October Cherry: The Captivating Beauty of White and Pink Blooms

The October Cherry, known as one of the fine varieties in the Edo Higan cherry series, is a triploid hybrid of the small Higan cherry and other cherry blossoms, and has been widely planted since the end of the Edo period in Japan. This variety now comes in white, known as the “October Cherry,” and pink, known as the “Rose October Cherry.”

Generally, they are medium-sized flowers that bloom twice a year, in late March to early April and from October to December, making them extremely precious.

Basic Introduction

This variety is a triploid hybrid of the small Higan cherry (a hybrid of the bean cherry and Edo Higan) and other cherry blossoms.

This variety is one of the few double-petaled varieties of small Higan cherries that bloom continuously from autumn to spring. The flowers are small in autumn and large in spring, with long stems.

Morphology and Characteristics

This deciduous shrub stands 6-10 meters tall, with a bottle-shaped form and gray-brown bark. The young branches have many slanting hairs. The mature leaves are 3.5-5.5 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide, ranging from oblong to elliptic to ovate.

The tip gradually tapers off, and the base is blunt. The serrations are sharp, either doubly serrated or singly serrated. The leaves have hairs on both sides, with more on the veins on the back.

The leaf stem is 1 cm long, with many slanting hairs. At the base of the leaf, there are two nectaries with short stems. The stipules are linear. The flower arrangement is in the shape of an umbrella. The flower stems and smaller flower stems have many slanting hairs.

The outer end of the inner scale has hairs. The calyx is jug-shaped, with a weak contraction at the top. The lower half of the calyx has serrations or marginal hairs. The lower half of the outside has hairs.

There are 10-16 petals, which are linear oblong and range from pale red to white. The inner petals, with the middle type of stamen, have a single anther.

There are 40-60 stamens. The pistil is taller than the stamen. The upper part of the style is smooth, while the lower part and the upper part of the ovary have slanting hairs.

This variety now comes in white, known as “October Cherry,” and pink, known as “Rose October Cherry” (Prunus subhirtella cv. Autumnalis Rosea).

Apart from the difference in flower color, there are no other noticeable differences. In most parts of the country, there is no distinction made, except in a few places.

The flowers are medium-sized, double-petaled, and pale red. They bloom twice a year, in late March to early April and from October to December, making them very precious.

This variety is a cultivated variety of the Higan cherry series, and has been widely planted since the end of the Edo period (1800s). The October Cherry is a double cherry blossom, as is the Fukuhana early cherry blossom that blooms at the same time.