Korean mountain cherry is a deciduous flowering tree native to mountain regions of Korea, Japan and China, grown for its yellow-white spring blossom and reddish-brown to crimson autumn leaves. Give it full sun or part shade and well-drained soil, and it is hardy in temperate climates.
Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first few years, and let the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Moist but well-drained loam, slightly acidic to neutral.
Temperature
Hardy to around -20 °C; protect young trees from late frosts.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Seeds, leaves and bark of cherries (Prunus species) contain cyanogenic glycosides that release cyanide when damaged; the sources note flavonoids but not cyanide specifically, so this is from general knowledge.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
N. & E. China to Korea, Japan
Climate
temperate
About
Prunus leveilleana is a native of Korea, Japan and China. It generally has autumnal leaves of reddish-brown or crimson red colour. It has flowers of bright yellow-white colors.
Safety
In this species various new flavonoid compounds have been found. The compounds are pinocembrin-5-glucoside (5,7-dihydroxyflavanone 5-glucoside), geinstein (5,7,4'-trihydroxysoflavone), prunetin (5,4' dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone) and pinocembrin (5,7-dihydroxyflavanone) were found on September 6, 1956.
Where it grows
This species is a native of middle Japan, where it is commonly distributed into the mountainous regions.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus leveilleana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.