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We're entering the final phase of the cherry blossom season. To me it's like a 3 month firework display. Here are 8 sorts you can see now/soon. 1. Wild Cherry (Gean) - a native but also much planted in parks & gardens. Often very tall. Grps of bowl-shaped flwrs on long stalks.
Peaking about 2 weeks after the Wild Cherry is it's double flowered cultivar (lots more petals) called 'Plena' or Double Gean. It's the same species, not one of the Japanese cherries. It's not very good for pollinators but very attractive.
Kanzan is one of our most striking & abundant Jap cherries with masses of densely-clumped, bright pink double flowers that are initially accompanied by brown leaves. But the leaves soon turn green & the flowers fade pale pink. Many cherries change appearance as the blossom ages.
Flowering late alongside Shirofugen, after Kanzan has peaked (often into May), the stunning 'Shogetsu' (Shimidsu Zakura'). Masses of pure white flwrs emerging from pink buds hanging on long branched flwrs stalks with bright green new leaves. Always sad when that one finishes.
This one is usually quite easy to ID. It's called the Lombardy Poplar Cherry 'Amanagawa'. and is one of the most 'fastigiate' (upright) cherries when young but eventually broadens. Masses of pale pink, semi-double flwrs (6-15 petals) that smell like apple blossom.
I feel bad because I've missed out some stunners. But you can see lots more here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/collections/72157707830015385/. How many sorts can you spot in your area during your daily exercise?
Looking a bit like Kanzan, but a smaller, strongly weeping tree with clumps of pink double flowers - let's hear it for Cheal's Weeping Cherry 'Kiku-Shidare'. Very popular for smaller front gardens.
Two Japanese cherries are characterised by having disc-like double flwrs that resemble a spinning ballet dress, hanging in loose clumps from long, branched flwr stalks. The first to blossom is 'Ichiyo' which has green new leaves. It peaks before the pink Kanzan does.
Shirofugen (the name means 'white god') has similar flwrs to Ichiyo but these are initially whitish & accompanied by maroon new leaves leaves - an exquisite combo. It peaks late, after Kanzan & the old blossom transforms into a mix of white and pink flwrs amongst green leaves.
