A cherry tree in full flower is a vision of loveliness; its fleeting beauty a symbol of grace and renewal
AS THE GENTLE breezes of spring buffet the burgeoning blossom on a Japanese cherry tree, the canopy stirs, and countless clusters of flowers release showers of pink or white petals, to float confetti-like through dappled pools of light, carpeting the ground below. It may be a short-lived spectacle, but it never fails to enchant and lift the spirits. And even once blossoming is over, ornamental cherries add dignity and a reassuring sense of permanence throughout the year, whether scantily clad in emerging leaves, dressed in fine autumn foliage, or disrobed, with the naked boughs sprinkled with frost.
Ornamental cherry trees are members of the prunus family: an enormous genus that comprises more than 200 different evergreen or deciduous species.
Intriguingly varied in character, some prunus cultivars are grown for their edible fruits, such as plums, apricots, cherries and peaches, while others are primarily decorative, grown for their breathtaking blossom, and make splendid specimen trees.
Batsford Arboretum in Gloucestershire is home to a National Collection of the Sato Zakura Group of deciduous flowering cherries, which start flowering from late March with prunus ‘Matsumae-hanakagoto’, soon followed by Prunus × yedoensis ‘Shidare-Yoshino’. It is a sight that never fails to captivate Matthew Hall, who has been the arboretum’s head gardener since 2001. “The cherry flowering season brings a calmness, and when viewing a tree in full flower, it has this ability to own and capture that moment in a way that stays with you. It’s very special,” he explains.
Blossoming spans a period of approximately eight weeks and, by growing different varieties to flower one after another, it is possible to enjoy near continuous blossom from March until late May, when prunus ‘Shirofugen’ is weighted down by clusters of double, blushing pink flowers that can last into June.
“However, flowering times do vary according to the weather and environmental factors,” adds Matthew.
Forms and flowers
Lofty or diminutive; rounded; columnar; vase-shaped, or simply weeping, Japanese cherries vary greatly in form, including the small, arching prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’, wreathed in rich pink flowers; the narrow, upright ‘Mikuruma-gaeshi’; the compact, pink-budded ‘Matsumae-hana-guruma’ or majestic, spreading ‘Tai-haku’ – commonly known as the great white cherry – with its dazzlingly white blossom.
Although, at first sight, the colour palette
