Japanese Flowering Cherries

Book excerpt: Wybe Kuitert has written an account of Japanese cherries that spans disciplines as far ranging as history, geography, botany, and, of course, horticulture. Confusion and misunderstandings, particularly regarding the names of the plants, have hampered their appreciation in the West. Fluent in Japanese and a professor of landscape architecture at the Kyoto University of Art and Design, Wybe Kuitert consulted many sources and references never before translated into English, some of them ancient. This book will become an indispensable resource for sorting out incorrect and improper plant names that have stymied nurseries, collectors, and amateur gardeners. Full and complete information is also provided for the cultivation and propagation of cherries. A complete botanical key to the classification of Japanese cherries has been contributed by Dutch plant breeder Aric Peterse.