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Prunus serrulata

Flowering Cherry · Hill Cherry · Japanese Cherry · Japanese Flowering Cherry

Family RosaceaeGenus Prunus

A broad round-crowned tree in full pink blossom, its dark trunk and bare lower branches showing beneath, in a fenced park.
The whole plantMyrabellaCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, TreePLANTS Database
Height
15-25 ft4.6-7.6 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
15-25 ft4.6-7.6 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SpringExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
China South-Central, China Southeast, Korea, ManchuriaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
5-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Many of the cherry blossom cultivars planted for hanami around the world came from complicated crosses of several wild species. Wikipedia: Prunus serrulata

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 24, 2026 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on December 23, 2025.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

  2. Leach in running water

    Duration: 7 days

    Washed and cleaned daily for 7 days.

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    4 germinated in this phase.

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    7 germinated in this phase.

  5. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    7 germinated in this phase.

  6. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    27 germinated in this phase.

  7. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  8. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  9. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  10. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    4 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 8 run on after germination.

about 15 months from start to step 8. Germination happens during step 8, in 11 days.

29% germination in 4–11 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Prunus p. 201Public domain
Show the original text
Prunus (Rosaceae). All seed was WC for 7 d. P. serrulata germ. 70-40(2%)-70(15%)-40(15%)-70(15%)-40-70(15%)-40- 70(8%) and 40(4%)-70(7%)-40(7%)-70(27%)-40-70(29% in 4-11 d)-40-70(4%). Seed WC and DS 6 m at 70 or 40 gave results similar to fresh seed;
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Prunus p. 201. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 10, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 9, 2026.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

  2. Leach in running water

    Duration: 7 days

    Washed and cleaned daily for 7 days.

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    2 germinated in this phase.

  5. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  6. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    15 germinated in this phase.

  7. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    15 germinated in this phase.

  8. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  9. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    15 germinated in this phase.

  10. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  11. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    8 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 5 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 5. Germination happens during step 5; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

15% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Prunus p. 201Public domain
Show the original text
Prunus (Rosaceae). All seed was WC for 7 d. P. serrulata germ. 70-40(2%)-70(15%)-40(15%)-70(15%)-40-70(15%)-40- 70(8%) and 40(4%)-70(7%)-40(7%)-70(27%)-40-70(29% in 4-11 d)-40-70(4%). Seed WC and DS 6 m at 70 or 40 gave results similar to fresh seed;
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Prunus p. 201. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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