Old sakura tree

The most common ornamental tree in Japan is sakura, the Japanese cherry tree (Prunus serrulata). Because they are able to live more than a thousand years, many of the sakura trees were grown, maintained and shaped by successive generations of gardeners.

These beautiful and delicate trees are a delight even outside their blooming period, like this old sakura photographed in late autumn inside the Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa...