It is a small deciduous tree that is native to China. It grows in sunny forests and along forest margins, and grows 2 to 6 m tall. It has sharp spines on its branches and oblong to lanceolate leaves with serrated edges.
It is a thorny deciduous shrub that is commonly cultivated. It is shorter than another commonly cultivated species C. speciosa, growing to only about 1 m in height. It is best known for its colorful spring flowers, which are red, white, pink or multicoloured.
It is classified as a ‘Purpurea; purple cherry’ in the Satozakura group that was on the Arakawa embankment, but the color of the petals changes from pale pink to white.
It is a variety of Satozakura group and was cultivated in Arakawa-bank, and has a unique purple-red flower color and stamens are conspicuous. It is said to be influenced by Yamazakura (C.jamasakura), Ooyamazakura (C. sargentii) , and Oshimazakura (C. speciosa).
This variety was developed from the seedlings of Somei Yoshino, and was bred in 1959 at the National Institute of Genetics in Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is presumed to be a hybrid between Someiyoshino and Oshimazakura (C. speciosa).
This variety is originated from the plant material of cherry blossoms in Gongendaira, Kii Tomita, and was once thought to have died ou, but the retainmed plants were donated to Nishinomiya and propagated using biotechnology at the Nishinomiya Plant Production Research Center, hence the name of Nishinomiya was given to the original place of Gongendaira. It is said that Dr. Sasabe, who is known as a cherry blossom keeper, praised this vairety from the yamazakura, saying, “The shape of the tree, the quality of the flowers, and the speed of growth, etc., are the best in Japan.”
The original tree is located in the precincts of Shuzenji Temple in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is considered to be open cross of Kanhizakura (C. campanulata) and Oshima Zakura (C. speciosa).
This plant has light pink to white, fragrant flowers have orange to orange-yellow stripes lining the throat. They occur in large clusters near the branch tips. Flowers are soft and smooth.
Flowers has cylindrical spike. Tepals 8-10mm long, pink with a green central area, spotted, the lateral ones erect. Lip to 1cm long, ovate, three-lobed, spotted, late spring to early summer.
