Interploid Hybridizations in Ornamental Cherries Using Prunus maackii

The United States National Arboretum has an ongoing flowering cherry (Prunus) breeding program aimed at broadening the genetic base of cultivated ornamental cherries by developing new cultivars with disease and pest resistance, tolerance to environmental stresses, and superior ornamental characteristics. Interploid crosses, specifically 2X × 4X, in ornamental Prunus would be beneficial in breeding because they could allow introgression of traits not available in the diploid germplasm (pest resistance, cold hardiness), and could result in the creation of seedless triploids that would not set nuisance fruit and possibly have extended bloom durations. This report documents successful hybridization of P. maackii (Manchurian or Amur cherry), a tetraploid species, with P. campanulata, P. ‘Umineko’, and P. maximowiczii, all diploid species. Chromosomes of one of these resulting triploid hybrids were successfully doubled using oryzalin in tissue culture to create a hexaploid plant.