Wild
species of cherry tree are widely distributed, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.[3][4][5] They are common in East Asia, especially in
Japan, where they have been cultivated, producing many varieties. The wild Himalayan cherry, Prunus cerasoides, is found in
South Asia,
Southeast Asia, and parts of
China, and is also cultivated.[6][7]
The Japanese word sakura (桜 or 櫻; さくら or サクラ) can mean either the tree or its flowers (see 桜).[8] The cherry blossom is considered the
national flower of Japan, and is central to the custom of
hanami (flower viewing).[9]
Sakura trees are often called Japanese cherry in English.[10] (This is also a
common name for Prunus serrulata.[11]) The cultivation of ornamental cherry trees began to spread in
Europe and the
United States in the early 20th century, particularly after Japan presented trees to the United States as a token of friendship in 1912.[1]: 119–123 British plant collector
Collingwood Ingram conducted important studies of Japanese cherry trees after the First World War.[12]
Classification
Classifying cherry trees is often confusing, since they are relatively prone to mutation and have diverse flowers and characteristics, and many
varieties (a sub-classification of species), hybrids between species, and cultivars exist. Researchers have assigned different scientific names to the same type of cherry tree throughout different periods.[1]: 32–37
In Europe and North America, ornamental cherry trees are classified under the subgenus Cerasus ("true cherries"), within the genus Prunus. Cerasus consists of about 100 species of cherry tree, but does not include
bush cherries,
bird cherries, or
cherry laurels (other non-Cerasus species in Prunus are
plums,
peaches,
apricots, and
almonds). Cerasus was originally named as a
genus in 1700 by
de Tournefort. In 1753,
Linnaeus combined it with several other groupings to form a larger Prunus genus. Cerasus was later converted into a
section and then a
subgenus, this system becoming widely accepted, but some botanists resurrected it as a genus instead.[13] In China and Russia, where there are many more wild cherry species than in Europe, Cerasus continues to be used as a genus.[1]: 14–18
In Japan, ornamental cherry trees were traditionally classified in the genus Prunus, as in Europe and North America, but after a 1992 paper by Hideaki Ohba of the University of Tokyo, classification in the genus Cerasus became more common.[1]: 14–18 This means that (for example) the
scientific nameCerasus incisa is now used in Japan instead of Prunus incisa.[14]
A culture of
plum blossom viewing has existed in mainland China since ancient times, and although cherry trees have many wild species, most of them had small flowers, and the distribution of wild cherry trees with large flowers suitable for cherry blossom viewing was limited.[17]: 160–161 In Europe and North America, there were few cherry species with characteristics suitable for cherry blossom viewing.[1]: 122 In Japan, on the other hand, the
Prunus speciosa (Oshima cherry) and
Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) [
ja], which have large flowers suitable for cherry blossom viewing and tend to grow into large trees, were distributed over a fairly large area of the country and were close to people's living areas. The development of cherry blossom viewing, and the production of cultivars, is therefore considered to have taken place primarily in Japan.[17]: 160–161
Because cherry trees have mutable traits, many
cultivars have been created for cherry blossom viewing, especially in Japan. Since the
Heian period, the Japanese have produced cultivars by selecting superior or mutant trees from among the natural crossings of wild cherry trees. They were also produced by crossing trees artificially and then breeding them by
grafting and
cutting. Oshima, Yamazakura,
Prunus pendula f. ascendens (syn, Prunus itosakura, Edo higan), and other varieties which grow naturally in Japan, mutate easily. The Oshima cherry, which is an
endemic species in Japan, tends to mutate into a
double-flowered tree, grows quickly, has many large flowers, and has a strong fragrance. Due to these favorable characteristics, the Oshima cherry has been used as a base for many Sakura cultivars (called the
Sato-zakura Group). Two such cultivars are the
Yoshino cherry and
Kanzan; Yoshino cherries are actively planted in Asian countries, and Kanzan is actively planted in Western countries.[1]: 86–95, 106, 166–168 [15][16][17]: 40–42
"Hanami" is the many centuries-old practice of holding feasts or parties under blooming sakura (桜 or 櫻; さくら or サクラ) or ume (梅; うめ) trees. During the
Nara period (710–794), when the custom is said to have begun, it was ume blossoms that people admired. By the
Heian period (794–1185), however, cherry blossoms were attracting more attention, and 'hanami' was synonymous with 'sakura'.[18] From then on, in both waka and
haiku, "flowers" (花, hana) meant "cherry blossoms," as implied by one of
Izumi Shikibu's poems.[19] The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court but soon spread to
samurai society and, by the
Edo period, to the common people as well.
Tokugawa Yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this. Under the sakura trees, people held cheerful feasts where they ate, and drank sake.[1]: 2–7, 156–160
Since a book written in the Heian period mentions "weeping cherry" (しだり櫻; 糸櫻), one of the cultivars with pendulous branches,
Prunus itosakura 'Pendula' (Sidare-zakura) is considered the oldest cultivar in Japan. In the
Kamakura period, when the population increased in the southern
Kantō region, the Oshima cherry, which originated in
Izu Oshima Island, was brought to
Honshu and cultivated there; it then made its way to the capital,
Kyoto. The
Sato-zakura Group first appeared during the
Muromachi period.[1]
Prunus itosakura (syn. Prunus subhirtella, Edo higan) is a wild species that grows slowly. However, it has the longest life span among cherry trees and is easy to grow into large trees. For this reason, there are many large, old specimens of this species in Japan. They are often regarded as sacred and have become landmarks that symbolize
Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and local areas. For example, Jindai-zakura [
ja], which is around 2,000 years old, Usuzumi-zakura [
ja], which is around 1,500 years old, and Daigo-zakura [
ja], which is around 1,000 years old, are famous for their age.[1]: 178–182
In the Edo period, various
double-flowered cultivars were produced and planted on the banks of rivers, in Buddhist temples, in Shinto shrines, and in
daimyo gardens in urban areas such as
Edo; the common people living in urban areas could enjoy them. Books from the period record more than 200 varieties of cherry blossoms and mention many varieties that are currently known, such as
'Kanzan'. However, this situation was limited to urban areas, and the main objects of hanami across the country were still wild species such as
Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) [
ja] and Oshima cherry.[1]
Since Japan was modernized in the
Meiji period, the
Yoshino cherry has spread throughout Japan, and it has become the main object of hanami.[1]: 2–7, 156–160 Various other cultivars were cut down one after another during changes related to the rapid modernization of cities, such as the reclamation of waterways and the demolition of
daimyo gardens. The gardener Takagi Magoemon and the village mayor of Kohoku Village, Shimizu Kengo, were concerned about this situation and preserved a few by planting a row of cherry trees, of various cultivars, along the
Arakawa River bank. In Kyoto, Sano Toemon XIV, a gardener, collected various cultivars and propagated them. After World War II, these cultivars were inherited by the
National Institute of Genetics,
Tama Forest Science Garden and the Flower Association of Japan, and from the 1960s onwards were again used for hanami.[1]: 115–119
Every year, the
Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the public track the sakura zensen ("
cherry blossom front") as it moves northward up the archipelago with the approach of warmer weather, via nightly forecasts following the weather segment of news programs.[20][21] Since 2009, tracking of the sakura zensen has been largely taken over by private forecasting companies, with the JMA switching to focus only on data collection that than forecasting.[22] The blossoming begins in
Okinawa in January and typically reaches
Kyoto and Tokyo at the beginning of April, though recent years have trended towards earlier flowerings near the end of March.[23] It proceeds northward and into areas of higher altitude, arriving in
Hokkaido a few weeks later. Japanese locals, in addition to overseas tourists, pay close attention to these forecasts.[22]
Most Japanese schools and public buildings have cherry blossom trees planted outside of them. Since the fiscal and school years both begin in April, in many parts of
Honshu the first day of work or school coincides with the cherry blossom season. However, while most cherry blossom trees bloom in the spring, there are also lesser-known winter cherry blossoms (fuyuzakura in Japanese) that bloom between October and December.[24]
The Japan Cherry Blossom Association has published a list of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots (日本さくら名所100選 [
ja]),[25] with at least one location in every prefecture.
Blooming season
Many cherry species and cultivars bloom between March and April in the Northern Hemisphere. Wild cherry trees, even if they are the same species, differ genetically from one individual to another. Even if they are planted in the same area, there is some variation in the time when they reach full bloom. In contrast, cultivars are clones propagated by grafting or cutting, so each tree of the same cultivar planted in the same area will come into full bloom all at once due to their genetic similarity.[26]
Some wild species, such as
Edo higan and the cultivars developed from them, are in full bloom before the leaves open.
Yoshino cherry became popular for cherry-blossom viewing because of these characteristics of simultaneous flowering and blooming before the leaves open; it also bears many flowers and grows into a large tree. Many cultivars of the
Sato-zakura group, which were developed from complex interspecific hybrids based on Oshima cherry, are often used for ornamental purposes. They generally reach full bloom a few days to two weeks after Yoshino cherry does.[1]: 40–56
The flowering time of cherry trees is thought to be affected by global warming and the
heat island effect of
urbanization. According to the record of full bloom dates of
Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) [
ja] in
Kyoto, Japan, which has been recorded for about 1200 years, the time of full bloom was relatively stable from 812 to the 1800s. After that, the time of full color rapidly became earlier, and in 2021, the earliest full bloom date in 1200 years was recorded. The average peak bloom day in the 1850s was around April 17, but by the 2020s, it was April 5; the average temperature rose by about 3.4 °C (6.1 °F) during this time. According to the record of full bloom dates of the Yoshino cherry in the
Tidal Basin in
Washington, D.C., the bloom date was April 5 in 1921, but it was March 31 in 2021. These records are consistent with the history of rapid increases in global mean temperature since the mid-1800s.[27][28]
Japanese cherry trees grown in the Southern Hemisphere will bloom at a different time of the year. For example, in Australia, while the trees in the
Cowra Japanese Garden bloom in late September to mid-October, the Sydney cherry blossom festival is in late August.[29][30]
Symbolism in Japan
Cherry blossoms are a frequent topic in waka composition, where they commonly symbolize impermanence.[31] Due to their characteristic of blooming en masse, cherry blossoms and are considered an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life.[32] Cherry blossoms frequently appear in
Japanese art,
manga,
anime, and film, as well as stage set designs for musical performances. There is at least one popular
folk song, originally meant for the
shakuhachi (bamboo flute), titled "
Sakura", in addition to several later
pop songs bearing the name. The flower is also used on all manner of historical and contemporary consumer goods, including
kimonos,[33] stationery,[34] and
dishware.[35]
Mono no aware
The traditional symbolism of cherry blossoms as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life is associated with the influence of
Shinto,[36] embodied in the concept of mono no aware (物の哀れ)[a] (the pathos of things).[37] The connection between cherry blossoms and mono no aware dates back to 18th-century scholar
Motoori Norinaga.[37] The transience of the blossoms, their beauty, and their volatility have often been associated with mortality[32] and the graceful and ready acceptance of destiny and karma.
During
World War II, cherry blossoms were used as a symbol to motivate the Japanese people and stoke nationalism and militarism.[39] The Japanese proverb hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi ("the best blossom is the cherry blossom, the best man is a warrior") was evoked in the
Imperial Japanese army as a motivation during the war.[40] Even before the war, cherry blossoms were used in propaganda to inspire the "Japanese spirit", as in the "Song of Young Japan", exulting in "warriors" who were "ready like the myriad cherry blossoms to scatter".[41] In 1894,
Sasaki Nobutsuna composed a poem, Shina seibatsu no uta (The Song of the Conquest of the Chinese) to coincide with the
First Sino-Japanese War. The poem compares falling cherry blossoms to the sacrifice of Japanese soldiers who fall in battles for their country and emperor.[42][43] In 1932,
Akiko Yosano's poetry urged Japanese soldiers to endure suffering in China and compared the dead soldiers to cherry blossoms.[44] Arguments that the plans for the
Battle of Leyte Gulf, involving all Japanese ships, would expose Japan to danger if they failed were countered with the plea that the Navy be permitted to "bloom as flowers of death".[45] The last message of the forces on
Peleliu was "Sakura, Sakura".[46] Japanese pilots would paint sakura flowers on the sides of their planes before embarking on a suicide mission, or even take branches of the trees with them on their missions.[39] A cherry blossom painted on the side of a bomber symbolized the intensity and ephemerality of life;[47] in this way, falling cherry petals came to represent the sacrifice of youth in suicide missions to honor the emperor.[39][48] The first
kamikaze unit had a subunit called Yamazakura, or wild cherry blossom.[48] The Japanese government encouraged the people to believe that the souls of downed warriors were reincarnated in the blossoms.[39]
Artistic and popular uses
Cherry blossoms have been used symbolically in Japanese sports; the
Japan national rugby union team has used the flower as an emblem on its uniforms since the team's first international matches in the 1930s, depicted as a "bud, half-open and full-bloomed".[50] The team is known as the "Brave Blossoms" (ブレイブ・ブロッサムズ), and has had their current logo since 1952.[49] The cherry blossom is also seen in the logo of the
Japan Cricket Association[51] and the
Japan national American football team.[52][53]
Cherry blossoms are a prevalent symbol in irezumi, the traditional art of Japanese tattoos. In this art form, cherry blossoms are often combined with other classic Japanese symbols like
koi fish,
dragons, or
tigers.[54]
The cherry blossom remains symbolic today. It was used for the
Tokyo 2020 Paralympics mascot,
Someity.[55] It is also a common way to indicate the start of spring, such as in the Animal Crossing series of video games, where many of the game's trees are flowering cherries.[56]
Cultivars
Japan has a wide diversity of cherry trees, including hundreds of
cultivars.[59] By one classification method, there are more than 600 cultivars in Japan,[60][61] while the
Tokyo Shimbun claims that there are 800.[62] According to the results of
DNA analysis of 215 cultivars carried out by Japan's Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in 2014, many of the cultivars that have spread around the world are hybrids produced by crossing
Oshima cherry and
Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) [
ja] with various wild species.[15][16] Among these cultivars, the
Sato-zakura Group and many other cultivars have a large number of petals, and the representative cultivar is
Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan'.[1]: 137
The following species, hybrids, and
varieties are used for Sakura cultivars:[63][64]
The most popular cherry blossom cultivar in Japan is
'Somei-yoshino' (Yoshino cherry). Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. They bloom and usually fall within a week before the leaves come out. Therefore, the trees look nearly white from top to bottom. The cultivar takes its name from the village of Somei, which is now part of
Toshima in Tokyo. It was developed in the mid- to late-19th century, at the end of the
Edo period and the beginning of the
Meiji period. The 'Somei-yoshino' is so widely associated with cherry blossoms that jidaigeki and other works of fiction often show the trees being cultivated in the
Edo period or earlier, although such depictions are anachronisms.[1]: 40–45
''Prunus'' × ''kanzakura'' 'Kawazu-zakura' [
ja] is a representative cultivar that blooms before the arrival of spring. It is a natural hybrid between the Oshima cherry and Prunus campanulata and is characterized by deep pink petals. Wild cherry trees usually do not bloom in cold seasons because they cannot produce offspring if they bloom before spring, when pollinating insects become active. However, it is thought that 'Kawazu-zakura' blooms earlier because Prunus campanulata from
Okinawa, which did not originally grow naturally in
Honshu, was crossed with the Oshima cherry. In wild species, flowering before spring is a disadvantageous feature of selection; in cultivars such as 'Kawazu-zakura', early flowering and flower characteristics are preferred, and they are propagated by grafting.[1]: 98–100
Cherry trees are generally classified by species and cultivar, but in Japan they are also classified using names based on the characteristics of the flowers and trees. Cherry trees with more petals than the ordinary five are classified as yae-zakura (
double-flowered sakura), and those with drooping branches are classified as shidare-zakura, or weeping cherry. Most yae-zakura and shidare-zakura are cultivars. Famous shidare-zakura cultivars include '
Shidare-zakura', '
Beni-shidare', and '
Yae-beni-shidare', all derived from the wild species Prunus itosakura (syn, Prunus subhirtella or Edo higan).[1]: 86–87
In 2007,
Riken produced a new cultivar named 'Nishina zao' by irradiating cherry trees with a
heavy-ion beam. This cultivar is a
mutation of the green-petaled
''Prunus serrulata'' 'Gioiko' (Gyoiko) [
ja]; it is characterized by its pale yellow-green-white flowers when it blooms and pale yellow-pink flowers when they fall. Riken produced the cultivars 'Nishina otome' (blooms in both spring and autumn, or year-round in a greenhouse), 'Nishina haruka' (larger flowers), and 'Nishina komachi' ('lantern-like' flowers that remain partially closed) in the same way.[74][75]
In the present day, ornamental cherry blossom trees are distributed and cultivated worldwide.[78] While flowering cherry trees were historically present in Europe, North America, and China,[1]: 122 the practice of cultivating ornamental cherry trees was centered in Japan,[17]: 160–161 and many of the
cultivars planted worldwide, such as that of Prunus × yedoensis,[79] have been developed from Japanese hybrids.
The global distribution of ornamental cherry trees, along with flower viewing festivals or hanami, largely started in the early 20th century, often as gifts from Japan.[80][81][82] However, some regions have historically cultivated their own native species of flowering cherry trees, a notable variety of which is the Himalayan wild cherry tree Prunus cerasoides.[83][6][84]
Cherry blossoms and leaves are edible,[85] and both are used as food ingredients in Japan:
The blossoms are pickled in salt and
umezu (ume vinegar),[86] and used for coaxing out flavor in
wagashi, a
traditional Japanese confectionery, or
anpan, a Japanese sweet
bun most-commonly filled with
red bean paste.[87] The pickling method, known as sakurazuke (桜漬け), is said to date back to the end of the
Edo period,[88] though the general method of pickling vegetables in salt to produce tsukemono has been known as early as the
Jōmon period.[89]
Salt-pickled blossoms in hot water are called
sakurayu[90] and drunk at festive events like weddings in place of
green tea.[88][91]
Cherry blossoms are used as a flavoring botanical in Japanese Roku
gin.[92]
Toxicity
Cherry leaves and blossoms contain
coumarin,[93][94] which is potentially
hepatotoxic and is banned in high doses by the
Food and Drug Administration.[95] However, coumarin has a desirable vanilla-like scent, and the salt curing process used prior to most culinary applications, which involves washing, drying, and salting the blossoms or leaves for a full day, reduces the concentration of coumarin to acceptable levels while preserving its scent.[85] Coumarin may also be isolated from the plant for use in perfumes,[96] pipe
tobacco, or as an
adulterant in vanilla flavorings, though the
tonka bean is a more common natural source of this chemical.[97]
Cherry seeds and bark contain
amygdalin and should not be eaten.[98][99]
Piracy
The
Los Angeles County Parks Department reported that 10-year-old cherry trees planted in Schabarum Park in
Rowland Heights, California, were vandalistically hacked at the point of peak bloom in both 2023 and 2024. A local business was cutting off branches covered in cherry blossoms and offering them for sale.[100]
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^Katsuki, Toshio; Iwamoto, Kojiro; Ishii, Yukio (March 2011).
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