Yoko

Prunus 'Yoko'

Prunus 'Yoko' tag 4369

Prunus 'Yoko' tag 4349

This one of more recent cherries bred in Japan. It was bred by Mr Masaaki Takaoka in Ehime Prefecture, on the southern island of Shikoku between Osaka and Hiroshima c.400 miles (650 km) SW of Tokyo, after 25 years of trying different combinations of 200 cherry cultivars and was registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1981. It was produced by crossing P. ‘Amagi-yoshino (which see) with P. campanulata (‘Kanhizakura’) .

In Japan it flowers slightly earlier than the Tokyo Cherry (P. ‘Somei-yoshino’) - March to April. This is a really spectacular early flowering cherry with large single flowers, slightly pendant, of a bright red colour in corymbs of 3 to 4 blooms.

Location

• Two in the Memorial Garden; square K11; tags 4349 and 4369. Planted in 2022.
• One in the Memorial Garden, square K11, tag 4383. Planted in November 2024.