May 3, 2023. It’s almost all fluffy double blossoms from here on out. Here are two that are not all that rare. These are easily distinguished when the flowers are opening, but after their full bloom, distinguishing them can be difficult.
‘Shiro-fugen’, with its sturdy outstretched limbs and flat top is further distinguished by its overall dusky colouring up until the flowers have passed their peak of white-ness. The leaves are brown, buds are brownish pink, and the flowers open pure white. Next, after the flowers have been open for several days, the leaves will turn green. After that, the flowers will turn neon-pink starting from the centres. There will still be new flowers for a few weeks, and many of the old flowers will hang on, making this a tree of interest for a whole month, with a mix of flower colours.
In contrast to the above trees, ‘Ichiyo’ trees have a fresher appearance due to the almost green leaves when the flowers are opening. And there is more pink in the newly opened flowers. The limbs are more upright, giving the trees a rounder shape. These flowers age to almost white, while ‘Shiro-fugen’ flowers age to pink. The trick when you come across one of these is knowing in which direction the colouring is developing.
