Prunus conradinae seed
LATIN NAME: PRUNUS CONRADINAE
COMMON NAME: Conrad”s Cherry
In the mountain woods of the west, Conrad”s cherry grows as a small, deciduous tree with the oval, pointed leaves and the clusters of small, pale-pink, cup-shaped flowers that open very early in the spring, before the leaves, the small, dark-red cherries ripening in the early summer. The young plant grows into a multi-stemmed clump, to about twelve metres. Site it in full sun, in deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Conrad”s cherry shows up in the studies of the early-flowering cherries of the west, its bare-branch pink cups and its small cherries keeping it in view in the work on the ornamental cherries of the mountain region and the wild fruits of the spring woods. The research looks at the way the pink cups open before the leaves, the dark cherries ripen and feed the birds, and the seed biology of the hard, stony seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the spring garden, Conrad”s cherry lights the bare branches with the pale-pink cups that open among the first flowers of the year and then sets the small cherries that the birds take in the early summer. The compact tree fits the small garden, and the tree makes the fine early cherry, the spring specimen and the tree of the cold, open garden. It is a tree for the open, sunny, deep and fertile place.
To grow the Conrad”s Cherry from seed, clean the stones from the small fruits and give them a cold, moist spell.
Clean the stones from the small fruits and give them a cold, moist spell, and keep the young cherries in the open, sunny spot. The pink cups open before the leaves.
LATIN NAME: Prunus conradinae
COMMON NAME: Conrads Cherry, Chinese Flowering Cherry
Conrads cherry is a wild cherry of the Chinese mountains, and its spring bloom is soft, fragrant and quietly exquisite. It establishes itself as a broad, spreading crown, up to five metres tall. The flowers are carried in profusion, covering the bare branches with blossom, and they are followed by small, dark cherries. It is a tree of the forest ravines, and in recent years it has begun to find its place in gardens as a charming ornamental.
Conrads cherry belongs to the rose family, Rosaceae, and it is native to the forests of southern and central China, where it grows in forested ravines and slopes at 500 to 2,100 metres. It has been planted as an ornamental in suitable gardens, and it is one of the many lovely wild cherries of China.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing Conrads cherry from seed is easy and very rewarding. The cherries ripen in summer, and the seeds, or stones, germinate best after a period of cold, moist conditions, so clean the stones and sow them in pots of free-draining compost in autumn, then leave them outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for two to three months first. Germination usually begins in spring. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny or partly shaded spot in good, well-drained soil. A seed-raised cherry will grow into a small, flowering tree, and in a few years it will reward you with its fragrant spring blossom.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Conrads cherry has a genuine and growing place in horticultural and botanical research. As one of the many wild cherries of China, it is of interest in plant taxonomy and in research on the genus Prunus, and researchers have studied the relationships among the flowering cherries and the genetics of this large and important group, which includes plums, cherries, peaches and almonds. In horticulture, the tree has been studied as a potential ornamental, valued for its fragrant spring flowers, and it has been of interest in breeding, since wild cherries are a source of useful traits for ornamental and fruit-breeding programs. The species has also been studied in ecology for its role in the forest ravines and slopes of China. For a cherry of such quiet beauty and such interest to breeders, Conrads cherry has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, Conrads cherry is a generous tree of the Chinese forest. Its fragrant flowers feed bees and other pollinators in early spring, its small cherries feed birds, and it grows in the forested ravines of China, adding to the rich plant life of the region.
Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is grown as an ornamental for its fragrant spring blossom, and it is of interest to breeders of ornamental cherries, while its relatives in the genus Prunus are of great importance as fruit trees. For a grower, Conrads cherry is a charming and rewarding tree, and for a gardener it brings soft, fragrant blossom to the spring garden.