The attractive blossom makes the Japanese cherry a particularly attractive bonsai material
The Japanese flowering cherry also adorns the trunk and thicker branches with numerous pink flowers before the first green leaves appear. Even varieties that are not completely frost-hardy should be overwintered in a cool place so that there is a lush bloom.
Choose the right subspecies
Several subspecies of Prunus serrulata are also hardy in this country and can thus be cultivated as bonsai outdoors. In order for the education to the shapely bonsai to promise success, the following factors should be considered when buying a young plant:
- Select a relatively low-growing subspecies
- select a certain flower color and growth habit depending on your preference
- Pay attention to the shape of the tree root (the root may have to be still fit in a flat bonsai pot)
- Examine the bark and leaves for diseases and pests
Tips
When you wire your budding bonsai from a Japanese flowering cherry, make sure that you protect the trunk with special bast tape from injuries caused by the wire. Otherwise, there may be unwanted traces of wiring in the bark of the plant.