How do you recognise Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata)?

Leaf

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Japanese cherry

Prunus serrulata Lindl.

Also known as: Japanese flowering cherry, Oriental cherry

Family: Rosaceae

4 to 8 m tall

Planted as a specimen or in avenues in gardens and parks

Flowering: April, before or with the leaves

Full sun

Hardy to about -20°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

In Japan, the flowering of the ornamental cherry (sakura) gives rise every spring to hanami, a popular tradition of admiring the blossom beneath the flowering trees. The wild cherry (Prunus avium) typically has single white flowers and black fruits when ripe. Japanese cherries comprise many cultivars, some single-flowered, others double: the flower alone is therefore not always enough for identification.

🍃 Leaves

Ovate, finely toothed, bronze when unfolding then bright green, fine autumn colour

🌸 Flowers

White to pink flowers, single to very double depending on the cultivar, generally in clusters. Double-flowered cultivars are often sterile or produce few fruits.

🍎 Fruits

Small dark drupe, rarely abundant on ornamental cultivars; fruiting varies greatly with the cultivar.

🪵 Bark

Reddish brown, smooth, marked with horizontal lenticels

🗺️ Distribution

Native to Japan; widely planted in France as an ornamental tree

🐝 Value for pollinators

Very abundant, early flowering, appreciated by bees although many double-flowered cultivars are sterile

✂️ Horticultural uses

Ornamental tree planted for its spectacular spring blossom, emblematic of Japanese hanami

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No notable toxicity known for the floral parts; like other Prunus, the stone of the rare fruits contains amygdalin

🌱 Known cultivars

Kanzan (Kwanzan)

The most widely planted flowering cherry in the world: large, double, bright pink flowers in April–May, vase-shaped habit with branches ascending then spreading.

Amanogawa

Very narrow columnar habit, unique among flowering cherries, ideal for small gardens or avenue planting; semi-double pale pink flowers.

Shirotae

Large semi-double pure white flowers, very fragrant, borne on broad, spreading, parasol-shaped branches; one of the most widely grown white cherries.

⚠️ Look-alike species

Japanese cherry

Prunus serrulata

Wild cherry

Prunus avium

The wild cherry (Prunus avium) typically has single white flowers and black fruits when ripe. Japanese cherries comprise many cultivars, some single-flowered, others double: the flower alone is therefore not always enough for identification.

Japanese cherry

Prunus serrulata

Higan cherry

Prunus subhirtella

The Higan cherry flowers from November and intermittently throughout the winter, well before other cherries, whereas the Japanese cherry flowers in spring with often very double, spectacular flowers.

🌿 Other Rosaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.