a walk in the park

Cherry Tree, Bath 5th April 2015

This tree is beside the pond in Royal Victoria Park, Bath.

A single-flowered pink cherry ought to be Sargent Cherry (P. sargentti), but this tree looks very different to the ones I'm used to seeing in Shaw (Swindon), pictured here. (On the trees in Swindon the leaves emerge beetroot-red along with the flowers.)  I suppose the other possibility is that this is a Yoshino Cherry (P. x yedoensis), but their blossom is nearly white, usually. The date could support either - the Sargent Cherries in Shaw bloomed the following day.

Possibly the tempering effect of water accounts for the profusion of blossom on the lower branches.


Conveniently growing next to it, the double flowers of Prunus 'Accolade' , which is a hybrid between P. sargentii and the Winter Cherry P. subhirtella. 'Accolade' comes into flower a few days earlier than Sargent Cherry.

Prunus 'Accolade'

Prunus 'Accolade'