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Prunus (Cherries, Plums, Almond, Apricot) S\M\-30ø\Ls\B Evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. A huge genus of well known and often used plants. Nearly all Prunus prefer full sun, well drained loose soils and moist but not wet soil in summer. Nearly all are cold hardy to -30F. When a Prunus species does not conform to this description it will be mentioned. We are interested in the flowering and ornamental species that make excellent landscape plants as well as bonsai. To simplify matters, and to make comparisons, we have grouped the Prunus species into Flowering Cherries, Flowering Plums, and Flowering Apricot followed by the other species that do not fit into these groups. In order to do this we must forego alphabetical order for Prunus.
All of our Prunus are cutting grown. Cutting grown plants means that you get plants that are ready to flower the spring following their arrival. It also eliminates the ugly grafts prevalent for Prunus species. Lastly, small cutting grown plants provide you with 'true to name' cultivars at very low prices.
Prunus is a traditional genus for bonsai. The early spring flowers on naked stems have been cherished in Asia for centuries. Most people try to make bonsai from plants that are too small. A few species will make mame bonsai such as P. subhirtella X 'Hally Jolivette', but most are suitable only for larger bonsai, which will require years of growing out and multiple trunk chops to obtain taper and movement. Most Prunus tend to grow with cylindrical trunks with little or no taper. Cutting back the trunk repeatedly over a number of years is needed to correct this.
Prunus almost universally suffer from winter and spring fungal diseases and should be treated like fruiting trees. A fixed copper dormant spray several times a winter will protect most species. Most are also subject to late spring freeze damage. They should not be allowed to freeze once they begin to flower.
FLOWERING CHERRY
Cold hardy to -30ø, but due to severe dieback
better suited
to areas that only reach -10ø. Prune only to shape plants,
be careful to choose species that will not outgrow their site. Pruning
to control size in the landscape is an endless battle and will diminish
the number of blooms. Flowering Cherries are notorious for forming bad
graft unions that become unsightly with age and are also sources for
infection and insect infestation. To avoid this, our plants are cutting
grown whenever possible. Smaller leaf types make excellent bonsai.
Weeping forms such as 'Pendula' make
beautiful cascade bonsai. In
bonsai situations many will rebloom in the fall as a result of summer
pruning. The spectacular flowers of the larger leaf forms make them
tempting for bonsai, but they will only be suitable for larger (3 to 4
foot) bonsai.
7590
Prunus incisa
'Midori' (Fuji Cherry, Mame-zakura) Small shrubby tree,
almost prostrate, somewhat smaller than the species. Gray bark, small 2
inch leaves, single pink flowers in early spring, followed by small
purple black cherries. The very twiggy branching and slow growth of
this Cherry makes it excellent material for bonsai. This cultivar is
quite disease resistant.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18
FOUR INCH POTS $27
7650
Prunus
subhirtella
'Autumnalis' 25
foot x 25 foot open branching shrubby tree with a flattened crown.
Small pale pink to white double flowers in spring and again in the
fall, although not as profuse in autumn. Some flowers may appear during
warm winter spells. The small leaves and fine branching make this an
excellent choice for flowering bonsai. Little or no fruit.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18
ONE GALLON SIZE $45
7655
Prunus
subhirtella x yedoensis
'Hally Jolivette' A
small rounded shrubby tree to 12 feet eventually. Flowers are small and
double pink, blooms for three weeks. The plant is densely branched and
has small leaves. New stems are reddish. One of th very best cultivars
for small bonsai.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $18
FOUR INCH POTS $27
7657
Prunus
subhirtella
'Pendula'A more vigorous weeping cherry. . The branches form
perfect
weeping arches when staked up. White flowers, no fruit. Better for
larger bonsai.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18 Available April 2024
FLOWERING
PLUM
The description above for Flowering Cherry also applies to Flowering
Plums with the additional precaution that fruits can be a problem and
that plums in general are even faster growing and more likely to
outgrow their site if not chosen carefully. Plums should be treated in
winter with dormant sprays and pruned 'inside out', that is they should
not be headed back which will only encourage their bad habit of forming
crossing branches in the center of the tree. These crossing branches
should be pruned out to open the center of the tree and create a canopy
of foliage on the outer branches. For bonsai, most are only suitable
for larger bonsai. In areas of cold wet spring weather, do not prune
until warmer, drier weather after the first leaves have hardened off to
avoid fungal diseases entering pruning cuts.
Mume flowers: (clockwise from quarter) 'Hokkai Bungo', 'Bonita', 'Dawn'
FLOWERING
APRICOT
Prunus mume has
been
popular in China and Japan for over a thousand years and is now
becoming very popular in the U.S. It is the longest lived of the
flowering fruit species. It flowers very early in the season, January
in mild areas and Feb-March in colder areas. The flowers may be single
or double, either pink, white, or red (depending on the cultivar)and
are fragrant with a strong spicy cinnamon scent. The flowers are borne
along the
length of new green stem growth which can reach 6 feet or more in a
single season. The tree will form a multitude of apricot-like fruits
that are edible, but quite sour. The leaves are a glossy deep green.
Pruning may take place while the tree is
in bloom and the branches brought into the house. The tree will
ultimately reach 20 feet and will eventually develop black gnarly bark
and an ancient rugged
character. Grafts are problematic; all our cultivars are cutting grown.
A traditional bonsai tree. You should plan on growing out mume for
large trunks; they do not make very good small bonsai. Fortunately they
grow very quickly. You can obtain a four to six inch trunk in as many
years if you plant them in the ground. For more information on
obtaining large trunks for bonsai see the article on
Developing Large Trunks for Bonsai.
Growing mume
is problematic for many people
including us.
Unfortunately, mume are very difficult for us to grow from cuttings.
They like cool humid summer temperatures, and our weather is hot semi
arid, the polar opposite. The challenge is enormous, and we will have to
take off several years to rethink how to do this. We will keep the
descriptive part of the catalog intact, but will not list prices or
availability until we actually have plants to sell. This will avoid the
confusion and disappointment. So, please do not request mume until they
are actually listed, we will not have any.
The
basic problem of growing mume is that they are very susceptible to spring
freezes.
Their early flowering means that they are active very early in the
spring. Any hard freeze after flowering begins induces small freeze
damage cracks along the branches that are invaded by spring fungal
diseases. Often these diseases are fatal to the tree, but if not fatal,
large branches can be lost. We now have a large greenhouse that will
allow us to overwinter a few stock plants to experiment on. Mume will
perform best in areas that are
mild in winter, and that once warm, stay warm without spring frost
danger. Dry weather in spring also helps with the control of fungal
diseases. Some disease control is possible with fungicides, especially
fixed copper, but repeated applications will be necessary. Fortunately,
mume grow quite well in containers with frequent repotting and this
allows them to be moved into a protected area temporarily in spring. An
overwintering cold greenhouse is ideal for them, such as a covered
porch or traditional greenhouse.
All the deep red flowering mume are weak growers and prone to disease. Grow them at your own risk. Fungicide spraying and extraordinary care is a must. A good substitute for red mume is 'Hokkai Bungo' which is almost a pure red and a strong grower. A few mume are currently available and we are propagating more this year. We hope to have more cultivars available Fall 2023.
7743
Prunus
mume
'Beni chidori'
[cuttings] Double flowers of an unusual very bright pink color. FOUR INCH POTS $50 |
7746
Prunus
mume
'Dawn'
[cuttings] Double pink
flowers just a little paler than 'Peggy Clarke'. 'Dawn'
blooms a
couple of weeks later than most mume, and this may be the reason
that
for its slightly greater resistance to spring freezing. See photo
above. Sorry, Not Available until later this fall |
7748
Prunus
mume
'Hokkai bungo'
[cuttings]
Double red flowers, reputed to be one of the deepest shades of red
on a
weeping plant. The deep red color has the hint of purple, whereas
'Matsubara Red' is more pure red. Like most of the red
mume, this is a weaker, slower growing tree. Don't wait for these to
become available before ordering or they will be sold out. You can
order immediately and schedule shipment after the availability date.
We
don't charge you until shipment. Please see the note above on the
difficulty of growing the red flower forms. We can assure you that
you
will receive live healthy plants, but their survival after that is
up
to you. FOUR INCH POTS $50 ONE GALLON SIZE Available later this fall |
G |
7750
Prunus
mume
'Kobai'
[cuttings] Very deep double pink flowers, almost, but not quite pure
red. Vigorous upright grower.
Sorry, Not Available until later this fall
7767
Prunus
mume
'Omoi-no-mama'
[cuttings]Multi
colored pink and white flowers. That's the only description I have
right now. Am very anxious to see this one flower.
FOUR INCH POTS $70
7770
Prunus
mume
'Peggy Clarke'
[cuttings] This is a nice medium pink double flowered cultivar. By
far
one of the most popular. Sorry, Not Available until later this fall |
7775
Prunus
mume
'Trumpet'
[cuttings]Double pink flowers. Vigorous upright grower.
Similar
to the other pink mume, but it flowers first of all the mume in
our
nursery Sorry, Not Available until 2025 |
7777
Prunus
mume
'Une ....?'
[cuttings] Dark double pink flowers. Vigorous upright grower. Once upon
a time we had an extensive collection of mume cultivars, but lost most
of them over the years due to our difficult spring climate. This one
survived, but somehow the last half of its tag was lost. I have not
been able to find a mume anywhere on the internet that has "Une" as the
first word of its name. If anyone knows of this cultivar, I would
greatly appreciate hearing from you. It's a wonderful cultivar and I
hope to post pictures of its flowers this year.
ONE GALLON SIZE $85 Sorry, Sold Out
7780Prunus
mume
'Rosemary Clarke'
[cuttings] Pure white double flowered cultivar. One of the most
popular. Strong grower. ONE GALLON SIZE Available later this fall |
7790
Prunus
mume
'WB Clarke'
[cuttings] Very similar to 'Peggy Clarke', but with pronounced
weeping
branches. Sorry, Discontinued |
7808
Pseudocydonia sinensis
(Chinese Quince) Small shrubby tree, semi evergreen with two inch
glossy green thick leaves. Fall color is showy red to yellow foliage.
Vigorous grower forming a large trunk rather quickly. One inch pale pink
single flowers and two to three inch yellow fruit (quinces). Cold hardy to
zone 6. Excellent traditional material for bonsai.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18 Available April 2024
They thrive under desert conditions and are very drought resistant, although the fruit will suffer. They need full sun and prefer well drained soil, but will grow in almost any soil that does not stay too wet in summer.
Excellent plants for bonsai, forming thick tapered and sometimes twisted trunks. Full sized Pomegranate should only be used for larger bonsai (2-4 feet) to keep the flowers and fruit in proportion. This means growing them out for several years to develop sufficient trunk size. The dwarf types are suitable for small and very small bonsai, where their flowers and small fruit will be quite striking. Bonsai plants should be protected from temperatures below about 26F. They can be grown indoors in winter under bright lights, but it is not recommended. They do much better if given a dormant period in winter, even if it is a brief one in the fall before being moved indoors. All of our Pomegranates are cutting grown and ready to flower.
FULL
SIZE POMEGRANATE
Most of these plants were originally imported from Japan and are very
rare in this country. We are one of the very few nurseries propagating
these cultivars.
7820 Punica granatum
'Hiza Kuro'
Red ruffled
double flowered with very little orange cast. Closest to a pure red.
Huge flowers sometimes to four inches. Japan. Few or no fruit.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $16
FOUR INCH POTS $25
ONE GALLON SIZE $45
7835
Punica granatum
'Sarasa Shibori' Variegated ruffled double. Paler
orange red with creamy variegation on the outer edge of the
petals.
Japan. Few or no fruit. FOUR INCH POTS $27 |
DWARF
AND
SEMI-DWARF POMEGRANATE
We have discontinued Punica granatum
'Nana'because
of the confusion over the name. Many plants sold are actually seedlings
of dwarf plants that are quite variable, some of them even nearly full
size. We now only offer named cultivars that are cutting grown so that
you may be assured of the plant's characteristics.
7860 Punica
granatum
'Evergreen's
Red Dwarf'
This is a seedling selection introduced by our nursery that is a very
vigorous upright semi-dwarf to about five feet. It has single orange
red flowers and the same deep purple fruits as 'Emperor' except that
they are larger, up to 2 inches. We especially like this plant for
bonsai because it forms a large trunk quite quickly due to its rapid
growth but it retains the twigginess, flowers and fruit of the dwarf
types. It is not quite as free flowering as the smaller dwarf types,
and has small thorns. Our mother plant is over ten years old and has a
3 inch trunk at the base.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18
7880 Pyracantha coccinea'Fiery
Cascade' (Firethorn) -10°F\S\M\Ls\B Evergreen
shrub to about 8 feet. Orange berries turning red. This is a nice
smaller leafed Pyracantha that
will make small to medium size bonsai.
FOUR INCH POTS $27 Available April 2024
ONE GALLON SIZE $45
7885
Pyracantha fortuneana'Mohave'
(Firethorn) -10°F\S\M\Ls\B Evergreen shrub to about 12 feet x
12
feet. This is one of the cold hardiest Pyracantha. It has very flexible
branches making it useful for espalier or cascade bonsai. The berries
color up early in the fall and last through the winter. They are the
darkest red berry of all Pyracantha.
FOUR INCH POTS $18 Available April 2024
ONE GALLON SIZE $45
7930
Pyrus
calleryana (Gremel's Pear)
S\M\15°F\Ls\B There's a funny story behind this dwarf Asian
Pear. Jim Gremel purchased some'Toringo' crab seedlings from Lawyer
Nursery about a dozen years ago. He field grow these and they became a
dense thorny thicket, flowering after about eight years old. Strangely,
the small round 1/2 inch fruits never seemed to turn red. In any case,
they made some really handsome trunks and he eventually dug them up and
sold them as specimen'Toringo' crabs. And I bought one from
him. The more we looked at these 'crabs', the less sure we were that
they were really Malus sp.Eventually it
dawned on us that the reason the 'apples' didn't turn red was because
they were pears! Jim offered everyone their money back, but no one took
him up on it, we all love our little Gremel Pears. I helped him track
down the probable species as either P. calleryana, or P.
ussuriensis. But neither of these species really fits these
wonderful little dwarf pears. The full size leaves are about 1 1/2 to 2
inches, but they dwarf nicely to about 1 inch. The plants are strong
growing, but
leaves and internodes reduce nicely when they are constrained. Fairly
cold hardy and disease resistant. The little round pears turn a
greenish yellow when ripe and are a perfect size for shohin or slightly
larger bonsai. Our plants are all cutting grown from our
single tree, and are capable of flowering and fruiting immediately,
although typically it takes a few years of growing out before they
bear.
2 3/4
INCH POTS $18 Available April 2024
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