Prunus donarium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prunus donarium |
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| Donarium cherry in UN memorial cemetery in Busan, South Korea. | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Prunus
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| Species: |
donarium
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The Donarium Cherry (scientific name: Prunus donarium) is a special kind of cherry tree. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, which is also known as the rose family. This beautiful tree is famous for its amazing pink and white flowers.
Contents
All About the Donarium Cherry
What Does It Look Like?
The Donarium Cherry tree can grow quite tall. It often reaches up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) high. This tree was created in Japan. It was made by carefully breeding different mountain cherry trees together.
This cherry tree loves sunny places. It also grows best in soil that is a bit wet and sandy. Its leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are shaped like an oval, wide at the bottom and pointed at the top. You might think they look like an upside-down egg. When the leaves first appear, they are a reddish-brown color. But as they get older, they slowly change to green. Each leaf is usually about 8 to 12 centimeters long.
Its Beautiful Flowers
The flowers of the Donarium Cherry bloom later than many other cherry blossoms. They usually appear in May. The flowers are a mix of pink and white petals. They are also "double flowers," meaning they have many layers of petals.
Each flower normally has one stamen and one pistil. However, in the Donarium Cherry, the pistil often changes. It turns into an extra petal instead of staying as a pistil. Because of this change, the flowers cannot make fruit. As the flowers get older, they become a darker pink color. When the tree is in full bloom, it looks completely pink and stunning.
Where Does It Grow Best?
The Donarium Cherry is not very strong against cold weather. Because of this, it does not grow well in colder northern areas. It is also quite sensitive to insect pests. These pests can cause problems for the tree's health. Sadly, the Donarium Cherry also tends to have a short lifespan compared to some other trees.
