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'Kojima'

Prunus serrulata (PROO-nus ser-u-LAH-ta)

Family: Roseaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

'Mount Fuji' is a beautiful flowering cherry tree cultivar that has showy pendulous clusters of white, fragrant, semi-double flowers. The young leaves are pale green, deeply serrated with pointed tips, and appear bronze-tinged as they unfold. It is a small upright deciduous tree that has a spreading horizontal crown and arching branches which makes it appear umbrella-like. The bark is smooth, reddish-brown, and adds winter interest to the landscape. This cultivar generally lives 15 to 25 years. It is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family. This cultivar is also known as 'Shirotae,' which means "white cloth" in Japanese. It was introduced in the 19th century but was exported to Europe and the United States in the 20th century under the name, 'Mount Fuji.' It has received the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. The genus name, Prunus , is Latin and means "plum tree." The species name, serrulata, references its serrated leaves. 'Mount Fuji' performs best in full sun with moist, well-drained soils. It is tolerant of most soil types and is hardy from zones 5 to 8. Good air circulation and sun exposure will help prevent some plant problems. Flowering occurs from late March to April before the leaves emerge. The buds of the flowers are pink, but the flower blossoms are white. The flowers turn a blush pink at petal drop. The leaves of this cultivar have very distinctive traits. They can measure up to 7 inches long and have a very pointed tip. The serrate margins are so sharp that they appear to have hair-like projections. For magnificent spring blossoms, consider the 'Mount Fuji' in the home landscape. Consider this tree as an accent, specimen, patio, or lawn planting. It could also be used in cottage gardens, borders along entryways, or Asian gardens. Seasons of Interest: Bark: Winter Bloom: Spring Foliage: Spring, Summer, and Fall Quick ID HInts: small deciduous tree with cascading umbrella habit smooth, reddish-brown bark young leaves pale green, elliptical, pointed tips, serrated margins with long hair-like projections mature leaves are 7 to 8 inches long, dark green, and turn orangish-red for fall pink flower buds, white fragrant, semi-double flowers arranged in pendulous clusters blush or soft pink petals as the petals drop Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: 'Mount Fuji' is prone to disease and insect problems. It is susceptible to aphids, borers, scale, spider mites, leaf-mining moths, bullfinches, and caterpillars. Leaf spot, twig cankers, black knot, silver leaf, blossom wilt, and powdery mildew may occur. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University More information on Prunus serrulata .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 47 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Cornus controversa Cornus kousa Prunus x yedoensis 'Akebono'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The young leaves are pale green with a bronze tinge when unfolding. They are elliptical with deeply serrated margins and have a tapering point. The leaves measure 7 to 8 inches long. They become dark green during the summer and have shades of orange and red during the fall.
Fall color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The buds are pink and emerge before the leaves. The flowers are cup-shaped, fragrant, white, semi-double, and measure 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter. They appear in April as pendulous clusters of three blooms. The blooms turn soft pink at the time of petal drop. On young trees, the blossoms are generally single. The blossoms have an almond fragrance.
Bloom time
Spring
Bark color
Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is reddish-brown and smooth.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
This small tree can provide shelter for birds but otherwise has little value to wildlife.
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Fragrance
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Patio
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border; Flowering Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#flowering tree #white flowers #showy flowers #street tree #specimen #deciduous tree #lawn tree #small tree #spreading #semi-double flowers #cascading #full sun tolerant #fall color #erect #green leaves #cottage garden #spring flowers #bird friendly #fragrant flowers #landscape plant sleuths course #meadow

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.