Mar 6, 2024 / History, Washington Park Arboretum, Plant Profiles, Education, Research, News / Catherine Nelson

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March 2024 Plant Profile: Japanese Ornamental Cherry Tree Acquisitions

Scientific name: Prunus species Various species: P. Sato-zakura Group: Cultivars: ‘Shirotae’, ‘Shoetsu’, ‘Ukon’ ‘Chosho-Hizakura’, Sekiyama’ ‘Ohochin’ ‘Oeshokun’ P. serrulata: Cultivars: ‘Asagi’ ‘Iohiyo’, ‘Shirofugen’, ‘Tai-Haku’, ‘Taoyome’ ‘Wase-Miyako’ ‘Horinji’ P. subhirtella: Cultivars: ‘Eureka Weeping’ ‘Pendula’ ‘Rosea’ ‘Stellata’ ‘Higan Weeping’ ‘Whitcomb’ P. sargentii: Cultivar: ‘Pink Flair’ Prunus x yedoensis: Cultivar: ‘Akebono’, ‘Shidare-yoshino’, ‘Somei-Yoshino’ P. x juddii Common name: Japanese Ornamental Cherry Family: Rosaceae Native Range: Japan In the Arboretum: Along Azalea Way Issues: brown rot, cherry bark tortrix larvae, crown gall, root rot, low tolerance of compacted or wet soils During spring’s first blossoms, I brag to anyone who will listen that the Japanese ornamental cherries at the Washington Park Arboretum are the most amazing display in the city and that they MUST go for a walk along Azalea Way to view this splendor. As I and my fellow docent were preparing our 2023 tour of the cherries and examining tags and accession years, we started discussing their history. II was always told they were a gift from the country of Japan, but we realized that many of these trees were acquired during WWII and must have another source. This got me digging about in our records to see what I could find about the sources of these first cherry trees. Prior to 1934 – when Washington Park officially became the Washington Park Arboretum – there were some ornamental cherries acquired and planted by the Seattle Parks Department. In 1930, the City of Seattle received a donation of 4,000 flowering cherry trees from the country of Japan. These ornamental cherries were planted in parks all around the city in 1931-33, with many of them ending up along stretches of Lake Washington Boulevard south of the Arboretum. In 1935 the trees known as the Quad Cherries on the UW campus were acquired by the Arboretum and planted in an area called “old Canal Reserve” in the then northwest area of the park. Records of their source are unclear or lost, but there was quite a fuss when they were planted, as this was not part of the “Olmsted Plan” which had just been finalized. They were relocated and planted in their current location on the University of Washington campus in 1962 when construction of the “new” 520 bridge across Lake Washington took that property as eminent domain. These trees are pretty famous in Seattle and draw thousands of visitors each spring. An article from the Seattle Times in 1937 announced that the Bon Marche department store purchased 36 ornamental cherries to donate to the Arboretum; the 36 trees were a combination of 20 “weeping” varieties and 16 large upright trees with a total value of $1,500 (which would equate to roughly $33,000 today). The trees were displayed inside the downtown Bon Marché store before they were transferred to the Arboretum: “Decorating the store with flowering trees and shrubs from Seattle nurseries will continue to be the policy of the store…and each collection will be turned over to the Arboretum. Trees will be planted in the Arboretum nurseries to continue their normal growth, then moved to their permanent places in the planting plan during the winter when they are dormant” According to Raymond Larson, the UW Botanic Gardens Curator of Living Collections, most of Washington Park Arboretum’s older ornamental cherries were acquired from nurseries in Japan as relationships were good among nurseries and gardens in both countries prior to the war. Many of our prized conifers, Rhododendrons and Magnolias were acquired from the esteemed Tokyo nurseryman, Koichiro Wada. An article in the June 1939 Arboretum Bulletin discusses the planting status of Azalea Way: “the area is being prepared for the placing of the plants. A very excellent detailed planting plan has been received from the Olmsted Bros. … The soil is being prepared so that active planting can begin. Plans are now being developed which, it is hoped, will lead to the purchase of many, if not all, of the varieties of azaleas, flowering cherries and dogwoods which are to be used along the way.” Some of the first Japanese Ornamental Cherries acquired by the WPA were the Prunus x yedoensis or Yoshino Cherries. According to the acquisition card, the WPA purchased 35 from the Portland Wholesale Nursery in 1939. Of the original 35 trees, seven are left in our collection. One of the these Yoshinos (2233-39-G), which sits along the trail above the southern pond, has a circumference of roughly 6 feet.     The development of Azalea Way was completed by 1940 and required more than 10,000 hours of labor and 500 railroad cars of compost and when finished displayed 500 trees and over 2000 azaleas. Several of the resources I read mentioned a November 1955 severe snow and ice storm that devastated many area trees. In a letter dated 4/20/1956 Arboretum director, Brian O. Mulligan reports on the effects of this weather event on the Arboretum collection: “…we have now checked on the cherry trees on Azalea Way and find that 167 are dead and will have to be removed very shortly. This includes all trees of the varieties “Shirotae” (Mt. Fuji); “Fugenze”; “Shirofugen”; Sieboldii (“Takasago” or “Naden”); “Ojochin”; Shogetsu”; and Prunus subhirtella autumnalis. The value of these 167 trees we estimate at approximately $15,000.” In 1998 Arboretum Director, Dr. John Wott, noted that there were 22 cultivars and about 100 individual trees ornamental cherry trees along Azalea Way. He mentioned that the original Olmsted plan had called for 500 cherries. He also noted that the UW Botanic Gardens’ recently completed new master plan outlined renovations on Azalea Way, which would include a testing program to find Prunus species and cultivars that were disease resistant As of 2018, our Horticulture staff estimated we had roughly 175 ornamental cherries in the Arboretum.  And, of course, UWBG hasn’t ended our acquisitions of ornamental cherries. In 2013 the Arboretum received a donation of twelve flowering cherry trees from the government of Japan in recognition of the 100th anniversary of their country’s gift to the United States of the ornamental cherry trees in Washington, DC.  The Japanese government funded the purchase and planting of hundreds of trees across the US at that time.  There is a commemoration plaque for these 2013 donations on the lawn in front of one of these cherry trees. The plaque is located at the north end of Azalea Way, just south of the junction with the Willcox path.   Cherry trees in general prefer temperature extremes: cold winters and hot summers. This means in our temperate climate that these trees are not quite in their perfect environment, and they tend to suffer a few pathogens as a result. Brown Rot and Cherry Bark Tortrix infestations are common. The Arboretum has lost many of its oldest ornamental cherries due to these pathogens and some extreme weather events in the last 90 years, so the surviving trees from early acquisitions feel like special elements of our collection. Our Horticulture staff has researched and found cultivars that are more disease resistant and tolerant of our temperate climate. If one of the ornamental cherries along Azalea Way perishes, it is replaced by one of these cultivars. This honors the original and historically protected Olmsted design of Azalea Way with a more practical approach to tree longevity. This last mild winter and early warm spring weather will bring these trees to blossom soon. A few of our collection cherries are already blooming and the rest are budding up and getting ready for their big show. And while the Quad Cherries on UW campus are amazing….you don’t want to miss out on the spring show along Azalea Way. If you are interested in further reading, there are several detailed articles in the references below on proper tree care, a list of disease resistant cultivars, and historical aspects of our collection. References: Koichiro Wada from “John Grimshaw’s Garden Diary” a blog posting of Saturday, April 9, 2011 Raymond Larson, UW Botanic Gardens’ Curator of Living Collections Virginia Tech Univiersity Libraray, “Kochiro Wada” by Frank Doleshy: https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v35n2/v35n2-doleshy.htm “Olmsted in Seattle”, Jennifer Ott, History Link / Documentary Media, 2019 Seattle Times archived articles; via Seattle Public Library Seattle Post-Intelligencer archived articles: via Seattle Public Library The Arboretum Foundation Bulletin archived articles: via Elizabeth Miller Library and Biodiversity Heritage Library (biodiversitylibrary.org). Special thanks to Librarian Rebecca Alexander for her assistance. “Beyond the Emperor’s Gates – Japanese Influences Throughout Washington Park Arboretum,” Dr. John Wott, Winter 1998: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54455878#page/1/mode/1up “Japanese Trees in our Arboretum,” Pat Ballard, Fall 1956 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54462608 “Cherries in the Arboretum“, Robert J. Hansen, Spring 1953 “Oriental Flowering Cherries in the Seattle Parks System”, A.W. Gallaher, Superintendent of Maintenance of the Dept. of Seattle Parks, Spring 1953 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/236744#page/1/mode/1up Yuki Shiotani “Quad Cherry History,” 20190208 UW Botanic Gardens Plant Profile, by Horticulture Director, David Zuckerman, March 2018 https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/blog/2018/03/16/flowering-cherries-need-help-to-stay-healthy/