Trees and Shrubs Online logo

Prunus grayana Maxim.

TSO logo

Sponsor this page

For information about how you could sponsor this page, see How You Can Help

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Prunus grayana' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/prunus/prunus-grayana/). Accessed 2024-09-14.

Genus

Common Names

  • Gray's Bird Cherry

Synonyms

  • Padus grayana (Maxim.) Schneid.

Glossary

apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Prunus grayana' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/prunus/prunus-grayana/). Accessed 2024-09-14.

Prunus grayana

Prunus grayana in flower at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (20051946*A, from BBJMT 70 gathered in northern Honshu, Japan). 11 May 2024. Image Tom Christian.

A native of Japan, where it is a small tree 20 to 30 ft high, with a slender trunk. This species is very closely allied to our common bird cherry (P. padus), differing chiefly in the leaves, which have no glands on the very short stalks (almost invariably present in P. padus), and in the teeth being finer and more hair-like. The white flowers are borne in erect racemes up to 4 in. long. Fruits black, about the size of peas, narrowing towards the apex. The species inhabits the mountain forests of the main island of Japan, and the southern parts of Hokkaido. The true plant is very uncommon in cultivation.

Prunus grayana

A close up on the inflorescence of Prunus grayana at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (20051946*A, from BBJMT 70 gathered in northern Honshu, Japan). 11 May 2024. Image Tom Christian.

Prunus grayana

Foliage with short-stalked leaves on slender branchlets of Prunus grayana, Kyoto (Fushimi) wild origin, at the Plantentuin Meise, Belgium (16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Prunus grayana

Foliage on Prunus grayana superficially resembles P. padus (Plantentuin Meise, Belgium – 16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Prunus grayana

Leaves on Prunus grayana, with the lamina ovate to obovate, and apically caudate (Plantentuin Meise, Belgium – 16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Prunus grayana

Axillary bud and scattered pubescence on lamina lower surface of Prunus grayana (Plantentuin Meise, Belgium – 16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Prunus grayana

Short, eglandular petiole on Prunus grayana (Plantentuin Meise, Belgium – 16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Prunus grayana

Finely serrate-dentate lamina margin on Prunus grayana (Plantentuin Meise, Belgium – 16 August 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Contact the editors at