Prunus incisa Kojo-no-mai

Prunus incisa, commonly known as the Fuji cherry, belongs to the Rosaceae family, which also includes a wide range of plants such as roses, peaches, almonds, and plums. This genus is particularly well-known for its ornamental value, as many species and cultivars produce stunning flowers. The Rosaceae family, while famous for its roses, also includes fruit-bearing species like Prunus avium (sweet cherry) and Prunus cerasus (sour cherry), which are enjoyed for both their beauty and their edible fruit. There are over 200 varieties of cherry trees, including both species and cultivars, with a range of flower colours from soft pink to deep red, and even white, yellow, or green. Everyone is familiar with the pink five-petalled pink flowers, but some cultivars produce flowers can have from ten to over one hundred petals.

Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ may have small flowers, but they bloom in the masses, giving a spactular show of flowers!

Prunus incisa can be found growing close to the top of Mount Fuji in the volcanic soils. The cultivar ‘Kojo-no-mai', which means “Dance on the Lake" in Japanese, was discovered along the Yoshida trail leading to Mount Fuji by Akaike Shizuo. It is a smaller form of Prunus incisa (up to 2.5m) with distinctive characteristics that make it an ornamental favourite. Unlike other Sakura varieties, 'Kojo-no-mai' has a very bushy form with many thin, curved, zig-zagging branches that give it a unique, graceful appearance. It forms a rounded shrub or small tree with lance-shaped, mid-green leaves that display beautiful red-orange hues in autumn.

Flowers of Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ have five petals just like the wild species of flowering cherries. They are 1-1.5cm in diameter with a pink center that fades to white. Each umbel produces up to four flowers.

The plant’s small flowers, which range from white to pale pink, appear just before the leaves, creating a striking contrast with the branches. These flowers are typically 1-1.5 cm in diameter, with five soft, rounded petals arranged symmetrically around a central cluster of stamens and single stigma. The flowers' subtle fragrance, gentle hues, and delicate structure contribute to the ornamental value of the plant. In full bloom, the tiny, cup-like flowers are so plentiful it almost looks like the tree was dusted with a fresh coat of snow. In 2012, it received the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, further cementing its status as a top choice for ornamental gardening.

Flower colours can vary between Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ trees. Yellow to white centre on the left, lighter pink centre on the right.

As elegant as its name suggests, do come down to the 10^th edition of Sakura in the Flower Dome to check this beauty flowering in GB for the first time!

Written by: Sharifah Osman, Assistant Manager (Research and Horticulture)

As an avid flora photographer, Sharifah is consistently curious about the natural world that surrounds her. So much so that she eventually pursued a career in horticulture while dabbling in botanical art and photography during her free time.