Species and varieties in the National Collection of Flowering Cherries at

Keele University

Prunus 'Beni-shigure'

Sato-zakura Group

[Syn: P. lannesiana Wilson cv. Beni-shigure]

Prunus 'Beni-shigure'

Selected by Masatoshi Asari in 1961 from seedlings of  ‘Azuma-nishiki’ - presumably a natural hybrid between ‘Azuma-nishiki’ and the P. verecunda strain of P. lannesiana.

A cup-shaped tree to 8-10 m high. Much branched habit (similar to ‘Sekiyama’).

Double, widely opening flowers (28-35 petals) large (4.5-5.5 cm dia.) Coloured deep purple-red. It has 2 phylloid pistils. Buds are purple-red. Flowers in late April. No scent. Pistils visible.

Young foliage is red-brown. Mature leaves are elliptical or ovate-elliptical (15 x 8 cm), green above, light green below.

Location

  • One by the Covert; Square I6; tag 4160. Planted in 2009.
  • One between houses and running track; square H6; tag 4202. Planted 2012.