I just want to say hello and thank you as I could identify the cherry tree my father planted in 1972 with the help of explanations on this forum as a "Shirofugen". http://www.edition-handdruck.de/web/index.php?/sesam/sakura---kirschblueten/ I hope that my identification is correct. :).
Does look like the tree sent to North American markets from Japan under that name. However, according to Kuitert, Japanese Flowering Cherries (Timber Press) this tree is called 'Fugenzo' in Japan. If that is the proper name for the 'Shirofugen' of western gardens then another name needs to be found for the pinker-flowered, less wide-spreading variety grown as 'Fugenzo' in North America (and perhaps elsewhere).
Thank you very much for your comment. I checked "fugenzo" and found an image which looks very similar to our tree. ON the net I found the following: "'Shiro-fugen' or 'Shirofugen' is probably an export name synonymous with 'Fugenzo'. The Japanese word fungenso means "Fugen-elephant", referring to the white elephant (zo), which, in Buddest paintings and sculpture was ridden by Saint Fugen (Kuitert, 1999). Is that what you refer to ?
