In Japan, sakura means ornamental flowering cherries — trees grown not for fruit but for their spring blossom. Every year the country follows the bloom as it moves from south to north, and people head to the parks for hanami, the custom of flower viewing. Here is when cherry blossom opens, where the tradition comes from and whether you can grow such a tree in your own garden. More flowers with photos, names and meanings are in our types of flowers guide.
Spring mood at home: peony-style roses and potted plants.
The word sakura covers several species and many hybrids of the genus Prunus, above all the Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata) and its cultivars. The most widespread cultivar in Japan is Somei-yoshino (Prunus × yedoensis), with pale pink, almost white flowers. There are also double-flowered cultivars such as Kanzan with bright pink, frilly blooms. Most ornamental cherries do not produce tasty fruit.
Japan stretches a long way from south to north, so the bloom travels like a wave: in Okinawa the trees open as early as January, in Tokyo and Kyoto usually in late March to early April, and in Hokkaido in late April and May. Japanese weather services publish bloom forecasts every year. A single tree is at its peak for about a week before the petals fall.
The custom of admiring blossom came to Japan from China. At first it celebrated the ume plum, and during the Heian period (9th–12th centuries) the cherry became the main spring flower. Today hanami means picnics under blooming trees with family, friends or colleagues, evening walks along lit-up avenues and photos among the petals. For many Japanese people, the short-lived blossom is an image of beauty and of how fleeting life is. More customs from around the world are in “Flower traditions of the world”.
Ornamental cherries grow well in Ukraine too. The best-known avenues are in Uzhhorod, where they usually bloom in April, and in Kyoto Park in Kyiv. They are also planted in botanical gardens and private gardens.To see it in person, try our guide to botanical gardens of Ukraine.
Ornamental cherries pair well with other spring-flowering shrubs; see “Ornamental shrubs for the garden”.
Branches with swelling buds can be cut in late winter and brought into a warm room: they open in 2–3 weeks. Split the ends of the stems, stand them in clean water and change it every 2–3 days.
A single tree blooms for about a week; across Japan the season runs from January to May.
Most ornamental cultivars bear no fruit or only small bitter ones. For a harvest, plant ordinary sour or sweet cherries.
Most cultivars sold by local nurseries overwinter outdoors; young trees benefit from some protection in their first years.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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