Prunus zippeliana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prunus zippeliana |
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The Prunus zippeliana is also known as the Big Leaf Cherry. In Chinese, it's called 大叶桂樱 (Da ye gui ying). This tree is a type of cherry plant found naturally in China, Japan, and Vietnam. Some have also been seen growing in Thailand.
The Big Leaf Cherry likes to grow in mixed forests and thick bushes. It often lives on mountains made of limestone, high up between 400 and 2400 meters (about 1,300 to 7,900 feet) above sea level. This tree is also important because it can be a winter home for a tiny insect called the soybean pod gall midge. This midge is a common pest that affects soybean plants in Japan.
What it Looks Like
The Big Leaf Cherry is usually a medium to large tree. It often grows to be about 10 to 25 meters (33 to 82 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even reach 30 meters (nearly 100 feet)!
Bark and Leaves
The bark of this tree is a dusty gray and green color. It tends to peel off in pieces, which shows the bright orange-red bark underneath. As this inner bark gets older and is exposed to the weather, its color changes. This can create a really cool look on some trees. Its leaves are large and feel a bit like leather. They grow on a short stem, about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruits
The Big Leaf Cherry blooms with white flowers from July through October. These flowers grow in clusters called racemes. Each flower is small, usually about 5 to 9 millimeters (0.2 to 0.35 inches) across. They have many tiny parts called stamens, usually between 20 and 25 of them. After the flowers, the tree produces fruits in the winter. These fruits are brownish-black when they are ripe.
