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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #221971

Title: Prunus x sieboldii

Author
item Olsen, Richard

Submitted to: American Nurseryman
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2008
Publication Date: 3/15/2008
Citation: Olsen, R.T., 2008. Prunus x Sieboldii. 2008. American Journeyman. vol 207-66.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Siebold flowering cherry, Prunus x sieboldii, is an underutilized Japanese cherry ideal for today’s modern landscapes. First introduced from Japan nearly 150 years ago, Siebold cherry is now a rare taxon found primarily in botanic gardens and arboreta. The United States National Arboretum has one of the largest collections of ornamental cherries in the U.S., with over 170 individual taxa representing rare wild-collected germplasm, named cultivars, and unnamed hybrids. Our existing plant (NA 1235; PI 112666) is just over 20 feet tall and 40 feet wide after 70 years. It is low branched with five trunks, the largest of which is almost 10 inches in diameter at breast height. In today’s smaller landscapes, particularly where overhead utility lines prohibit the cultivation of taller cherries, Siebold cherry is deserving of a choice spot. Propagation is accomplished through grafting, preferably by budding onto P. serrulata rootstock. Growth is slower than typical cherries, but that is a bonus in today’s landscapes when marketed as such.