Prunus ‘Shirotae’ (Japanese Flowering Cherry)

Ideal for small gardens, award-winning Prunus ‘Shirotae’ is a small deciduous tree with a remarkable spreading flat crown and slightly arching branches. In mid to late spring, it gets covered with abundant, beautiful, pure white, semi-double flowers, among the most flowering cherries. Resembling rambling roses, the cup-shaped blossoms, 2 in. across (5 cm), count up to 5-11 petals, some with a faint pink tinge, which fades to pure white as the blooms open. They exude a pleasant almond fragrance and contrast nicely with the foliage of pale green young leaves. As the season progresses, the ovate leaves turn dark green by summer before turning red and orange shades in the fall. Healthy, vigorous, and remarkably shaped with its branches gracefully dipping close to the ground, ‘Shirotae’ is among the most gorgeous white-flowering cherries.

‘Shirotae’ refers to the name of white cloth in Japanese. This cultivar dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and was exported to Europe and North America as “Mount Fuji” in the early 20th century.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 15-20 ft. in height (4-6 m) and 15-25 ft. wide (4-8 m).
• Performs best in full sun in moist, relatively fertile, well-drained soils.
• Perfect choice as a single specimen plant, lawns.
• Prune in midsummer if silver leaf is a problem.
• Watch for caterpillars, leaf-mining moths, bullfinches, silver leaf, bacterial canker, and blossom wilt.
• Propagate by budding or grafting, although softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat can be successful.