc.) brown or bronze when -weeping or cascading flowering trees or large shrubs unfolding, lustrous dark Cultivars – Variants – Related species green above and pale -many cultivars are available green below in summer -autumn color is often a -P. serrulata 'Kwanzan' ('Kanzan' or 'Sekiyama') - good bronze to subdued red perhaps the most com- -petioles have obvious glands monly grown cultivar. Flowers Deciduous tree to 15-25' in -for the species, the height; upright, branches flowers are greatly stiffly ascending, spread- variable but range ing. Leaves large, short from single to tooth serrations, new leaves bronzy, may turn orange- doubles, white to bronze in autumn. Flowers deep pink, double (23-28 pinks, and from 0.5- petals), 2-3" diam., 5 per pendulous clusters, blooms 2.5" in diameter; they abundantly. usually flower in Apr. to early May and Note: Kanzan is a old Japanese poetic word meaning -borne profusely "boardering mountain". The word conjured an image along the stems, usually before or with the leaves of a "native land or village of one's birth that lay in a Fruit valley." It is unclear why this word was applied to a -rare to none cherry. 'Kanzan' is also called 'Sekiyama' or 'Sekizan' Twigs and 'Kwanzan' believed by some to be an obsolete -thin, reddish brown and lenticelled spelling of 'Kanzan'.