Prunus serrulata Shirofugen - Japanese Cherry

The Prunus serrulata 'Shirofugen' is a variety of flowering cherry tree that stands out for its umbrella-shaped habit and splendid double white flowering in May. It forms a fairly compact tree that widens and spreads to form a flattened crown, extended by gracefully trailing branches. Its beautiful branches disappear in spring under a multitude of clusters of large double flowers, hanging on long pedicels, with delicate, crumpled petals, pink in bud, pure white when open, and turning dark pink as they fade. The young leaves, with their reddish-bronze colour, prolong this graceful spectacle before turning dark green and taking on flamboyant shades of red-orange in autumn. Very ornamental, this is a tree that will be particularly enhanced if planted as a standalone specimen in the middle of a meadow or among low perennials. Hardy, it prefers very bright exposures and rich, well-drained, and moist soils.

The Prunus serrulata, belonging to the large family of Rosaceae, is a small tree with a dense canopy and thin bark, native to Asia, specifically Japan, Korea, and China. It is also known as Japanese Cherry, Hill Cherry, Japanese Flowering Cherry, or Oriental Cherry.

The Japanese cultivar 'Shirofugen' has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) and is famous for its umbrella-shaped habit and its very double flowers, white turning dark pink. With a fairly fast growth, this tree will reach 8 m (26 ft 2 in) in height and 6 m (19 ft 8 in) in spread, sometimes even wider depending on how it is grown. The flowering takes place from April to May depending on the region, usually before the appearance of the foliage, sometimes at the same time as its young leaves, tinged with coppery red before turning bronze green. Its numerous light pink buds open into very large double flowers, pure white, along the branches. Gathered in small clusters of 3-7, they measure 5 cm (2 in) in diameter. After flowering, the 'Shirofugen' Prunus bears elliptical deciduous leaves, 8 to 12 cm (3.1 to 4.7 in) long. After flowering, the branches develop deciduous leaves, elliptical in shape, with serrated edges, measuring 12 cm (4.7 in) long. They are medium green in summer and turn red-orange in autumn.

This small tree with a strong personality will find its place either as a standalone specimen or, at most, in the back of a border, placed behind perennials or small shrubs with staggered flowering. To adorn its base, one can plant, for example, silver basket, a small creeping clematis Clematis diversifolia Rooguchi or forget-me-nots, discreet and charming, that will not overshadow its splendor. One can also consider planting a small pink clematis to brighten its foliage in summer (Little Mermaid Clematis, Success Candy, Josephine).