Cerasus ×miyasakana ("Yatsugatakezakura")

Japanese name: ヤツガタケザクラ （八ヶ岳桜）
Scientific name: Cerasus ×miyasakana

[Overview]
A small deciduous tree presumed to be a hybrid of Mame-zakura and Takane-zakura, with characteristics intermediate between the two.
The leaves are simple and alternate.
The flowers are white to pale pink, with 5 petals.
It inherits from Takane-zakura the bell-shaped calyx tube whose base is not swollen, flowering as the leaves unfold, and serrations with pointed tips and indistinct glands.

[History]
It was discovered around Yatsugatake in Nagano and published in 1974 by Kubota Hideo.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or grafting.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained site.
If it grows into a large tree in the garden and becomes a problem, it is advisable to control its size by restricting the space for the roots to spread with a fabric pot.
While it is a young tree, protect it from frost by spreading straw around the base, for example.
Also, it is better not to cut branches needlessly.
Pests and diseases are numerous, so care is needed.

[Notes]
The specific epithet of the scientific name was dedicated to Miyasaka Masafumi, who was a Suwa City Hall employee at the time of discovery.
Because it also resembles Choji-zakura in points such as the long, tail-like leaf tips, some consider one parent to be Choji-zakura rather than Mame-zakura.

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