Tai-haku

Taihaku or Tai-Haku, is a traditional white-flowered Japanese flowering cherry.

It is notable for its very large single white flowers, probably the largest of any flowering cherry. It is sometimes known as the "Great White Cherry" for this reason.

As well as the stunning spring blossom display, Tai-Haku also has attractive dark bark, and the leaves turn yellow-orange in autumn.

Growing and Training

Tai-Haku is a versatile tree for the larger garden, it grows rapidly into a medium-large spreading tree. However do not be put off by its reputation for getting larger and larger - we graft the tree on to a cherry rootstock which will keep the mature height down to around 4m-5m, while retaining its beautiful proportions.

History

Tai-haku is a form of Prunus serrulata, which is the traditional Japanese garden cherry ("sato-zakura"). Surprisingly it died out in its native country, but in the 1930s the English flowering cherry enthusiast Major Colllingwood Ingram discovered a tree growing in a garden south of London, and identified it from an 18th century Japanese painting. This remarkable piece of botanical detective work cemented Collingwood Ingram's place as the foremost expert of his generation, in both the west and in Japan. All modern examples of this important variety are descended from the English tree.

Tai-haku characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• Country of originJapan
• Period of origin1700 - 1749

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