Yoshino Cherry

Arbor walk #4, Treekeeper ID #4302

Yoshino Flower

The Yoshino Cherry is a beautiful tree with slightly fragrant, pinkish white flowers that appear in early spring. There are numerous Yoshino Cherry Trees that line the stairs by the Olin Law School to form an allée.

The Yoshino Cherry Tree is an ornamental tree native to Japan. Its most distinct characteristic is the beautiful pinkish white flowers which blossom in the spring. These flowers produce small black cherries which are bitter to humans but attractive to birds. This tree is an important part of the National and International Cherry Blossom Festivals and its planting in Washington D.C. is a symbol of friendship between Japan and the U.S.

This tree is a hybrid between Prunus itosakura and the Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa).

Common NameYoshino Cherry
Latin NamePrunus x yedoensis
Indigenous Name(s) 
Cultivar/Variety 
Commercial Name 
Global Distribution
Where to find Arbor Walk #4 on WashU campus
Our Yoshino Cherry in space
GPS Coordinates

N/A

Percent Concrete

N/A

Distance to Buildings
YearClose Building #1Close Building #2Close Building #3
2020Anheuser-Busch Hall, 5.60 mKnight Executive Education and Conference Center, 10.79 mKnight Hall, 64.26 m
Distance to Other Species
YearClose Species #1Close Species # 2Close Species # 3
2020Yoshino Cherry, 3.16 mYoshino Cherry, 4.14 mYoshino Cherry, 5.05 m
Our Yoshino Cherry through time
Standard Measurements
YearHeight (m)DBH (cm)Caliper (m)Crown Diameter N-S (m)Crown Diameter E-W (m)Average Crown Diameter (m)
202010.238622.4N/A6.246.566.4
202311.524N/A8.198.928.555
Nests and Pests
YearDescription
2020Large vertical gashes, may be entry points for bacteria
Dark fungus/bacteria/algae, mostly on trunk
One odd-shaped scar
Grey and green lichen
How to identify a Yoshino Cherry
Leaf Identification

The leaves of the Yoshino Cherry are simple (no leaflets), alternately arranged on the stem, pinnately veined, and unlobed. The leaves are elliptic, slightly ovate, or slightly obovate. The margin is finely serrated, and the leaf ends in a long acuminate tip.

Twig and Bud Identification

The twig matures from green to light brown, smooth, and slightly zig zag with lenticels (pores). The buds are both axillary and terminal. The terminal buds are clustered, scaled, and dark brown.

Bark Identification

The bark of the Yoshino Cherry is gray with horizontal notch-like brown lenticels. These lenticels become more ridged and prominent as the tree matures.

Fruit Identification

The fruits of the Yoshino Cherry are drupes. They are small, black, globular, and paired, with long individual stalks. They are not edible to humans, but appeal to wildlife. The fruits ripen in the summer.

Flower Identification

The flowers of the Yoshino Cherry are showy, white, five-petaled, and very fragrant. The flowers are arranged in racemes, in clusters along the peduncle. The flowers bloom in early spring.

Relationship of Prunus x yedoensis to other species in the arboretum
Additional resources on the Yoshino Cherry

Take a look around Arbor Walk Tree #4