Shidarezakura - The Weeping Sakura - Japan Sakura Photo Tour - Workshop

The shidarezakura variety is a cherry blossom variety most commonly associated with Kyoto, as it the official flower of the prefecture.  The weeping cherry blossom trees appear burdened with the sheer volume of beauty that their branches hold.  I have heard the trees described as sakura springs, as the glittering sakura seems to erupting from the tree trunk, then spilling over the peak of the tree, then toppling down and cascading cherry blossom petals nearly to the ground.

The weeping cherry blossoms come in two main varieties.  The species closer to the Somei Yoshino variety has five petals and the Yaezakura variety which have more than five petals, sometimes as many as 50!  Yaezakura means multi-tiered blossom, which accounts for the range in the number of petals that I have seen on my annual cross-country Cherry Blossom photo expeditions.  The colors differ as much as the number of petals.  I have photographed pale, almost white weeping cherry blossoms and shocking pink blossoms as well.  Another reason that I go cross-country in search of sakura is that the Yaezakura variety of the weeping cherry blossom tend to reach full bloom a week later than the Somei Yoshino adjacent species.  Both are beautiful and make for once in a lifetime photo ops.