Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'

 

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Photos taken in my friends' garden. 'Kojo-no-mai' is a miniature cherry that has become very popular in today's small gardens. 

It's a variety of Prunus incisa, the Fuji Cherry. The Latin name refers to the deeply incised teeth around the edge of the leaf. 

The Fuji Cherry, so named because of its abundance on the slopes of Fuji Yama, Japan, is ornamental in bloom, chiefly because of the persistent deep-red calyces.

Paul Russell, "Fuji or Mame Cherry" in The Oriental Flowering Cherries (US Department of Agriculture Circular, 1934). 

Fuji Cherry grows on the island of Honshū (historically known as Hondo), notably on the eastern slopes of Mount Fuji and also around Hakone Lake (=Lake Ashi). Wikipedia calls it a cultigen but I'm not sure on what basis.

The Fuji Cherry is also one of the parents of Prunus 'Umineko', a tree popular in urban plantings as well as gardens. 

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 2 April 2021.

Just starting to bloom: Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 6 March 2022.

Just starting to bloom: Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'. Frome, 6 March 2022.