Prunus sargentii

Prunus sargentii, commonly known as Sargent's cherry or North Japanese hill cherry,[1] is a species of cherry native to Japan, Korea, and Sakhalin (Russia).[2]

Prunus sargentii
Sargent's cherry (Prunus sargentii)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Cerasus
Species:	P. sargentii
Binomial name
Prunus sargentii Rehder
Synonyms
Prunus densifolia Koehne Prunus floribunda Koehne Prunus sachalinensis (F.Schmidt) Miyoshi Prunus serrulata var. sachalinensis (F.Schmidt) E.H.Wilson

The tree was named for Charles Sprague Sargent.[3]

Description

Sargent's cherry in Rendeux (Belgium).

Prunus sargentii is a deciduous tree that grows 20–40 feet or 6-12 meter in height. Its crown spreads to a width of 20–40 feet. New growth is a reddish or bronze in color, which changes to shiny dark green.[4] The leaves are obovate and have serrated margins. Leaves are 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) in length and are arranged alternately. In fall, the leaves turn red, orange, or yellow.[5] It grows single pink flowers on 1-in pedicels, which result in purple-black fruit in summer.[4] The fruit is a favorite of birds, but because of their size (small, pea sized) and color, are considered inconspicuous to humans.[6]

Cultivation

P. sargentii is a fast-growing ornamental tree[7] requiring sun and well-drained soil. The tree can tolerate wind, but not air pollution; it is one of the hardiest cherries, and can be easily transplanted. This makes the tree suitable for use as a street tree.[4] The tree is moderately drought-tolerant.[5][8]

History

Native to Korea and Japan, the tree was introduced to America and then the United Kingdom in 1908.

Gallery

• 
  Buds
• 
  Flowers
• 
  Flower detail
• 
  Prunus sargentii, 1928 accession (#794-28*B) Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
• 
  Flowers

References

1. Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada. Macmillan, New York.
2. Common Trees of Hokkaido, pg 104
3. Royal Horticultural Society Archived 2007-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, What's On, Harlow Carr, October 2007, last access 31 May 2008.
4. Evans, Erv (2000–2003). "Prunus sargentii". Plant Fact Sheets. North Carolina State University. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
5. Brand, Mark (1997–2001). "Prunus sargentii". UConn Plant Database of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. University of Connecticut. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
6. Gilman, Edward F.; Dennis G. Watson (n.d.). "Prunus sargentii: Sargent Cherry" (PDF). Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
7. "Prunus sargentii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2008-07-07.
8. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/Prunus-sargentii-Sargent-Cherry

• Common Trees of Hokkaido, Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, 1992, ISBN 4-8329-1032-9 C0045 P2472E

External Links

• Prunus sargentii images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
• "Cherry: Prunus ssp. - April Tree of the Month." Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 2015. Accessed 1 May 2020.

See also

• For cherry blossoms and their cultural significance to the Japanese, see sakura.