Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Zones 5 to 7
PREFERRED SOIL pH. Neutral to slightly acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Average, moist, well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun
ATTRIBUTES: White or pink spring flowers, fall foliage, attractive bark; for specimens
SEASON OF INTEREST: Spring to fall
FAVORITE5: Sargent cherry, Higan cherry, Yoshino cherry and cultivars
QUIRKS: Many ornamental cherry trees are short lived
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Spring-flowering bulbs and perennials, azalea, hydrangea, lilac
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Average garden conditions in sun
LONGEVITY: Lives 20 to 50 years
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Trunk borers can attack drought-stressed trees
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: Sargent cherry, 12 to 50 ft (3.7-15.2 m) tall, to 30 ft (9.1 m) wide
Flowering Cherry in the Landscape
Flowering cherries are among the most ornamental trees in the spring landscape. Ranging in height from 12-50 ft (3.7-15.2 m). these small trees may stand upright in columns, spread out into broad canopies, or have arching, or weeping, branches. The flower colors are limited to white and pink, but the flowers can have flat profiles, open cups, or frilly puffs of petals. And the soft pastel flower colors contrast beautifully with the red-streaked bark and bronze tint of young leaves. In fall, many cherry trees offer handsome foliage in shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Flowering cherries make a colorful statement wherever they are planted. Let them rise over a drift of spring-flowering bulbs or perennials. Plant them in the lawn or beside a path, where the faded spring blossoms will drop to the surface in a confetti of dainty petals. Or place one in a foundation grouping, where the flowers will enliven the green of foliage.
Selecting Flowering Cherries
Some cherries are such delicate beauties that they are difficult to grow. But there are plenty of choices among care-free trees. One of the best is Sargent cherry (Prunus sargentii), a classic that stands above the rest at a height of 50 ft (15.2 m). Hardy to Zone 4, it displays single pink flowers on a rounded crown, has crimson fall foliage, and richly hued bark marked with horizontal stripes. If your yard doesn't have room for the Sargent's broad branches, try 'Columnaris' or 'Rancho', two flowering varieties with narrow, upright shapes.
Higan cherry (P. Subhirtella) and its many cultivars offer a range of easy-to-grow trees. 'Autumnalis' is an unusual plant in that it bears long-lasting semi-double white flowers intermittently from fall to spring, depending on the climate. Most Higan cherries are bushy plants that reach 25-30 ft (7.6-9.1 m) tall and are hardy to Zone 5. Several cultivars are smaller and have been grafted to produce a weeping habit. 'Pendula', 'Pendula Rosea', and 'Pendular Rubra' are slender trees with big mushroom-shaped crowns of drooping branches that are smothered with flowers in varying shades of pink. Slightly more sensitive than the species, they are hardy to Zone 6 and grow 12-15 ft (3.7-4.6 m) tall. A famous flowering relative is the Yoshino cherry
(P. yedoensis), the species of the famous trees planted in the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.The slightly arching branches of Yoshino bears almond-scented white flowers and form a flat-crowned plant 40 ft (12.2 m) tall.
Growing Flowering Cherry
Plant cherries in spring in well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Keep the soil moist the first year after planting, as drought-stressed trees can fall victim to borers. These pests are caterpillars that bore holes into the trunk, which "bleed" a sticky sap. Borers can rapidly kill young trees, but trees three or more years old can survive untreated. Replace young trees that show signs of borer damage.
Prune young cherries in late winter to remove broken limbs, thin out crowded branches, and help the tree grow into a strong, balanced shape. After S years, pruning should be limited to removing damaged limbs.
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