Prunus - early April

(Above) Yoshino Cherry, Prunus x yedoensis. Probably. (This was in someone's garden and I didn't intrude to check any fine details.) This hybrid arose in Japan in the early 18th Century, the parents - most likely - being P. speciosa and P. pendula. It is said to be the most popular cherry tree in Japan. Alan Mitchell, in his tree books, was distinctly cool about it. "Spectacular when in flower, at other times a dull mess, and even the flowering depends on bullfinches leaving the buds alone," he grumbled (not an exact quotation).





(Above and below) Winter cherry, Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' - its final flush of flowers, with the emerging leaves. This is where it began, last October.




(Above) Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula rubra'



(Above) Prunus 'Hokusai'



(Above) Prunus 'Ukon'. You can't really see it in this photo, but when the flowers first open they appear creamy-yellowish, at least from a distance.