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Japanese bush cherry
Prunus japonica
Prunus japonica (also Cerasus japonica), also called Japanese bush cherry, or Oriental bush cherry, or Korean bush cherry is a shrub species in the genus Prunus, that is widely cultivated for ornamental use. Its native range extends from Central China through to the Korean peninsula. P. maximowiczii, the Miyama cherry is also often referred to as Japanese bush cherry.
From the article Prunus japonica on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The shrub reaches 1.5 m by 1.5 m. Its flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects. The plant blossoms in May. Its fruit reaches about 14 mm and has an agreeably sweet flavor, therefore it is used in making pies, but its taste is quite sour, reminiscent of that of sour cherry. Each fruit has one seed. The plant usually grows from seed but can also be propagated through cutting or layering.
Range & habitat
The plant thrives on well-drained and moist loamy soil and prefers little shade or no shade at all. The plant prefers some lime in the soil but not too much. It is mostly found at woodlands or sunny places.
Wikipedia: “Habitat”
At the table
The leaves of this plant procure a green dye, while the fruit procures a greenish to grayish dye.
Wikipedia: “Other uses”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the old herbals & bestiaries
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Prunus japonica in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 452158.


