Prunus subhirtella 'Okame'

Prunus subhirtella 'Okame' - Ornamental cherry 'Okame'

General:
The genus Prunus comprises about 430 species, which predominantly occur in the northern temperate zone. The Japanese cherries are certainly the most famous and beautiful plants. With an unprecedented abundance of flowers, they signal the beginning of spring. In Japan, at the time of the cherry blossom, people make a pilgrimage to the appropriate gardens to admire this natural spectacle.

Care as a bonsai:
Cherries should not be missing in any bonsai collection. With their blooming flowers, they symbolize spring and with them the flora awakens to new life. Cherries can be cultivated as bonsai without any problems. Due to their cut tolerance and good branching, they develop a beautiful and loosely branched crown even without wire. Cherries like to be sunny and should be watered regularly. The plants are frost hardy but should be protected in winter. In order to avoid early flowering, however, the winter quarters must not get warm too early in the year.

Special features of the variety:
The ornamental cherry 'Okame' is a shrub with an umbrella-shaped crown and a height of up to 3.5 meters. Due to its dense growth and delicate flowers, this variety is also very suitable for bonsai cultivation. Regular pruning quickly produces very fine branching. The dark pink flowers appear as early as the end of March. The flowers are not double and sit in threes on the branches. They are very decorative and give the bonsai a special elegance and lightness. The small leaves are narrow and elliptical in shape. They are dark green in summer and turn bright orange-red in autumn. The variety is also propagated by cuttings, so there is no unsightly grafting point.