サクラは美しく、パッと咲いて、サッと散る、儚くて潔い花。華やかに舞う桜吹雪の中にいると、世界は美しく、人生も美しく感じられます。
Cherry blossom is a beautiful, ephemeral, pure flower that blooms quickly and scatters quickly. The world is beautiful and life feels beautiful when we are in the brilliantly dancing cherry blossom petals.
【仮名】サクラ
【和名】桜
【英名】Cherry Blossom, Sakura
【学名】Cerasus
【誕生】04/ 01, 04/ 21
【開花】03, 04, 05月
【花色】White, Pink, Red
サクラ
サクラの自生
サクラはバラ科の落葉樹です。北米、欧州、ロシア、中国、日本など、広く北半球の温帯域に自生。さらに多くの栽培種が日本から世界各国へと寄贈されました。英語では「チェリーブラッサム」が一般的。しかし、最近は日本文化の影響で「サクラ」と呼ばれる機会も増えています。
サクラの学名
サクラには学名が２つあります。欧米ではサクラをスモモ、モモ、ウメなどと一緒に約400種を「スモモ属」に分類。一方、ロシア、中国、日本ではスモモ属とは別に、サクラのみ約100種を「サクラ属」に分類しています。これは、サクラの種類が欧米で少なく、アジアで多いから。
サクラの近縁
スモモ属はサクラの近縁なので、花の見た目が似ているものの、見分け方があります。花柄はモモやウメで短く、サクラで長い。果梗の長い「桜桃」もサクラ属です。さらに冬芽はスモモが１箇所に２～３つ、サクラが１つ。スモモは花がまとまって咲き、サクラは偏りなく咲きます。
サクラの品種
サクラが観賞されるようになったのは平安時代。自生する「山桜」から育種改良が始まりました。江戸時代には「大島桜」から多くの系統が育成。栽培種は300に増えました。それが明治時代の文明開化で「染井吉野」へと転換。さらに昭和の経済成長期に各地で単一化が進みました。
サクラの寿命
サクラの寿命は染井吉野で60～70年。栄養繁殖を繰り返しているせいか病気にも弱く、樹齢が50年を過ぎると樹勢が衰えます。その一方で、「江戸彼岸」は成長が遅いものの生育は頑強。それを受け継いだ「枝垂れ桜」は寿命が長く、各地に樹齢1000年の巨樹が生き続けています。
サクラの花枝
サクラの花枝は人の心を強く惹きつけます。心優しい人が惑って枝を手折る「花盗人」になることも。しかし、染井吉野は病気に弱く、傷口ができると腐り始め、いずれ枯れてしまいます。サクラは剪定も難しく、しくじると花着きが悪化。まさに「桜切る馬鹿、梅切らぬ馬鹿」です。
サクラの開花
サクラの開花は系統差があります。江戸彼岸は春の彼岸の頃、葉が展開する前に花が咲く系統。染井吉野や枝垂れ桜もこの特質を受け継いでいます。まだ他の種類のサクラが開花しないうちに訪花昆虫を誘き寄せ、効率よく受粉・繁殖。一方、大島桜は展葉とともに開花する系統です。
サクラの花色
サクラの花色の紅はアントシアニンという色素によるものです。この色素の合成には低温が必要。そのため、気温の低い北国は花色が紅くなり、気温の高い暖冬は白くなります。また、色素の濃度は時間とともに変化。蕾で濃かった紅色が開花で薄くなり、散り際に再び濃くなります。
サクラの美しさ
サクラは刹那の美しさ。花は咲き始めてから１週間で八分咲きの満開になり、散り始めてから１週間で咲き終わります。見ごろの期間は意外と短く、パッと咲いて、サッと散る、そのように儚くて潔い花。華やかに舞う桜吹雪の中にいると、世界は美しく、人生も美しく感じられます。
Cherry Blossom
Native cherry blossom
Cherry blossom is a deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family. It grows naturally in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, Russia, China, and Japan. Many more cultivated species have been donated from Japan to countries around the world. “Cherry Blossom” is common in English. However, recently, due to the influence of Japanese culture, the scene of being called “Sakura” are increasing.
Scientific name of cherry blossom
Cherry blossom has two scientific names. In Europe and the United States, cherry blossoms are classified into about 400 species of the “Prunus” together with plums, peaches, and Umes. On the other hand, in Russia, China, and Japan, apart from the genus Prunus, only about 100 species of Plum are classified as “Cerasus”. This is because there are few types of cherry blossoms in Europe and the United States, and many in Asia.
Close relatives of cherry blossom
The genus Prunus is closely related to cherry blossoms, so although the flowers look similar, there is a way to distinguish them. The peduncle is short for peaches and plums, and long for cherry blossoms. “Cherry” with a long fruit stem also belongs to the genus Cerasus. In addition, there are two or three plums and one cherry blossom in one place for winter buds. Plums bloom in groups, and cherry blossoms bloom evenly.
Cherry blossom varieties
It was during the Heian period that cherry blossom began to be admired. Breeding improvement began with the native “Yamazakura”. In the Edo period, many strains were cultivated from “Oshimazakura”. The number of cultivated species has increased to 300. It changed to “Someiyoshino” by the civilization of the Meiji era. Furthermore, during the economic growth period of the Showa era, unification progressed in various places.
Cherry blossom’s life
The life of cherry blossom is 60 to 70 years in Someiyoshino tree. It is vulnerable to diseases, probably due to repeated vegetative propagation, and its vigor declines after 50 years of age. On the other hand, “Edohigan” is slow growing but strong. The “Shidarezakura” that inherited it has a long lifespan, and 1000-year-old giant trees continue to live in various places.
Cherry blossom branches
The flower branches of cherry blossoms are very attractive to people. A kind-hearted person can become a “flower thief” who confuses and breaks branches. However, Someiyoshino tree is vulnerable to illness, and when a wound is made, it begins to rot and eventually withers. It is difficult to prun the cherry blossoms, and if you fail, the flowering will worsen. It is exactly “a fool who cuts cherry blossoms, a fool who does not cut plums”.
Flowering of cherry blossoms
There are phylogenetic differences in the flowering of cherry blossoms. Edohigan is a line where flowers bloom before the leaves unfold around the spring equinoctial week. Someiyoshino and Shidarezakura also inherit this characteristic. It attracts flower-visiting insects before other types of cherry blossoms bloom, and efficiently pollinates and propagates. On the other hand, Oshimazakura is a line that blooms with the extended leaves.
Cherry blossom color
The red flower color of cherry blossoms is due to a pigment called anthocyanin. Low temperature is required for the synthesis of this dye. Therefore, in northern countries where the temperature is low, the flower color turns red, and in the warm winter when the temperature is high, it turns white. In addition, the pigment concentration changes over time. The crimson color that was dark in the buds becomes lighter with flowering and becomes darker again when it is scattered.
The beauty of cherry blossom
Cherry blossom is the beauty of a moment. The flowers are in full bloom in eighty percentage one week after they start to bloom, and finish blooming in one week after they start to disperse. The best time to see it is surprisingly short, it blooms quickly and scatters quickly, so it is a fragile and pure flower. The world is beautiful and life feels beautiful when we are in the brilliantly dancing cherry blossom petals.
