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'Shirotae' and very old specimens of P. pendula f. ascendens or P.Ă—yedoensis; and (5) a weeping shape, as in 'Kiku-shidare-zakura' and the weeping forms of P. pendula. Rank and young plants generally grow more erect, whereas trees with growth defects or a dwindling vitality tend to become broader or even let their branches hang a little. A freestanding tree will grow broader than one that is squeezed between other trees. Damage from wind, traffic, or pruning may have its influence as does rootstock. 'Fugenzo' may show a broad and flattened crown when grafted on a standard of Prunus avium, whereas it only makes a low stem with usually two heavy, ascending, and forked limbs when it stands on its own roots. Vigorous growth can cause a powerful stock to produce long limbs between the bifurcations, resulting in a more open tree form. Therefore, apart from 'Ama-no-gawa' with its fastigiate growth and the weeping forms, one must make some allowance for tree shape in the descriptions that follow. The maximum size is typical in mature trees. 'Yae-murasaki-zakura' obviously forms a smaller tree than 'Kanzan'. The full size is usually given in the descriptions in chapters 4 and 5. Buds and Twigs in Winter The twigs formed in spring and early summer show variation in color after the leaves have dropped in autumn. The color of these one-year-old twigs is difficult to describe, but the upper side, turned towards the sunlight, is often more red-brown or brownish, whereas the underside of most forms of Prunus serrulata is more beige or goldish. The branches of 'Kanzan' are dark brown on all sides. Uncommon are the young branches of 'Ichiyo' that are chestnut-brown above and beige to almost orange below. The twigs of 'Jo-nioi' are shiny gray to pale-brown, betraying this cultivar's close relation to the Oshima cherry (Prunus serrulata var. speciosa). Thickness and stiffness of twigs are characteristic for some cherries. For example, the twigs of 'Taizan-fukun' are thin and supple, whereas those of 'Fukurokuju' or 'Kanzan' are thick and stiff. Young trees in the full vigor of their growth, however, do not show this very obviously. An older 'Ichiharatora-no-o' is easily recognized in winter because of the many thick, short spurs that are spaced regularly over the upper side of the thick branches; some chrysanthemum-flowered cherries have the same branching.