Name: Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Category: Trees

Alias: Edo Sakura Tokyo Sakura

Family Name: Rosaceae

Latin name: Prunus yedoensis Matsum

Ecological habits

His light. It likes fertile, deep and well-drained slightly acidic soil. It can also adapt to neutral soil and is intolerant to salt and alkali. It is cold-resistant and likes an environment with high air humidity. The root system is shallow, avoid water accumulation and low humidity. Less resistant to smoke and harmful gases.

Morphological characteristics

Deciduous tree, bark dark brown, smooth; branchlets hairy when young. The leaves are ovate-elliptic to obovate, 5-12cm long, with sharp acuminate tips, rounded to broadly wedge-shaped leaf bases, thin pointed and heavy serrations on the edges, and pubescent hairs on the veins on the back of the leaves and on the petioles. The flowers are white to light pink, 2-3cm in diameter, often single-petaled, slightly fragrant; the calyx tube is tubular and hairy; the pedicel is about 2cm long and pubescent; 3-6 flowers are arranged in short racemes. Drupe, nearly spherical, black. The flowering period is April, blooming before or at the same time as the leaves.

Propagation and cultivation

N/A

Garden use

When this species blooms in spring, the tree is full of brilliant colors, which is very beautiful, but the flowering period is very slow. It is short and can only last for about 1 week before withering; suitable for planting on hillsides, courtyards, in front of buildings and along garden roads.

Origin Distribution

Original in Japan, it is cultivated in China, especially in cities in North China and the Yangtze River Basin.

Hanfei Sakura

This name was given because of the strong color of the flowers. More like cherry blossoms than cherry blossoms. When blooming, the petals face downwards and form a bell shape. In addition, when they bloom, they secrete nectar, which attracts many butterflies to spread pollen. In addition to Japan, this kind of cherry blossoms is also distributed in southern China and Taiwan. They are widely planted and flourish in warm areas of Japan, but some people say that the cherry blossoms in Okinawa are wild. The flowering period is from late January to early February (Okinawa) and mid-March (Tokyo)

Ishikari Sakura

Because this kind of cherry blossoms are widely distributed in Izu Oshima, this cherry blossom is chosen name. It has strong resistance to sea breeze and has an early growth period. There are no fine hairs on the flowers and leaves, and there is an elegant fragrance when blooming. The petals are about 2cm long and the leaves are 8-13cm long. The white flowers and green leaves are very beautiful. The leaves of this cherry blossom are also used to wrap "sakura mochi" snacks. The flowering period is late March (Izu Oshima, Minami-Izu) and early April (Tokyo).

Mountain Sakura

The colors of the cherry blossoms are white and purple, and the leaf buds are purple, brown, yellow-green, etc. The color of the flowers contrasts with the color of the leaf buds, giving it a very elegant temperament. These cherry trees have a long lifespan, and many of them have grown into large trees and are designated as natural monuments in various places. Mainly distributed in the southern half of Japan, mostly in mountainous areas. The flowering period is from mid to late March (Kagoshima), early to mid April (Kyoto, Tokyo), and late April (Matsushima).

Oyama Sakura

Distributed in the Japanese archipelago except Kyushu and Okinawa. It is suitable for cold areas, so there are many in Hokkaido and Tohoku, and there are also many in Nikko and other places in the Kanto region. Like Yamazakura, the back of the leaves has white spots, and the flower color is darker than that of Yamazakura. The flowers are large and look very beautiful. This flower is also called "Ezozanzakura" and "Red Mountain Sakura". The flowering period is from late April to early May (daylight).

Kasumakura

Kasumakura is very similar to Yamazakura, but there are no white spots on the back of the leaves. In addition, there are many fine hairs on the flower stalks, small flower stalks, leaves, etc. The petals are usually white, and they begin to bloom when Yamazakura and Oyamazakura are scattered. It is the most widely distributed cherry blossom in Japan and is also grown in Hokkaido, Honshu, and Shikoku. The flowering period is early to mid-April (Mishima City), mid-to-late April (Tokyo), late April (Fukushima), mid-May (Nakako), and late May (Hokkaido).

Edo Higan

The shape of the calyx tube is very distinctive, with the lower garden bulging into a pot shape. It blooms early and gets its name because it blooms during the spring equinox. The petals are about 1cm long, and the flower colors range from pure white to reddish purple, but light red is more common. This kind of cherry tree is very strong and old, and many of them are large trees with a height of 15-20 meters. The flowering period is late March (Tokyo), mid-April (Sendai, Kanazawa), late April to early May (Morioka).

Weeping Sakura

Because of its beautiful flower shape and high appreciation value, it is also famous abroad. The flower stem is about 2.5cm, and the flower color is light pink. When in full bloom, it looks white from a distance. Almost all cherry blossoms have drooping varieties, but this is generally referred to as weeping cherry blossoms. Except for the drooping cherry branches, there is no difference from the "Edo Higan Sakura". In addition, there are also weeping varieties such as "Chrysanthemum Chong" and "Mountain Cherry Blossom". The flowering period is late March (Tokyo).

Little Bian'an

The small flower stalk is short, the lower part of the calyx tube is slightly bulging, and the flowers open downward. This cherry blossom is a hybrid of Edo Higanzakura and Mazakura. The branches are thinner, making it a smaller tree than the Edo Higanzakura, making it more suitable for planting in a small garden. As its name suggests, it blooms in early spring with cute little pink flowers, which are often cut and used as decorative plum blossoms. The flowering period is late March (Ogi), early April (Tokyo, Kanazawa), mid-April (Morioka), and early May (Matsumae).

Somei Yoshihito

This kind of cherry blossom is a hybrid between Oyama Sakura and Edo Higanzakura. There are many fine hairs on the small flower stalk, calyx tube, and sepals. The upper part of the calyx tube is relatively thin. The flower buds are pink. Before the leaves grow, white flowers with a slight reddish bloom bloom, giving people a very gorgeous impression. They are often planted in parks and schools, and are now popular throughout Japan as the most popular cherry blossom. The flowering period is early April (Kyoto, Tokyo), late April to mid-May (Morioka, Hokkaido).

Mazakura

Most of them grow on the mountainous areas centered on Mount Fuji and Mount Hakone, so they are also called "Fuji Sakura" and "Hakone Sakura". The distribution range is from Yatsugatake in the north, Izu Peninsula in the south, and Boso Peninsula in the east. Flower colors range from white to light red, and the flower stem is about 2.5CM. People often cut cherry branches and plant them into bonsai. The flowering period is from early March to early May (at the native site) and from late March to early April (Tokyo).

Drug name: Japanese cherry blossom

Source: It is the bark of the dicotyledonous plant Rosaceae plant Japanese cherry blossom.

Efficacy: Refreshing the lungs and relieving cough.

Indications: used for cough and fever.

Meridian distribution of nature and flavor: pungent, flat. Lung meridian.

Usage and dosage: Oral administration: decoction, 3-9 grams.

Distribution of animal and plant resources: native to Japan, now cultivated in various parts of my country.

Latin name: Japanese cherry blossom Prunus yedoensis Matsum.

Research: First recorded in the "Illustrated Book of Advanced Plants of China".

Chemical ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine: bark and wood contain gentisic acid 5-glucoside and 5-rhamnose glucoside (Sakurarin), cherry glycosides, and wood contain d-catechin; stems and leaves contain quercetin Cortin 3-galactoside; young leaves contain coumarin, trans-o-hydroxycinnamic acid glucoside, and cyanogenic glycosides; seed kernels contain 32% fatty oil, mainly containing a-eleostearic acid and sitosterol.

Why is Japan called the "Land of Sakura"?

There are hundreds of varieties of cherry blossoms in Japan, generally divided into Somei Yoshino (light red and white), Yamazakura (light red and white), Oshima Sakura (white), Edo Higanzakura (white or red Purple), weeping cherry (red), etc. Affected by the temperature, cherry blossoms bloom sequentially along the latitude from the warm southern end of the Japanese archipelago to the north, thus forming a "Sakura Front" advancing from south to north. There is a saying in Japan called "Seven days of cherry blossoms", which means that it takes about seven days for a cherry blossom to bloom and wither, and about half a month for the entire cherry tree to bloom and fade.

In Japan, cherry blossoms are regarded as auspicious things. In traditional weddings and other festive occasions, it is often necessary to drink a kind of cherry blossom soup, which is made by adding boiling water to salt-soaked cherry blossom petals, which is the auspicious meaning of cherry blossoms. April, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, is also the time for entering school and taking a job. It is a major turning point in life, so the cherry blossoms represent the image of a future full of brightness and hope. In addition, there are streets, stations, towns, brands, meals, refreshments, and soups named after cherry blossoms everywhere in Japan. Literary writers wrote poems about cherry blossoms, painters painted pictures of cherry blossoms, musicians composed songs praising cherry blossoms, banks printed banknotes with cherry blossom patterns, factories produced cherry blossom handicrafts, and TV stations used cherry blossoms as the background to produce programs, and even ran special columns to report on the blossoming of cherry blossoms. ...The charm and influence of cherry blossoms have penetrated into all areas of Japanese social life. Therefore, Japan is also called the "Land of Sakura".