The tree was planted as part of the celebrations for the University's 75th anniversary, during a ceremony attended by a representative of the Japanese Embassy in the United Kingdom, former Foreign Ministry diplomat, and two-time Olympian Mara Yamauchi.
Keele hosts one of the largest collections of flowering cherry trees in the UK and Europe, with around 230 varieties, including some rare even in Japan. It has previously been granted the status of a National Plant Collection by Plant Heritage, the world's leading plant research and conservation organization.
Kayo Iwakami, Second Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in the UK, stated: “It is a great pleasure to participate in this commemorative ceremony, celebrating both the 75th anniversary of Keele University and the planting of the 300th cherry tree.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the experts who have diligently protected and cared for these trees. I also hope that everyone who visits this place will enjoy the beauty of the trees and that the spirit of friendship they symbolize continues to strengthen in the years to come.”
Image 1: Cherry blossom garden in Japan. Source: GreenMe.
The arrival of cherry blossoms in spring is a major event in Japan, marked by numerous festivals and daily coverage in national news. Keele has been planted with flowering cherry trees since the 1940s when the first ornamental gardens were established. Since then, many flowering cherry trees have been added across the 600-acre campus, and spring at Keele is now synonymous with cherry blossoms.
The latest addition to the collection, the Prunus nipponica, also known as the Japanese alpine cherry, was planted in the University's Memorial Garden. As part of the event, Mara Yamauchi, a former elite marathon runner who competed in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and placed second in the 2009 London Marathon, delivered a public lecture on her life and career for the latest installment of the lecture series in memory of Professor Fumiko Yonezawa.
Read the full artcile: Keele University
Images: Keele University; GreenMe.
08 Feb 2024
According to data from Frutas de Chile, Chile sent 598,362 tonnes of fruit to China in the 2022-2023 season, consolidating its position as the second largest destination country, with cherries accounting for 71% of total exports to China.
28 Jul 2023
The study conducted by the researchers of the Postharvest Research Group of Fruit and Vegetables (Orihuela, Spain) was to examine the effectiveness of preharvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments in reducing sweet cherry cracking during tree ripening and at harvest.
19 Jun 2026
PGPR applied to Gisela 6 rootstock improve rhizosphere fertility, nutrition and root development in sweet cherry. Co-inoculation with Pantoea ananatis D1-28 and Bacillus aryabhattai LAD emerges as a sustainable strategy for efficient roots and more vigorous plants.
19 Jun 2026
Early cherries in California offer strong market potential for growers, but success depends on adapted genetics, protected agriculture and climate risk management to secure fruit quality, consistency and profitability in the San Joaquin Valley, even in unstable seasons.
