Prunus serrulata, commonly known as the Japanese cherry or Japanese flowering cherry, is a small deciduous tree native to Japan, China, and Korea, with some related populations found in Vietnam. In autumn, its green leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, red, or crimson, while in spring, it produces clusters of white to pink flowers with five petals, which appear alongside the new leaves. These blossoms are among the most celebrated symbols of spring in Japan.
The tree bears small, globose black fruits about 8–10 mm in diameter. Unlike the sweet cherries of Prunus avium, these fruits are bitter and have very little edible flesh, as P. serrulata was bred primarily for its ornamental flowers rather than for fruit production. Because of their astringency, the raw fruits are rarely eaten and are sometimes preserved after removing the seed.
Many cultivated varieties of Prunus serrulata, especially those derived from the Japanese endemic Prunus speciosa (Oshima cherry), are widely grown as ornamental trees. These cultivars are prized worldwide for their spectacular spring blossoms, making P. serrulata one of the most recognizable and culturally significant flowering trees in the temperate regions of the world.
山櫻花，又稱日本櫻或日本觀賞櫻，是一種原產於日本、中國和韓國的小型落葉喬木，越南也有少量分佈。秋季，其綠葉會變成絢麗的黃色、紅色或深紅色；春季，它會在新葉萌發的同時，開出簇簇五瓣的白色至粉紅色花朵。這些花朵是日本春季最著名的象徵之一。
這種樹結出小型球形黑色果實，直徑約 8-10 公分。與歐洲甜櫻桃不同，這種果實味道苦澀，果肉很少，因為山櫻花最初培育的目的是為了觀賞其花朵，而非為了結果。由於其澀味，這種果實很少生吃，有時會在去核後製成蜜餞。
許多栽培品種的日本櫻/山櫻花，特別是那些源自日本特有種大島櫻的品種，被廣泛種植為觀賞樹木。這些栽培品種因其絢麗的春季花朵而享譽全球，使日本櫻成為世界溫帶地區最具辨識度和文化意義的開花樹木之一。
‘Kanzan’
Prunus ‘Kanzan’ (also known as Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan’, Prunus lannesiana ‘Kanzan’, or Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Sekiyama’) is a flowering cherry cultivar that originated in Japan during the Edo period. In winter, it forms red buds that open in spring into large, deep-pink, double flowers about 5 cm (2 in) across. Known for its profuse and striking spring display, ‘Kanzan’ is regarded as one of the most ornamental of all cherry cultivars.
This cultivar is especially popular in Europe and North America, where it thrives even in colder climates. It is compact and easy to grow in gardens, with young bronze-colored leaves that turn green as they mature. The flowers are pink and double-petaled, characteristics thought to have been inherited from the white-flowered Oshima cherry. Unlike many other cherries, ‘Kanzan’ is sterile and does not produce fruit.
In 1912, Japan presented the United States with twelve varieties of flowering cherries, including ‘Kanzan’, as a symbol of friendship. From this gift, the Yoshino cherry was planted around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., and the ‘Kanzan’ cherry was planted in East Potomac Park. Today, ‘Kanzan’ remains one of the most widely planted cherry cultivars worldwide and has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit for its exceptional ornamental value.
「關山櫻」是一種起源於日本江戶時代的觀賞櫻花品種。冬季會結出紅色的花苞，春季綻放出碩大、深粉紅色的重瓣花朵，直徑約 5 公分（2吋）。 關山櫻以其繁盛艷麗的春花而聞名，被認為是觀賞性最強的櫻花品種之一。
這種櫻花品種在歐洲和北美尤其受歡迎，即使在較冷的氣候下也能茁壯生長。它株型小巧，易於在花園中栽培，幼葉呈青銅色，成熟後轉為綠色。花朵為粉紅色重瓣。這些特徵被認為是承自白花大島櫻而來。與其他許多櫻花品種不同，關山櫻不結果。
1912 年，日本贈送了美國十二種櫻花品種，其中包括關山櫻，作為友誼的象徵。其中，吉野櫻被種植在華盛頓特區的潮汐湖畔，而關山櫻則被種植在東波托馬克公園。如今，關山櫻仍然是世界上種植最廣泛的櫻花品種之一，並因其卓越的觀賞價值而榮獲英國皇家園藝學會頒發的「花園優異獎」。
‘Pink Cloud’
Prunus Serrulata ‘Pink Cloud’ does not produce fruit. It is an ornamental tree used in the landscape for its beautiful flowers.
粉雲櫻不結果實。它是一種觀賞樹木，因其美麗的花朵而被用作園林景觀植物。
Notes 筆記
- Prunus serrulata, commonly known as the Japanese cherry or Japanese flowering cherry, is a species of cherry tree native to Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam.
- It is a small deciduous tree. In autumn, the green leaves turn shades of yellow, red, or crimson.
- The flowers appear in spring, at the same time as the new leaves, and are borne in clusters of two to five together on short spurs at the nodes. In the wild type, the flowers are white to pink, with five petals.
- Its fruit, sometimes called sakuranbo in Japanese, differs from that of Prunus avium (the sweet cherry): P. serrulata fruits are smaller, about 8–10 mm in diameter, and more bitter. Because of their astringent taste, the raw fruits are rarely eaten; instead, the seeds are sometimes removed and the flesh preserved. P. serrulata was primarily bred for its ornamental blossoms rather than for fruit production, so the drupes remain small with only a thin layer of flesh around the stone.
- Among Prunus serrulata, many cultivated varieties—especially those derived from the Japanese endemic Prunus speciosa (Oshima cherry)—are widely grown as ornamental flowering trees, both in Japan and throughout the temperate regions of the world.
- 山櫻花，又稱日本櫻花或日本觀賞櫻，是一種原產於日本、中國、韓國和越南的一種櫻花樹。
- 它是一種小型落葉喬木。秋季，綠葉會變成黃色、紅色或深紅色。
- 花朵在春季與新葉同時開放，2 至 5 朵簇生於莖節上的短枝條上。野生品種的花朵呈白色至粉紅色，有 5 片花瓣。
- 它的果實，有時日語稱作櫻桃，與歐洲甜櫻桃（Prunus avium）的果實有所不同：山櫻花的果實較小，直徑約 8-10 公分，味道更苦。由於其澀味，很少人會生吃這種果實；人們通常會去除種子，將果肉保存起來。山櫻花最初是為了觀賞其花朵而非果實而培育的，因此其果實較小，果核周圍只有一層薄薄的果肉。
- 在山櫻花中，許多栽培品種——尤其是源自日本特有種大島櫻（Prunus speciosa）的品種——在日本和世界各地的溫帶地區被廣泛種植為觀賞性開花樹木。
Other Related Posts 其他相關的帖子
- Plant: Prunus 李属/梅属
- Plant: Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) 櫻桃李
- Plant: Chinese plum (Prunus mume) 梅
- Plant: Chinese Plum (Prunus salicina) 中國李
- Plant: Peach (Prunus persica) 桃
- Plant: Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulate) 山櫻花
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Prunus serrulata
- Wikipedia: Prunus 'Kanzan'
- 維基百科: 山櫻花
- 維基百科: 關山櫻
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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