The Japanese flowering cherry tree or Prunus serrulata is venerated in Japan. Both the tree and its blossom are called ‘sakura’ (桜) in Japanese. Sakura means the ‘tree on which God sits’, a noble title that the tree certainly lives up to during its short blooming period in spring.

Clouds of flowers emerge in showy clusters of two to five in spring, bursting open at the same time the leaves begin to appear. Flowers are usually shades of pink or white, and may be single, semi-double or double. Some are fragrant. When the petals eventually fall in light showers, they may be carried in drifts over wide areas by light winds.

Sakura is very special in Japan, and has been for centuries. It is Japan’s national flower. A symbol of spring, life and beauty. These trees are bred for their beautiful spring blossom, and not their fruit, which is not at all like the sweet and sumptious eating cherry produced by it’s cousin, Prunus avium.

The tradition of hanami (花見) or viewing of the sakura is observed in Japan, and other countries where the trees grow, particularly in areas where there is a substantial population of people of Japanese descent.

We are in the hanami or cherry blossom viewing season right now, both in Japan and the UK, as well as other temperate countries the world over. All major events have been cancelled. Like the millions who are restricting their movements as a necessary measure as we fight a global pandemic, I am having to change the way I do things. I ditched my plans to have an authentic hanami experience this year. I got creative, did some research and decided to make the best of a difficult situation.

I learned a lot and found some of the most breath-taking sakura blooms!

Prunus serrulata, the tree

Japanese tradition has it that Prunus serrulata was first planted on Mount Fuji in Japan by a Japanese goddess named Konohanasakuyahime. Botanists believe the tree to be native to Japan, Korea, China and parts of India.

Prunus serrulata is a deciduous tree with a short single trunk and dense crown, reaching a height of 4-8m. The bark of mature trees is smooth and chestnut-brown, with prominent horizontal lenticels. The leaves are commonly green, but there are varieties with burgundy leaves too. The leaves are arranged alternately, and are simple, ovate to lanceolate, up to 12cm long, with a short petiole and a serrate or doubly serrate margin.

We’ve talked about the dreamy clouds of beautiful flowers in spring. The pictures don’t lie!

In order to flower properly, Prunus serrulata trees require a certain amount of chill hours between 0C and 7C each winter that keep it in dormancy. This cold-weather requirement makes if difficult for the Prunus genus to flourish in fully tropical climates.

Flowering is followed by fruit called the ‘sakuranbo’ in late summer. The sakuranbo is a globose black pea-sized cherry-like drupe 8-10mm long. It is not fleshy like the edible dessert or cooking cherries of the species Prunus avium, and has a bitter taste. The tree goes through the initial motions of developing fruit but the resulting sakuranbo remain incomplete, will not become fleshy, and will never ripen.

Prunus serrulata is relatively short-lived, averaging 30 to 40 years. There are many varieties of Prunus serrulata in cultivation, in Japan and temperate regions worldwide. There are also hybrid species such as Prunus x yedoensis which is actually distinct from Prunus serrulata. In Japan, the most popular cherry blossom variety is ‘Somei Yoshino’ or ‘Yoshino’ cherry’, the x yedoensis hybrid.  

Here it is at Kew Gardens …

And here is a low hanging branch of a grand, old, sprawling hybrid Prunus x yedoensis ‘Izu- Yoshino’ in Kew Gardens. The leaves set the pure white flowers off beautifully. I was awe-struck!

Sakura and Hanami, hand in hand

Enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, particularly flowering cherry blossom, is a centuries-old traditional Japanese custom called hanami (花見, “flower viewing”).

Hanami is believed to have started during the Nara period (710–794) with the admiration of ume (梅) plum tree blossoms. By the Heian period (794–1185), cherry blossom began to attract more attention than plum blossom, and hanami became synonymous with sakura.

Sakura was once used to divine the year's harvest and to announce the new rice-planting season. In accordance with Shinto Japanese belief, kami (spirits or "holy powers") live within the cherry blossom trees. Offerings were made to the kami, followed by the drinking of sake (酒), a Japanese rice wine. Sakura represents the spirits of ancestors and family members who passed away. People feel a sense of closeness to their loved ones when the tree is in bloom.

Emperor Saga of the Heian period held flower-viewing parties and feasts which entailed the drinking of sake underneath blossom-laden sakura trees within the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Through the generations, poems, paintings, folk songs, landscaping, crafts and other creative endeavours have been inspired by cherry blossom.                                                                                       

Today, a formal blossom forecast is announced every year by the weather bureau, called sakura zensen (桜前線) or the cherry blossom front, which helps people plan hanami events to coincide with the brief blossoming window. Prunus serrulata blooms on the island of Okinawa first, from around the first of February. Then, from the end of March to early May in the rest of the country. 

Once the preserve of the elite, today hanami is a time for all people to come together and enjoy the beauty, tranquillity and colours of nature. Hanami often takes the form of an outdoor party beneath the sakura, which may be hung with paper lanterns, during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜) or ‘night sakura’. The paper lanterns are lit for yozakura, adding a special ambience to nocturnal celebrations.

A whole industry has sprung up around sakura and hanami. Travel tours, talkshows, blogs, memorabilia, and more. Picnics are graced with seasonal products dyed pink such as onigiri, tightly packed rice balls, and sakura mochi, sweet, sticky rice cakes, wrapped in a pickled cherry leaf. Special hanami bento lunch boxes can also be bought for the occasion.

Etiquette: Never disturb sakura trees or shake the blossom from the trees. The trees are to be enjoyed by all during hanami, so only take up the picnic space that you need.

Larger, formally organised cherry blossom events such as festivals or kan'ō (観桜, view-cherry) are also held.

Blossom from the plum tree, ume, is still celebrated in Japan in a more ancient tradition called umemi (梅見, plum-viewing).  Umemi is particularly popular among older people because they are generally more sedate than the very lively, bustling sakura parties.  Ume is often represented in art and poetry. The fruit is used to make the famous Japanese liquor called Ume-shu (梅酒) or plum wine.

Hanami is of great importance to Japan, both culturally and culturally, attracting millions of tourists and bringing billions of yen into the economy.

Before we delve any further into sakura and hanami, THIS video, recorded near my home in London (below), gives us an idea of what wildlife makes of it all. Just look and listen …

London 2020: A neighbourhood ‘street’ sakura tree, gloriously alive with bird song and buzzing bees. What a sight for the senses!

I value bees for their role in the natural world as pollinators, as well as for the honey they provide. But I am terrified of them. Anyone who know me knows that. Working on the allotments has helped cure me of that fear a little. But it’s not gone. Strangely enough, I was able to get up close to a tree of buzzing bees, just because I wanted to make the video. I’m proud of myself!

Sakura: Prunus serrulata in other native lands of Asia

Cherry blossom in China

Cherry blossom viewing is becoming a popular event in China, largely attributed to the growing number of Chinese travellers to Japan who have experienced the hanami tradition. They return home and want to see their parks full of cherry blossom trees too.

Wuhan University in Hubei Province has more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees. The first trees there were planted on the site by the Japanese army in 1939, during the war. It is arguably the most famous location in China for viewing sakura today, attracting many tourists from all over the country. Beijing and Shanghai are also major destinations for viewing the blossom.

Wild varieties of flowering cherry tree with deep pink blossoms are indigenous to China, and are particularly popular in a country where red is a lucky colour. Many cities across the country have planted many thousands of cherry trees. Numbers are growing each year. However, unlike the Japanese, the Chinese do not hold hanami-style picnics and parties while viewing the blossoms.

Cherry Blossom in India

Prunus serrulata is native to forests in temperate parts of India. I was unable to find any festivities or cultural traditions related to the tree blossom for this feature. A gap to be explored further. If there is anyone out there ‘in the know’ with regards to traditions centering on Prunus serrulata India, please do write in!

What I did find was the India International Cherry Blossom Festival, a celebration of local cultures (nothing to do with the Japanese hanami) which centres around the Himalayan flowering cherry tree or Prunus cerasoides, which produces it’s blossoms in the autumn, as opposed to spring.

The festival takes place in the hilly city of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya region. Meghalaya is known as the ‘Abode of the Clouds’ and has dense temperate forests that support rich floral and faunal diversity. 5,000 cherry trees were planted to support the festival, which began in November 2016. The target at the time was to plant 20,000.

The deciduous Prunus ceracoides tree can grow up to 30 metres tall. Flowers are shades of pastel pink or soft white.  It has glossy, ringed bark and long, dentate stipules.

Sakura: Prunus serrulata in non-native lands of Asia

Cherry blossom in Taiwan

Taiwan has a long sakura season, stretching from late January to mid April. The traditional Hanami was introduced to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era. It remains an important cultural event, embraced young and old. The Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei is a popular destination for hanami.

Cherry blossom in the Philippines

Japanese immigration to the Philippines began as early as the 12th century. Japanese Catholics fleeing religious persecution also settled in the Philippines in the 17th century. Today, there is a large population of Philippinos of Japanese descent, well over 120,00. This represents the third largest community of people of Japanese descent outside Japan in the world, after Brazil and the United States.

The city of Atok is home to the first sakura park in the Philippines, which is at an early stage of development. In 2016, the Kochi Prefecture in Japan gifted Atok in the province of Benguet, sakura trees in celebration of the 40th anniversary of cultural and friendship ties. Atok has a temperate climate. The cherry blossoms appear for two weeks between March and April.

Incidentally, more than a hundred sakura trees were planted in the area in November 2015 but very few survived because they were planted at the wrong time of the year.

Sakura and hanami in Europe, and (for me) an African surprise

Cherry blossom in Brazil

Brazil is home to the largest population of people of Japanese descent outside Japan - over 1.5 million people. Japanese migration to Brazil started in 1908. Migrants brought both the sakura trees and the traditions of Japanese culture, including hanami, with them. Sao Paolo has the largest population of Japanese Brazilians, followed by Curitiba, both in the south of the country. Parks and streets in these cities are filled with cherry blossom in the summer, as the trees bloom later there than they do in Japan. Sao Paolo and Curitiba are popular destinations for hanami, and other Japanese cultural events.

Africa

I touch on Africa here because there is a large commercial edible cherry growing industry in South Africa in regions that have sub-temperate climates. Cultivars of Prunus avium grow well there. Prunus sativum has beautiful flowers too. I was unable to find any references to sakura or hanami in those areas though (happy to be corrected!). What I did find is that an annual cherry festival is held in the South African town of Ficksburg, which calls itself ‘the Cherry Capital of the World’, celebrating not the bloom, but the cherry harvest.

Cherry blossom in Europe

Cherry blossom trees are grown in many temperate European countries, many of which have forged relationships with Japan and hold traditional hanami events, celebrating Japanese culture. Many Europeans simply share an admiration for the blossoms, whether they be found in garden, amenity or agricultural locations, with or without any particular cultural connection. Any excuse for a walk in a park or a picnic! Blossoms viewed may include those of other trees such as apple, apricot, pear and plum, as well as the edible cherry, Prunus avium.

Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Stockholm are but a few major destinations for sakura trees, traditional hanami and other cherry blossom events. I’m told there’s no lockdown in Sweden and people are out and about there, enjoying the blossom in parks …

Zooming in on the United Kingdom as I look at Europe, and London in particular, this is what I found …

There are many cherry blossom events all over the UK but all are cancelled this year due to Covid-19. Brogdale in Kent is the home of the National Fruit Collection and over 350 varieties of flowering cherry. Brogdale hosts an annual hanami festival which offers an immersive Japanese experience with picnics under the blossoms and a variety of cultural activities and demonstrations.

I was forced to limit my focus to my home town of London this year. Cherry blossom trees are common amenity trees here. The trees can be found on many main and residential streets, as well as in local parks.

Hanami events in London are usually organised and promoted by Japanese cultural interest groups. For example, The Japanese Conversation Group (affiliated to The Japan Society London) holds an annual hanami event in Kensington Park, where there are wonderful sakura trees to be viewed. The London Japanese Conversation Meetup Group also holds an annual hanami event in Regent’s Park.

Under the UK-wide lockdown, I visited Kew Gardens in London to see the famous Cherry Walk the day before it closed to the public. I have since taken walks around my local streets as part of my hour a day’s daily exercise. And what did see? Kini mo ri? Sakura. of course!

At Kew Gardens on 21 March, some cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. Most were not quite there yet though, buds still swelling, soon to break …

I arrived early when visitor numbers were very low. A few people had beaten me to it though, and were already settling down under whatever blossoming cherry trees they could find.

I spent a deliriously happy hour viewing the cherry blossoms at Kew, at times in blissful near-solitude, before the gardens began to get busier and busier. A little too busy for the lockdown, actually. I received an email the next day announcing the complete closure of the gardens as an anti-Covid-19 measure. Lucky me!

Fluffy white or very pale pink blossoms dominated at Kew.

A fair number of the trees that I saw in flower were clearly quite young, and yet to reach the magnificence of fully grown trees. But they shimmered impressively in full bloom in the brisk breeze like electrified sprites against the back-drop of dark-green topiary.

They owned their space!

This tree is a little more mature, growing in stature and elegance …

And here is another much more mature beauty. Terminal blooms appear to reach for the blue sky.

Now just take a look at this beautiful, well-branched, mature tree. It has a wonderful shape. Stately.

These young white-blossomed trees (below) have a weeping habit. Branches, now heavy with single flowers, have been left to cascade naturally. They are called Prunus ‘Snow Showers’.

A group of beautiful, pink-flowered cherry trees lent their glory to the crisp, breezy spring morning too. Spring daffodils lit up the verdant grass below creating a scene reminiscent of a meadow. Nice!

I got another invigorating dose of Sakura to keep my spirits up while walking around my neighbourhood and visiting my allotment …

This beautiful tree is in someone’s front garden. Well done to whoever planted it. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful sight to welcome me home in spring. The lucky owners get an aerial view of the blossoms from the first floor. With a view like that, I’d have no trouble imagining that I was indeed sitting on a cloud of blossoms! Real sakura.

Sakura and hanami; Diplomacy and friendship in North America

The United States

Hanami is very popular in the United States. There are over 1.2 million Americans who identify as being of Japanese descent. The cherry blossom is seen as a symbol of the friendship and diplomacy between Japan and the U.S. pre- and post-World War II.

In 1912, Japan gifted the United States 3,000 sakura trees to celebrate the two nations’ friendship. The trees were planted in Washington DC, many around the Jefferson Memorial, where an annual National Cherry Blossom Festival has been held every spring during the blooming period since 1935.

After World War II, Japan’s cherry blossom tree population began to dwindle. In an interesting twist, the United States was able to help save the population in Japan with a gift of vegetative propagation material.

In 1965, Japan was able to return the favour and presented the United States with a gift of 3,800 trees.

Sakura has become a major springtime tourist attraction in other US cities like Macon in Georgia, Brooklyn in New York and Newark in New Jersey, all of which hold annual Cherry Blossom Festivals.

With over 300,000 ‘Yoshino’ trees growing in Macon, Georgia, the town has earned the coveted title of ‘Cherry Blossom Capital of the World’. You’d be forgiven for expecting a Japanese city to take the top prize!

in 1940 one Mr A. Fickling Sr., a land agent, discovered a ‘Yoshino’ cherry tree in his backyard in Macon in 1949. On a business trip to Washington, D.C., he learned more about cherry blossoms and sought to bring more to his hometown. Following this discovery, Mr Fickling, later in collaboration with fellow resident Carolyn Crayton went on a coordinated mission to fill Macon with cherry blossom trees. On the first mass Yoshino cherry trees planting was on November 24, 1973.

Today, cherry blossom trees are an identifying symbol of Macon, Georgia.

New Jersey’s Branch Brook Park has over 5,000 cherry trees of 18 varieties, making it the largest park collection in the United States. It attracts over 10,000 visitors a day during its annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

Striking displays of cherry blossoms can be seen at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in New York. The garden hosts an annual Sakura Matsuri festival every April, which features a host of Japanese cultural events.

In Queens, the historic Lewis Howard Latimer House has a cherry blossom garden that opens to the public on selected days in spring. Lewis Howard Latimer, an African-American inventor, lived at the house from 1903 to 1928. I’d love to visit some day.

Canada

Cherry blossom festivals are major calendar events in Canada too. And in other temperate western countries these celebrations may be mainstream or traditional hamani events, depending on the strength of local ties with Japan.

An example is the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival which incorporates a ‘Sakura Days’ event, which is organised by the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver, a volunteer-run organising committee.

Now, coming back home to London …

Here’s a close-up of my very own young flowering cherry tree, one of three different Prunus serrulata cultivars that live on my allotment plots. It is the same white-flowered Prunus ‘Snow Showers’ that I saw in Kew Gardens! The other two, Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ and Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ are not in bloom yet, so there’s more to come.

I also have the beautiful blooms of my nine edible cherry Prunus avium trees to look forward to.

I can’t wait.

And then, there’s Momijigari (紅葉狩) …

While the flowering cherry blooming period lasts for about two weeks in spring, Prunus serrulata is a most generous tree, delighting admirers with one last ‘spectacular’ before winter. At the end of autumn, leaves turn yellow, red or crimson before falling. Breathtakingly beautiful on a crisp, sunny autumn day.

This seasonal display of leaf colour from Prunus serrulata and other trees like Maple and Gingko is the subject of another Japanese tradition that originates from the Heian era called momijigari (紅葉狩) or ‘red leaf hunting’. The cities of Nikkō and Kyoto are particularly important destinations for momijigari.

I hope to cover momijigari in autumn 2020, when hopefully Covid-19 will be under control globally. See you in autumn!