Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan' vs Persian silk tree

Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan' and Persian silk tree are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen, flowers, shade). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'

Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan' 5 m × 4 m after 10 years

The best known Japanese flowering cherry: in late April and early May it is covered in fully double, vivid pink blossom, on a crown that is…

Small tree

Full sun

Persian silk tree

Albizia julibrissin 5 m × 4 m after 10 years

A small tree with a wide, flat, umbrella-like crown, finely divided fern-like foliage and pink, silky pompom flowers in midsummer that bees and…

Small tree

Full sun

Key differences

Persian silk tree grows faster than Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'.
Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan' is hardier: down to -23 °C, against -20 °C for Persian silk tree.
Persian silk tree tolerates drought better than Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'.
Persian silk tree needs less water than Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'.

Which one to choose?

Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan' is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket.

Persian silk tree is the better choice if you want quick results or you cannot water regularly.

Watch out for

Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'

Prone to the usual flowering cherry troubles: blossom wilt, leaf spot, bacterial canker with gumming, silver leaf, plus aphids and scale. Infections enter through wounds, so prune only when necessary and then in dry summer weather. A short-lived tree that often declines after 15 to 25 years.

Persian silk tree

Its hardiness is borderline in Central Europe: young trees of one or two years and unripened shoots can be cut back at around -15 °C, and a hard winter kills branches on older trees too, so plant it in a sheltered spot and mulch the base for the first winters. The wood is brittle and breaks in wind, snow and ice, and the tree is short-lived. The albizia psyllid has arrived in the region, Hungary included, and disfigures the foliage with heavy sucking and sticky honeydew. In warm sites it seeds itself, and its thick surface roots can lift paving. Elsewhere fusarium wilt kills trees.

The data side by side

Feature	Japanese flowering cherry 'Kanzan'	Persian silk tree
Group	Small tree	Small tree
Size after 10 years	5 m × 4 m (uncertain)	5 m × 4 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	7–12 m × 8–10 m	6–12 m × 6–15 m
Growth rate	Medium	Fast
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Sandy, Clay, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)	down to -20 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Heat tolerance	no data	High
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	April–May, pink	June–September, pink (uncertain)
Water need	Medium	Low
Drought tolerance	Medium	High
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	600 cm	600 cm
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic	no data
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	no data

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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