Keio Sakura from Yamagata Prefecture


Keio Sakura.  the Japanese cherry blossom tree fascinates people with a lot of pale pink flowers and a dignified presence. From Yamagata prefecture where it still snows quietly, KeioSakura is announcing the beginning of spring.

“The winter-blooming flower”
KeioSakura is a same variety of SomeiYoshino, the typical cherry blossom tree you can find in early spring all over Japan. You can enjoy KeioSakura even putting cut branches into a flower vase because it splinters into a number of twigs with many beautiful pale pink flowers. Inaturally blooms in spring like SomeiYoshino, but prominent technique of growers in Yamagata prefecture enables Keio-Sakura to bloom even in winter. “Winter-blooming cherry blossom tree, ahead of early signs of spring, gains popularity in Japan coloring New Year’s Day and other winter events.

 

“Mechanism to bloom flowers in winter”
KeioSakura starts to bloom by misunderstanding that spring has come when it is exposed to heat in the greenhouse after harvested from the field. Growers take advantage of this natural characteristic and can uninterruptedly continue shipping out from late December till Aprilby adjusting timings of harvests and treatments in the greenhouse. It gives a surprise to people all over Japan by the fact that blooming Keio-Sakura brings spring earlier from the snowy country like Yamagata prefecture.

“Tip of decoration”
Please pay attention to the following pointsWhen you take good care of KeioSakura, the flowers will not wither easily and can last long.

  1. When you put it in a vase, you should split the cut end of the branch verticallyThe surface area contacting with water increasesand that facilitates easy water uptake.
  2. When you use the flower food – the post-harvest preservative, you can enjoy blooming flowers more because flowers open wider than usual. It can also have an effect of making the pink color more vivid.
  3. You can enjoy Keio-Sakura longer when it is decorated at the indoor entrance, where the temperature is lower than in other rooms with heaters.

Source:
Oishi Yamagata Suisin Kiko(Yamagata Specialty products Promoting Organization)
http://www.yamagata.nmai.org/perorinshun/vol112_keiou04.html
http://www.yamagata.nmai.org/perorinshun/index.html

Translated by Fuchu