Prunus subhirtella Fukubana - Winter-flowering Cherry

Prunus x subhirtella 'Fukubana' is a variety of Japanese flowering cherry tree that is cloaked in an intense pink flowering, undoubtedly the brightest pink observed in these small trees. The other assets of this variety are a beautiful upright and bushy habit and beautiful yellow to red colours in autumn. Hardy and not very demanding in terms of soil, it combines charm, brilliance and robustness. So many good reasons to adopt it, even in a small garden. 

Prunus x subhirtella 'Fukubana', belongs to the large Rosaceae family. It was introduced in Europe in 1927. It is commonly accepted nowadays that Prunus x subhirtella is a spontaneous hybrid originating from East Asia. 'Fukubana' stands out for its abundant spring flowering and remarkably bright pink colour. It is a deciduous tree with moderate development and moderately fast growth, reaching an average height of 3 m to 4 m (9.8 ft to 13.1 ft) with a spread of 2 m to 3 m (6.6 ft to 9.8 ft). It develops one or several short trunks and an upright and ovate crown. Flowering takes place in March-April depending on the region. The semi-double flowers are gathered in small clusters, suspended by a short peduncle. They emerge from dark carmine pink buds and then open into corollas with 12-14 toothed petals, resembling 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter pompoms. The flowers are followed by the formation of small black-purple fruits at maturity. The deciduous foliage is composed of alternate, ovate leaves, 3 cm to 8 cm (1.2 in to 3.1 in) long and 2 cm (0.8 in) wide, and coarsely toothed at the edges. The lamina, of a bright green colour, shows a pubescent underside and turns yellow, orange, and red in autumn. The bark is grey-brown and the young branches are pubescent.

Its twisted line drawn by sinuous branches makes the flowering cherry tree suitable for bonsai cultivation. 'Fukubana' shines from the first beautiful days of spring. WIth its modest stature and undemanding nature, it is suitable for small gardens as a standalone specimen or in the centre of a perennial bed whose flowering will take over from spring to summer. It can also be planted as a free hedge. Perfectly hardy, it can be grown in many regions, but dislikes compact and clayey soils or excessively dry situations. It can be planted with other spring-flowering shrubs, either simultaneously or staggered, such as forsythias, Japanese quinces, Honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum), flowering crab apples, flowering peaches, Chinese almond, hawthorns, and Japanese apricot (Prunus mume). A carpet of blue hyacinths, liverworts or blue grape hyacinths would be a beautiful addition at its base.