Cerasus leveilleana f. inermedia ("Asagirizakura")

Japanese name: アサギリザクラ （朝霧桜）
Scientific name: Cerasus leveilleana f. inermedia

[Overview]
A deciduous tree.
It is the least hairy type among the variations of Kasumi-zakura.
The trunk is purplish brown, with conspicuous horizontally arranged lenticels.
The color of the young leaves varies from reddish brown to green.
The leaves are obovate to obovate-elliptic, 7–12 cm long, with a tail-like pointed tip and usually a rounded base.
Both sides of the leaves are almost hairless.
The petiole is 1.5–2 cm long and hairless, with 2 wart-like nectar glands in the upper part.
The leaf margins have somewhat coarse double or single serrations.
It flowers at the same time as the leaves unfold.
The flowers are borne 2–3 in corymbs arising from the leaf axils; they are white to faintly pink with 5 petals and 2.4–3.2 cm across.
The petals are broadly obovate to broadly elliptic, 12–19 mm long.
There are about 40 stamens, slightly shorter than the style.
The calyx tube is cylindrical, 5–6 mm long; the calyx lobes are ovate-lanceolate to oblong, entire, and open flat at flowering.
The flower stalk is 0.1–1.5 cm long and the pedicel is 0.8–2.5 cm, both hairless.

[History]
It was named by Takenoshin Nakai.

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

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