Prunus japonica Jonas Meyer and in Portugal the famous

and in Portugal the famous fire-water medronho is distilled from them

and the shrubs move in

and understated charm make this selection ideal for naturalized plantings

The Ichang papeda parent

and a century and a half on it still has that faintly old-fashioned

Prunus japonica Jonas Meyer and in Portugal the famousPrunus japonica, the Japanese bush cherry or Japanese almond cherry, is a compact deciduous shrub grown for an early flood of delicate pink to white bloom. Wiry branches carry dense clusters of five petaled flowers just as the leaves appear, wrapping the low, rounded frame in soft color in early to mid spring. Small, bright red cherries follow in late summer, round and shiny, tart and slightly astringent, best cooked into preserves and jellies or left