Prunus serrulata
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
Japanese hill cherry
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
Deciduous tree up to about 12 m tall. Leaves thin, broadly ovate 80-130 by 45-60 mm, petiole 20-32 mm, lamina rounded at the base tapering to a point at the tip, glabrous above and below, with serrate margins. Inflorescence a cluster of 3-4 white to pink flowers on short lateral shoots. Fruit less than 15 mm diameter, globose, dark red-black, stone smooth.
Similar taxa
In the sub genus Carasus (cherries). The acuminate (tapering to a fine point, sides slightly concave) marginal teeth on the leaves and the spreading flowers distinguish this species.
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Rosaceae
Ecology
Flowering
August, September, October
Year naturalised
1982
Origin
China, Japan
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial. Reproduces by seed which is probably dispersed by birds.
Other information
Etymology
serrulata: Rough edged
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
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