The Snow Queen Nectarine, otherwise known as the Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ or Japanese Flowering Cherry ‘Akebono’, Yoshino Cherry Akebono, Cherry ‘Akebono’, Akebono Cherry, Daybreak Cherry, Daybreak Yoshino Cherry, Akebono Yoshino Cherry, is a rather well known tree plant by gardening enthusiasts around the world.
Best known for its low maintenance and moderate growth, this tree will likely liven up your house (or garden) with its green colored leaves. But, only if you learn how to take proper care of it for it to thrive.
Fortunately, this is exactly what we’ll cover in this Snow Queen Nectarine Care Guide. So let’s dive in.
In order to take proper care of your Snow Queen Nectarine you’ll need to keep in mind the following guidelines:
- Water: The Snow Queen Nectarine requires you to maintain constant moist soil and increase watering in hot weather.
- Light: Keep your Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ in an environment where it can receive full sun on a daily basis.
- Soil: Make sure to keep the Snow Queen Nectarine in soil with moist but well-draining to well draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
And that’s practically it! If you keep these three factors in check, your Snow Queen Nectarine will likely have all it needs for it to survive and even thrive.
Scientific / Botanical Aspects
In botanical terms, the Snow Queen Nectarine belongs to the Rosaceae family, and the genus Prunus, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ (PROO-nus PER-see-kuh).
Other popular Rosaceae plants include species like Rhododendron Yakushimanum ‘Crete’, Climbing Rose ‘Golden Showers’, Climbing Rose ‘Joseph’s Coat’, Large-Flowered Climber, Bridalwreath ‘Pink Ice’, Thriller Lady’s Mantle, Everlasting Thorn ‘Kasan’, First Snow Spirea, Fuji Apple, Ramanas Rose, Prunus Laurocerasus, Prunus Salicina ‘Ozark Premier’, Serviceberry, Armeria Pseudarmeria ‘Dreamland’ Plant Patent #30,601, Prostanthera Cuneata ‘Badja Peak’, Chocolate Cosmos, Berri-Magic® Japanese Skimmia, Raspberry ‘Anne’, Brilliant Red Chokeberry, Cecile Brunner Climbing Rose, Frosty® Potentilla, Strawberry ‘Berried Treasure Pink’, Carthaginian Apple, Red Delicious Apple, Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry, Double Yellow banksia Rose, Baby’s Breath Spirea, Bradford Callery Pear, Sour Cherry ‘Meteor’, Malus X Domestica ‘Golden Delicious’, Rock Spray, Malus ‘Braeburn’, Malus Domestica, Oklahoma Redbud, Phormium ‘Pink Stripe’, Blenheim Apricot, Prunus Cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ and Prunus Cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’.
As with other Prunus’s, the Snow Queen Nectarine is a deciduous plant, which means it will shed its leaves annually once autumn comes.
Growing Region
The Snow Queen Nectarine is a plant native to the Japan.
You might be wondering why your Snow Queen Nectarine’s native region is important. Well, if you know where your plant originally came from, you’ll know which environment conditions it prefers, and with it, knowledge on how to replicate it at home.
With this in mind, the Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ will be most used to the heat zones in the 3 – 8 region, as the plant hardiness level falls between 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a and the ideal climate zone is between 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
Growth and Size
Growth
In terms of size and growth, the Snow Queen Nectarine is a relatively moderate grower, which makes things somewhat easy for any plant enthusiast.
Size
But, how big does the Snow Queen Nectarine actually get? What should you expect in terms of size? Let’s dive right in…
The Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ can grow up to 25′ – 35′ (7.5m – 10.5m) in 25′ – 35′ (7.5m – 10.5m) and 25′ – 40′ (7.5m – 12m) in 25′ – 40′ (7.5m – 12m).
Also, expect it to grow in a wonderful rounded shape, which is something worthwhile to remember when making your garden landscape plans.
Water
In terms of watering, the Snow Queen Nectarine is a fairly simple plant to take care of.
This is mostly because it has a straightforward watering schedule and somewhat regular watering needs.
Specifically, most experts agree that the Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ requires you to maintain constant moist soil and increase watering in hot weather.
Which is why it is considered a plant with relatively average needs in terms of water.
Watering
As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Snow Queen Nectarine in soil with moist but well-draining to well draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive.
When you consider this, this is why you should aim to choose soil that has good drainage, and moist properties to keep the right moisture levels at all times.
But, if you want a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to watering your Snow Queen Nectarine then you should consider the famous ‘finger’ test. To perform this test, you just need to put your finger in your plant’s soil and determine if it’s moist or not. If it is, then don’t water; if it isn’t, then please do. In any case, this test will allow you to know if your Snow Queen Nectarine needs or does not need water, every time.
Soil Mix
As mentioned earlier, the Snow Queen Nectarine prefers to have soil with good drainage, and moist properties at all times, reason why you need to make the soil mix out of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
This is why most experts agree that the Snow Queen Nectarine requires soil with loam (silt), sand, clay, high organic matter, and shallow rocky, which will give you the right conditions it needs.
In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably alkaline, acid or neutral soil.
Light and Exposure
In terms of light & exposure, the Snow Queen Nectarine requires full sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions.
Most experts agree that this tree will do well as long as you keep it in full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.
Specifically, we recommend that you place your Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ in little to partial shade (only 2-6 hours of direct sunlight a day), to full and direct sun (more 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Season
Being a deciduous plant, the Snow Queen Nectarine will shed its leaves annually once autumn comes.
But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the spring (mid), and during the fall.
Flowers
You can expect your Snow Queen Nectarine to flower around the spring months from April to June (spring).
In particular, this tree is well known for its showy flowers around the plant enthusiast community.
The Snow Queen Nectarine produces some beautiful pink, or pink and white flowers around this time of year.
Foliage
The leaves from the Snow Queen Nectarine have a beautiful green color during most of the year.
In particular, they have a simple arrangement with a alternate organization in its leaves.
You can expect the leaves from your Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ to be around (3-6 inches) in size.
Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance
The Snow Queen Nectarine is well known for being able to attract birds, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.
Additionally, it has a special tolerance for drought conditions, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ will be fine.
Garden
Does your Snow Queen Nectarine have any garden recommendations? Does it serve any gardening purposes? Here’s how you can get the most out of your new plant.
Most Prunus Persica Var. Nucipersica ‘Snow Queen’ owners agree that this tree will look great in most mediterranean, cottage and rustic gardens of all types.
Other owners consider that they complement well most gardens of prairie and meadow, informal and cottage, japanese garden, and in traditional garden styles.
In particular, the Snow Queen Nectarine’s best location within your garden is in beds and borders, others use it for landscaping in a kitchen garden, espalier, or a specimen.
Companion Plants
Snow Queen Nectarine’s do well with some other plants beside it. One good companion plant is the Malus, which will pair up nicely with your leafy friend.
Others consider that a nice Prunus salicina will work well too, so choose whichever you find works best for you!
Conclusion
And we’ve come to an end. Fortunately, that’s everything you need to know about your Snow Queen Nectarine to keep it safe and sound in your garden or home. Enjoy planting!
