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Yoshino cherry
Habit (mature) · David J. Stang / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Yoshino cherry
Prunus × yedoensis
A graceful Japanese ornamental flowering cherry — the predominant tree of the Washington, D.C. cherry-blossom display — reaching 30-40 feet with a spreading, broad-rounded crown. Fragrant white (sometimes pink-tinged) flowers open in 3-to-6-flowered clusters before or alongside the emerging foliage in a profuse early-spring bloom, followed by small black cherries that are bitter to people but eaten by birds. Dark green serrate leaves turn yellow with bronze tints in fall.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: narrow (31/100)
Focal point
Structure
Light
Full sun / Part sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
360-480" tall · 360" apart
Hardy in zones
5a-8b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Mild-Warm
mild to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Per Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder it tolerates heat and humidity but not drought, and is adaptable to a wide range of soils. Maintenance is rated High — cherries carry significant insect and disease pressure (leaf spot, dieback, leaf curl; aphids, scale, borers, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, spider mites).
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Yoshino cherry (Prunus × yedoensis). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/yoshino-cherry
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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