100 Species #46: Japanese cherry

[urbpan]

This darling little weeping Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata or P. subhirsuta) is the main feature of our front yard, at least in May.

"Cherry" is a tough concept to nail down, botanically. Everyone agrees that plant in the genus Prunus that produce small edible fruits with a single large seed are cherries. Likewise many plants in the genus Prunus that produce copious pink or white flowers in spring are agreed to be cherries. Other plants in that genus that produce smaller less tasty fruit or less impressive flowers may also be called cherries. Botanists have divided Prunus into several Subgenera to help sort it out, and plants called "cherries" still make up several dozen species in at least two Subgenera.

Most cherry trees grown for the beauty of their blossoms appear to be different varieties of the Japanese cherries P. serrulata or P. subhirsuta. The "weeping" is a trick of cultivation to encourage the genetic traits to make smaller branches soft and droopy, and to endear us with their unusual shapes.