The Yoshino Cherries represent a collection of seedlings and cultivars originating from a somewhat murky parentage. Regardless, they are generally regarded as among the most popular and showy of the flowering cherries. 

Typically growing to approximately 30’ tall and wide, they are best known for white to pink spring flowers, shiny black summer fruit (of no particular culinary value) that are favored by a long list of bird species, yellow to orange fall foliage color and somewhat glossy bark. They perform best in full sun on any reasonable soil. 

The cultivar ‘Akebono’ was introduced by the W.B. Clarke Nursery in San Diego, California in 1925 and in the 1930s, many seedlings of this selection were donated for planting around the tidal basin in Washington, DC. 

This selection is extremely heavy flowering, producing spring clouds of flowers that start out pink in bud and gradually fade to almost pure white when fully open. They are often a mix of single, semi-double and double flowers all on the same tree. It is also known under the name ‘Amerika’ (apparently the name used most often in Japan) and ‘Daybreak’ which is a rough English translation of ‘Akebono’.