The cherry blossom symbolizes fervor, purity, and nobility, and is honored as Japan’s national flower. There are over 300 different varieties of cherry blossoms. Which ones do you find most attractive?
I’ve brought together the top ten most beautiful cherry blossom varieties, including Weeping Large-leaved Early Cherry, Kasumizakura, Pine Moon Cherry, Bell-flower Cherry, Welcome Spring Cherry, Samantabhadra Cherry, and Imperial Yellow, among others.
Let’s take a look together.
The Weeping Large-leaved Early Cherry is one of the most beautiful cherry blossom varieties. It grows like most cherry trees initially, but once it reaches a certain height, the major branches grow sideways, and the minor branches stand upright or droop, forming a willow-like cherry branch, similar in shape to the Honey Locust.
The flowers of the Weeping Large-leaved Early Cherry are pale pink, almost white, compactly formed. Their beauty, combined with the tranquility and elegance brought by the drooping branches, often earns them the title of the most beautiful cherry blossoms by the Japanese.
It embodies both the brilliance of cherry blossoms and the soft beauty of willows. It is an important variety for flower viewing, shape viewing, and leaf viewing.
It’s often called “Longevity Cherry Tree” in Japan and can be planted individually for admiration, independent landscaping, or in rows or groups to showcase collective beauty.
The Kasumizakura, also known as “Red Tassel”, is a representative variety of the double-petal cherry blossoms and is extensively planted in China.
Its flower is a deep red color, with a stem of about 6 cm, and approximately 30 petals. It has two leaf-like female stamens, so it doesn’t bear fruit. The flower stem is thick and long. It’s a small deciduous tree with an average height of 2.5m, highly branched, and blooms prolifically.
Its autumn leaves turn a beautiful orange-yellow, comparable to the ginkgo. Both solitary and group plantings are suitable.
The Pine Moon Cherry is a particularly beautiful variety of late-blooming Japanese cherry blossoms. The branches are soft and drooping, forming an umbrella shape. The buds are red and gradually turn white as the flowers bloom, with a diameter of about 5 cm and about 30 petals per flower.
The flowers droop down on slender stems, and the female stamens turn leaf-like. The dark red buds open to reveal pure, elegant white flowers, beautiful before and after blooming.
The leaves and flowers appear simultaneously, with the leaves being green and the lower part of the female stamens becoming leaf-like, while the upper part remains a column head.
The Bell-flower Cherry, also known as the Fujian Mountain Cherry Blossom, originates from Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, and Guangxi, among other places. It’s one of the most successful domestic garden cherry blossom varieties.
It blooms in early spring with bright, vibrant colors. It’s an essential early spring flowering tree species, commonly used for garden viewing. It can be planted in groups, on hillsides, in courtyards, roadside, or in front of buildings.
When in full bloom, the tree is dazzling with flowers, creating a cloud-like spectacle. It can be planted in large groups to create a “sea of flowers” view, dotted in green spaces in small groups to form brocades, or planted individually to form a picturesque “red dot in a sea of green.”
The cherry blossoms can also serve as small road lining trees, hedges, or be used to make bonsai.
The Welcome Spring Cherry is a unique wild cherry species in China, found in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. It’s a near-endangered plant that usually blooms before the leaves, but occasionally blooms alongside them.
The inflorescence has 2 flowers, rarely 1 or 3. The young leaves are green or reddish-brown, with dense blooming and small, delicate, and lovely flowers.
As the plant typically propagates by seeding, different plants have light purplish-red, pink, or white flowers, making it one of the most beautiful early-blooming cherries.
When discussing the most beautiful cherry blossoms, many will nominate the Samantabhadra Cherry. This ornamental tree species is exquisite.
During the bud stage, it’s old red, and when blooming, the outer petals are light red, with the center nearing white.
Two female stamens curve out like ivory, thus named after the elephant that the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra rides. The flowers and leaves bloom together, with young leaves being reddish-brown.
The flowers start off light red and then turn almost white, with 21-50 petals and usually two female stamens. The bloom period is in late March or early April, with flowers and leaves opening simultaneously.
Imperial Yellow is recognized as one of the most beautiful cherry blossom varieties. This rare cherry blossom variety blooms green and signifies wisdom, cultivation, elegance, and beauty.
As a green cherry blossom, it has been known since ancient times. It was cultivated in Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto as early as the Edo period. There are more than 170 places in Japan where you can enjoy Imperial Yellow.
In Kyoto and Yuki City, the diameter of the petals is about 2 to 2.5 cm. In Hokkaido, the diameter of the petals can reach up to 4 cm. There are approximately 10 to 15 petals, with colors ranging between white and light green.
The Large Leaf Early Cherry, also known as the Japanese Early Cherry Blossom, is one of the most beautiful cherry blossom varieties. When in full bloom, the tree is covered with vibrant and gorgeous blossoms, looking extraordinarily spectacular like a cloud.
It can be planted in large patches to create a “sea of flowers” view, or in small clusters to form a “brocade group” within the green. After the Japanese Early Cherry Blossom petals fall, the filaments can remain for a few days, appearing from a distance like a red cloud, which is also very unique.
Additionally, its leaves are hairy, providing a fluffy feeling upon touch, truly embodying the wild cherry blossom’s nature.
Which cherry blossom is the most beautiful? The Oyama Cherry is the answer for many. This cherry blossom variety, native to Hokkaido, Japan, is suitable for cold regions and has high ornamental value. It’s naturally distributed in Japan, Korea, and Russia.
With its beautiful shape and large, vividly colored flowers, it is incredibly beautiful. In autumn, the leaves turn orange or red, making it a top-quality cherry blossom and an excellent ornamental tree for gardens.
In 1972, when Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations normalized, then-Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka presented Oyama Cherry trees as gifts to China.
The 900 Oyama Cherry trees given by Prime Minister Tanaka were planted in places such as the Beijing Botanical Garden, Temple of Heaven Park, Yuyuantan Park, and Purple Bamboo Park.
The Edo Higan Cherry is a very important variety among Japan’s ornamental cherry blossoms. Famous for its vibrancy, the Edo Higan Cherry is the longest-lived variety among Japan’s wild cherry blossoms.
One of the renowned cultivars in this group is the October Cherry. This variety is a rare type of small Higan that continuously blooms from autumn to spring with double flowers.
The leaves are 3.5-5.5 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide, ranging from long elliptical to ovate. It blooms very preciously in late March to early April and again from October to December.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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