Peter Dowdall: Japanese cherry blossoms brighten our gardens
Autumn colour at Kawaguchiko Lake in Japan. Native to Japan, Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ is also referred to as the Fuji cherry.
File pictures
Warm colours like red, yellow and orange evoke emotions such as love, passion and happiness. Sounds like we should all surround ourselves with these hues, doesn’t it, as the world can never have enough love and happiness.
However, cool colours, like blue, green and purple are more associated with calmness and relaxation both of which we could all, also do with more of.
Have you ever noticed the fashion industry’s use of natural seasonal colours in their world? Spring fashion seems to focus on yellows and bright colours, whereas in the autumn the collections are much more, well, autumnal, deep reds, browns and purples.
Perhaps the natural world surrounds us with the colours which arouse love and passion within us during spring and summer to tell us something and maybe nature herself is telling us that during summer and autumn, we need more calmness and to relax.
I have always been intrigued by the changing colours of the seasons. The bright yellow of daffodils, synonymous with springtime, is not a common colour in the autumn garden, except in the foliage of some deciduous and herbaceous plants.
Pink is a colour which can be either warm or cool depending on the intensity of the tone.
The cherry blossoms which we associate so much with late winter and spring as this is when they flower, are magnificent in different shades of pink and white but what you may fail to notice is that they are putting on another magnificent display right now and have been for the last couple of months as their leaves get ready to drop.
Having changed from a dull green into shades of russet, yellow and orange, their autumn display is second to none and makes them a plant worth growing in any garden and not just for the springtime.
Native to Japan, Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ is a stunning, dwarf, ornamental cherry also referred to as the Fuji cherry.
In early spring, before the leaves emerge, the tree bursts into a profusion of delicate, four-petalled pale pink/white flowers. The flowers appear in clusters along the naked branches before the new season's foliage emerges. The blooms of this dwarf cherry blossom are loved by pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies to the garden.
It is a compact and slow-growing shrub or small tree that will eventually reach a maximum height of about two metres with a spread of up to 1.5 metres. It has a beautiful, vase-shaped form which adds to its elegance in the garden, particularly during the winter months when, bereft of foliage you get to admire its zig-zag stem structure.
The leaves are oval-shaped with serrated edges and are a pleasant — if nondescript — green colour during the summer. However, in the autumn, Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ comes alive once more as the foliage turns vibrant shades of orange and red, seemingly setting the garden alight with colour.
It’s fully hardy and prefers a position in full sun to give its best display of flowers and autumn colour. It can tolerate some partial shade, but too much shade will result in fewer flowers.
Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’, like most cherry blossoms, will thrive in free-draining soils that are rich in organic matter. It’s not overly fussy in terms of soil pH and can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline conditions. As with all cherries, it is crucial to avoid waterlogged conditions, as this can lead to root rot.
As with most trees and shrubs, if this prunus is growing in the right place with enough space around it for it to reach its eventual height and spread, then pruning isn’t necessary, except, to remove any damaged or diseased branches.
This is best done in mid-summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf disease. This fungal disease enters a plant through wounds and leads to the foliage turning silver and the infected branches dying off. There are fewer spores around during the summer and thus pruning during that season is better for all plum and cherry blossoms.
Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ can also be grown in containers, making it suitable for patios, balconies, and other small spaces. When planting in containers, ensure the pot has adequate drainage holes and use a free-draining potting mix.
Right now, this dwarf Japanese cherry blossom is lighting up the gardens with its tones of oranges and red and so, if you want some more love, passion and happiness in your life then may I suggest planting one or more of these beauties.
Got a question for Peter Dowdall? Email gardenquestions@examiner.ie
