Cerasus ×kanzakura Atami-zakura

Japanese name: 熱海桜
Scientific name: Cerasus ×kanzakura Atami-zakura

[Overview]
A horticultural cultivar of the Kanhizakura group.
One parent is Kanhizakura, and the other is thought to be of the Yamazakura group.
A deciduous tree.
The leaves are alternate and simple, elliptic with serrated margins.
The flowers are borne 2–3 in umbels in the leaf axils; they are pale red, five-petaled and open facing downward.
In the earliest cases flowering begins in mid-January.
It is said that early-blooming and late-blooming flower buds form on the same branch, and a characteristic feature is the long flowering period of more than one month.

[History]
Around 1871 (Meiji 4), it was brought to Atami by an Italian, together with lemons and date palms.
Its name became widely known after it was presented and planted at the Susaki Imperial Villa (Showa 47), the Ise Jingu shrine (Showa 48), the Togu Palace (Showa 51) and elsewhere.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or grafting.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained place.
If it is a problem for the tree to grow large in a garden, restrict the space in which the roots can spread with a fabric pot to control its size.
While it is a young tree, protect it from frost by, for example, laying straw around the base.
Also, it is better not to cut branches needlessly if there is no need.
It suffers from many pests and diseases, so care is needed.

[Notes]
On April 10, 1977 (Showa 52), it was designated the tree of Atami to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Atami's incorporation as a city.

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