Cherry Plum Kanzan

The Cherry Plum Kanzan (Prunus serrulata “Kanzan”), introduced in the early 1900s, is widely planted and probably the most popular flowering cherry tree. The botanical epithet serrulata comes from Latin and means “fine-cut”, referencing its small serrations. Of medium height, it reliably produces in the spring plenty of very bright dark pink double flowers. Its large green leaves turn in the autumn into a glorious coppery red. It has a fennel-shaped crown with strong, stiffly ascending main branches. The cherry tree is native to Korea, Japan and some Chinese provinces. The “Kansan” species is the most popular in Europe but remains less known in Japan. Every year, for a few days in Copenhagen (around the middle of May), the blooming cherry comes to public attention, as in Japan, with the Hanami tradition (lit. “flower seeing”). At its short blooming peak, the flowers are so numerous they bring the branches to bend and cover the soil around its base.