Prunus serrulata or no? ID assist please.

[TimS]

Greeting knowledgable peoples of ausbonsai.

I seed grew this little, what was allegedly, prunus serrulata 3 years ago and it is yet to flower. Everything to me checks out as being prunus (bark texture/ leap shape), if not specifically being serrulata, but the lack of flowering is annoying me now.

I went out to look at it again today and again i can only see leaf buds, no flower buds at all and this plant is rapidly heading towards a tour of the bin. After all the incentive to grow prunus is the flowering, and if there is no flowering there is no incentive.

Am i missing something obvious like they need to reach a certain age before they flower? Or is this an aberration and i can give up on it now?

Bark texture

prunuswot1.jpeg

Leaf shape

Prunuswot2.jpeg

Leaf buds ready for spring but no flower buds (usually they would be either side of the leaf bud surely?)

Prunuswot3.jpeg

Am i having a breakdown here? Or is there more to the story that i'm not aware of? Or am i growing something else entirely and i've been waiting for 3 friggin years for something to flower that was never going to! My prunue mume cuttings that are 1 year old are covered in flower buds, so is there a difference between apricot and cherry in their flowering habit other than the timing?

[treeman]

Tim
Yes you are having a small breakdown
If you grew it from seed, there is no way to know what it is. Most probably a hybrid of some kind. For example it could be serrulata (serrated leaf edge) crossed with any number of other things. It will flower but you won't know the quality until it does. Also it can take a long time. 10 years plus.
I once crossed incisa with okame. 20 years later, I still haven't had more than 2 or 3 flowers on the thing.
The reason the apricots are flowering is that you took cuttings from a mature flowering tree. Growing from seed is altogether different.

[KIRKY]

Hey Tim, its been my experience that seed grown material can take 3-7 years or even longer, before they flower. Cuttings can flower as soon as the following year. I’ve even taken Plum cuttings in late Autumn that within a week or two have blossomed even though its just a two week old cutting. Maturity, hormones? Not sure why. Its a waiting game with seeds.
Cheers
Kirky

[TimS]

Thanks for confirming the breakdown mike

I was thinking it may be a case of having to wait years for it to flower, similar to how a seed grown wisteria needs something like 7 years + to flower (though i've not tried seed growing wisteria to know if that is true).

I had 3 germinated, the other 2 had enormous leaves and i gave them away, this one has a very small leaf so i hung onto it. I guess it's time to buck up and decide if it is worth persevering with for another 7+ years to find out if it flowers well or not.

Thanks for the reply Mike, appreciate it

[treeman]

If you have the room, it's probably worth waiting. If it turns out to be a nice one, you can easily layer branches off it.

[TimS]

Hey Tim, its been my experience that seed grown material can take 3-7 years or even longer, before they flower. Cuttings can flower as soon as the following year. I’ve even taken Plum cuttings in late Autumn that within a week or two have blossomed even though its just a two week old cutting. Maturity, hormones? Not sure why. Its a waiting game with seeds.
Cheers
Kirky

Thanks Kirky,

The cuttings flowering straight away make sense, it's genetically identical and from a mature plant already, where as seed grown plants need to reach maturity still. I'm blaming the night rail works at the end of my street and the interrupted sleep i've been having for cooking my brain this morning

[TimS]

I've just been hanging onto this, and having a look now there are no flower buds set up for spring so i guess i'll kick it to the corner for a few more years and check again!

CB21.jpeg

[KIRKY]

I would
Cheers
Kirky

[shibui]

I think there is still a good chance of flowers in spring.
Cherries seem to be very precocious. I was surprised when seedling cherries flowered at 1 or 2 years of age here.

I have not looked real close but I don't notice flower buds until they start to swell in spring.

[TimS]

Awesome! I'll keep half an eye on it come spring just in case it does