Prunus zippeliana or big leaf cherry (Chinese: 大叶桂樱, Da ye gui ying) is a species of Prunus native to China, Japan, and Vietnam.[1] Individuals have been found in Thailand.[2] It prefers to grow in mixed forests and thickets on calcareous mountains 400 to 2400m above sea level. In a 1994 study, P. zippeliana was found to be the best in the genus Prunus at preventing melanin synthesis.[3] It is an important winter host plant for Asphondylia yushimai, the soybean pod gall midge, which is a major pest of soybeans in Japan.[4]
P. zippeliana is a tree usually about 10 to 25m tall, occasionally reaching 30m. Its dusty gray and green bark has a tendency to flake off in patches, exposing the orange-red underbark, which then changes colors as it weathers, producing quite a dramatic effect in some specimens. Its large leathery leaves are borne on a 1 to 2cm petiole. It flowers July through October and fruits in the winter. Its white flowers are borne on racemes, and are typically 5 to 9mm in diameter. The flowers have 20 to 25 stamens. The fruits are brownish black.