Different types of sakura
According to Japanese sources, there are over 600 different types of sakura trees spread across Japan. However, many of them have such subtle differences that it is near impossible to distinguish them from each-other with the naked eye. That being said, there are some types of sakura that for various historical or aesthetic reasons stand out and are more popular. Here is a list of the most popular types of sakura and where to best experience them.
Let’s start with the most famous and widely planted variety of sakura in Japan: Somei Yoshino. This delicate pale-pink blossom with five petals is the most common variety of sakura found throughout Japan. You can find it almost anywhere except for most of Hokkaido and Okinawa.
Yamazakura, or “Mountain sakura”, are typically found in mountainous regions, particularly in central Japan. Yamazakura typically blooms around the same time as Somei Yoshino (late March, early April). Its blossoms are similar to Somei Yoshino’s white and pale-pink petals. Unlike Somei Yoshino though, Yamazakura’s petals can last slightly longer, up to two weeks.
This kind of sakura is very popular in Japanese gardens due to the aesthetic form of the tree itself. It is commonly known as “weeping sakura” due to the sakura blooms hanging from long thin branches drooping down vertically towards the ground. The shidare-zakura blooms around late March to early April, and its blossoms have a larger variation in colors ranging from white to vivid pink. Also, the shidare-zakura is the official flower of Kyoto Prefecture.