Keele University Arboretum

Prunus 'Shogetsu'

The history of this cultivar is very confused - see Kuitert for the full story - but well known in cultivation. The name means ‘moonlight on the pine trees’ - no explanation available as to what is alluded to.

A superb cherry with large (to 5cm) double flowers, light pink in bud but expanding to pure white. They hang in loose panicles or corymbs, up to 15cm long, with three to six flowers in each. The pendant clusters with prominent (often 2) green phylloid carpels resembling frilled tutus of ballerinas (c.f. ‘Ichiyo’).

It is one of the later flowering cherries. It does not grow very tall (up to 5m) but does spread, making it unsuitable for small gardens or roadsides, but more suited to parks and larger gardens.