Japanese Flowering Cherries, Sakura, Cherry Blossom
Among the most popular and spectacular spring-flowering trees, flowering cherries, with their frothy masses of pink or white blossoms, usually signal the end of winter and reveal the first blush of spring.
Most cherry tree varieties bloom in spring over a season that usually lasts several weeks. However, changes in weather conditions may have an impact on the time of flowering, advancing or delaying the appearance of the beloved cherry blossoms by several weeks. Generally, the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.
The cherry blossom season is relatively short. There may be 2 or 3 weeks between the opening of the first blossom and the shedding of the petals. Generally, the double flowers last longer than the single ones. Strong wind and rain can reduce the blooming season even shorter.
Not all cherry trees bloom at the same time. There are early bloomers such as Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rosea‘ and Prunus x yedoensis (Yoshino cherry). They are followed by garden cherries, including the lovely Prunus ‘Accolade’, the deep pink Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rosea’, and pure white Prunus ‘Umineko‘. Closing the spring season is the incredibly popular Prunus ‘Kanzan’ or Prunus ‘Shogetsu’.
Some Cherry tree varieties enjoy a particularly long blooming season and flower in flushes in the fall and during the winter months. Among them are Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ (Rosebud Cherry) and Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’.
Since these pretty cherry blossoms do not last very long, you may want to select ornamental cherries with multi-season interest. Some flowering cherries display wonderful fall color, with their foliage turning brilliant shades of gold, red, or orange before shedding to the ground and revealing the beauty of their gnarled trunks or the graceful outline of their branches.
| Hardiness |
4 - 9 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
6 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Trees |
| Genus | Prunus - Flowering Cherry Tree |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Spring (Early, Mid, Late) Fall |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Attracts | Birds, Butterflies |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Traditional Garden |
Flowering cherry trees do well in most gardens and their care requirements are minimal. There are a few things to bear in mind though before purchasing flowering cherry tree:
camrocker / 123RF Stock Photo
| Hardiness |
4 - 9 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
6 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Trees |
| Genus | Prunus - Flowering Cherry Tree |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Spring (Early, Mid, Late) Fall |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Attracts | Birds, Butterflies |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Traditional Garden |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
