Yoshino Cherry is a small deciduous grafted flowering cherry tree native to Japan. This plant is sometimes cited as Prunus serrulata 'Yedoensis', but parentage and origin are unknown. It works well as a street or shade tree in urban landscapes as it does not grow too large. Plant as a specimen or in small groups in a lawn or near a patio. It is the most commonly planted cherry tree in the Washington D.C. area. It is espeically attracitve used as a foundation plant with red brick walls, contrasting the white and red. This plant is confused vegetatively with the Kwanzan Cherry which has strong, steeply ascending branches, double pink flowers, wart-like glands that are apart from the blade about 80%=90% of the time, and a conspicuous slender stalked gland borne on the teeth. Yoshino Cherry has a broader canopy with 70%-80% of glands in touch with the blade. The showy white flowers appear i clusters in spring with a slight almond fragrance. Fall leaf color is yellow. Use as a specimen in an Asian, cottage of butterfly garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has viral and fungal disease problems, and is susceptible to borers and scale. This tree is frequently damaged by deer. Quick ID Hints: Deciduous cherry tree with snow-white spring flowers Leaf petiole with large wart-like glands in contact with blade margin Leaves serrate bearing short-stalked glands More information on Prunus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Often confused withPrunus cerasifera 'Atropurpurea'Prunus 'Kanzan'Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis'Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula'Pyrus calleryana
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Open; Rounded; Spreading; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Bright green leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic, acuminate, rotund to broadly cuneate, serrate with inconspicuous short-stalked glands borne on tooth apex, and veins are pubescent below. Petiole bears 2 or more large wart-like glands on petiole apex, one or more glands are commonly in contact with the blade base or on lower blade margin. Leaves are 2.5-4.5 inches in size and have a yellow to gold fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers are pure or snow-white in color for 2-3 weeks. Inflorescence is a congested corymb. it is 5-6 flowered. Flowers have a slight almond fragrant.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small plack drupes 1/2" diameter
Bark detail
Glossy bark with prominent horizontal lenticels add winter interest
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Japan
Wildlife value
Fruits attract birds and tree is larval host to butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Patio
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Foundation Planting; Shade Tree; Small groups; Small Tree; Specimen; Street Tree
Garden tags
#showy flowers #deciduous #fantz #flowering tree #heat tolerant #flowers early spring #street tree #larval host plant #small tree #humidity tolerant #food source summer #fragrant flowers #winter interest #high maintenance #fast growing #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #fall interest #white flowers #wildlife friendly #cpp #HS304
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Messy; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses