Prunus
Flowering Cherry

No other tree heralds in spring better than the flowering cherry tree. In Japan, they symbolize the human life cycle and each year, underneath their pink canopies, joyous celebrations are held. In the U.S.A., the annual cherry blossom festival is held on the capital mall in Washington D.C. where cherry trees line the reflecting pool.

Because of such intense public interest, cherry trees have been well hybridized. There are hundreds of varieties available to gardeners. Some have small, simple clusters of flowers and some have large, double clusters. Pinks can range from deep, medium and light. Descanso has a few varieties of flowering cherries that include: the double pink ‘Kwanzan’ (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanza’), the elegant light pink ‘Beni Hoshi,’ (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Beni Hoshi’), and the soft pink of ‘Akebo’ (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’).

Visit during spring and you can see these lacy pink clouds floating through the landscape.