Prunus 'First Lady'
A few weeks ago (28 March 2010, actually) we took an afternoon to visit the US National Arboretum, happily not at all far from our house. Daffodils in our neighborhood were blooming so we thought to see the Arboretum's collection. They were going full tilt and we enjoyed them very much.
I was also delighted to discover that the Arboretum's collection of cherry trees was blooming as well, so we took the self-guided tour and evaluated all of them as potential adoptees for our garden.
They all were beautiful and each had its attractive characteristics: bark, flower color, shape, size, etc. But one in particular caught our attention: Prunus 'First Lady'. Here's Isaac standing near it (but not quite so near as it looks; there's a slope and the tree is actually some 15 feet away):
The tree is known for its very upright habit, which is what drew our attention. Well, that and the remarkable dark-red-wine color of its flowers, also a notable characteristic.
I have since learned interesting facts.
The U.S. National Arboretum has an ongoing breeding program aimed at developing new cultivars of ornamental cherry with disease and pest resistance, tolerance to environmental stresses, and superior ornamental characteristics. Here we report the first two flowering cherry selections, Prunus 'Dream Catcher' and 'First Lady' released from the flowering cherry breeding program at the U.S. National Arboretum. […] Prunus 'First Lady' was selected for its strongly upright, almost columnar growth habit, dark pink to near red semi-pendulous single flowers, and glossy dark, green foliage. It has reached a height of 25.5 feet and a crown spread of 13.5 feet after 20 years of growth in Washington, D.C. Flowers open in late March in Washington, D.C. at approximately the same time as Prunus 'Okame'.
[source: USDA]
Elsewhere (source) I also learned that Prunus 'First Lady' was "developed by Donald Egolf of the USDA by hybridizing Prunus 'Okame' with P. campanulate in 1982. One seedling proved outstanding and was selected for further evaluation in 1988."
'First Lady' was named and released in 2003, an introduction of the U.S. National Arboretum. The official release date was 7 August 2003, as I learned from a lovely summary brochure by the Arboretum for its introduction.
What an enticing plant this would be! But, how often have I noted specific cultivar varieties on view at the Arboretum thinking to add them to our garden only to find that they are obscure, expensive, or impossible to find? Well, this story has a happier ending.
A couple of weeks ago, again for spending a few tranquil hours after lunch, we stopped in at the Arboretum only to find that the "Friends of the National Arboretum" were having their annual plant sale. Without any particular expectations but always in the mood for new plants, we stopped in.
By golly, nearly the first thing we saw was a single potted specimen of Prunus 'First Lady'! Happily, it was also at a very attractive price. We grabbed that pot without further thought and chortled at our impossibly good luck. (We also found two fine examples of Vitex agnus-castus 'Mississippi Blues' that completes another gardening plan, but that's another story.)
And that's how it is that we now have a currently four-foot tall specimen of Prunus 'First Lady" planted prominently in our front lawn, and we're very pleased to have it there.
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on Monday, 10 May 2010 at 03.06
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There was a good bit of luck for you. Congratulations. It's a fine-looking tree.