Growing the Zuzu Flowering Cherry

Size and Appearance

The Zuzu Flowering Cherry is a small deciduous bush, with many slender branches rising from the ground, and then branching in a characteristic zig-zag fashion. It grows 5 to 8 feet tall in time, with a width between 3 and 5 feet, like a broad column. The young bark is brown, turning reddish-brown to gray on older stems, which often become gnarled, with lots of character. The small leaves are an inch or so long, shaped like pointed ovals, tapering to a narrow tip. The edges have noticeable serrations along them, making an attractive effect. The leaves sprout from the branches while the blossoms are still on the bush, and new leaves often have a coppery-pink tone, turning deep green when they mature, and staying attractive all summer. In fall they may turn gold or red, depending on your local climate, and the weather of the particular year.

Flowering comes early, often in April, and even young plants bloom profusely. The flowers are carried in clusters of up to 5 blooms, each one on a long stalk rising from buds all along the stems. The blossoms are about 1-inch across, like gorgeous powder puffs of pink, made up of as many as 50 petals in each one. As they open fully darker pink tones appear in the center, and sometimes you get a glimpse of golden stamens too. This variety of cherry does not produce fruit.

Using the Zuzu Flowering Cherry in Your Garden

With its natural narrow form, this bush is perfect for smaller gardens, or for mixed shrub beds in larger ones. It obviously has a place in any Asian-themed gardens, but it looks just as charming in any garden style. Use it at the back of small beds, or in corners, or plant it between windows around your home. It also grows well in pots and planters, and in Japan it is a favorite choice for bonsai, or simply to grow for years in a pot, where it will be perfectly happy, stay small and bloom prolifically every spring.

Hardiness

The Zuzu Flowering Cherry tree is perfectly hardy from zone 5 to zone 8. It can be left outdoors in a pot all winter in zones 7 and 8, and probably in warmer parts of zone 6. In colder areas bury the pot in the ground for the winter, or store it in a cold shed – light is not needed, but cold is. By February a potted tree could be brought indoors and it will bloom beautifully.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Zuzu Flowering Cherry, but it will take a couple of hours of shade each day – afternoon shade is fine, especially in hot zones. It grows well in ordinary well-drained garden soil, including alkaline soils. It has some drought resistance, but grows best with regular watering. Do not plant in wet locations.

Maintenance and Pruning

The beauty of the Zuzu Flowering Cherry won’t be damaged by pests or diseases – this cherry species is generally not bothered by the problems other cherry trees can suffer from. Plants in the garden don’t need fancy pruning, but you can trim it back a little in mid-summer if you want to keep it neat. This plant responds well to being turned into a miniature tree, in the ground or in a large pot – it will live for many years in a 15-inch pot. You can remove central branches and keep a permanent framework, shortening back new growth as needed. It can also be trained into a full-blown bonsai – it is very popular in Japan for this.

History and Origin of the Zuzu Flowering Cherry

The Fuji cherry, Prunus incisa, is a cherry tree much-loved in Japan for its dainty but profuse flowering. Wild trees can be as much as 30 feet tall, but are usually more likely to mature at around 18 feet. It was first described for Western botanists in 1776 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Thunberg, and introduced by the Arnold Arboretum at the beginning of the 20th century. In Japan it is often grown as a dwarf tree or a bonsai. The most common variety grown in America is ‘Kojo-no-mai’, which is a bush reaching about 8 feet tall and wide, with clusters of single pink flowers.

We have Brian Upchurch, from Fletcher, North Carolina, to thank for the variety called Rinpo. Brian has been a plant propagator all his life, and has extensive contacts in Japan. It is likely he found this variety there, because Rinpo in Japanese means neighbor. It is currently not patented in the US, but it has been released by Spring Meadow Nursery, Grand Haven, Michigan, under their Proven Winners® brand, part of their ColorChoice® range of shrubs. They have given it the registered trademark name of Zuzu®.

Buying the Zuzu Flowering Cherry at the Tree Center

If you love flowering shrubs you will adore the special beauty of the Zuzu Flowering Cherry. It’s extraordinary beauty in bloom is something you will wait for with eager anticipation, and love when it comes. This new shrub is going to be a big hit, especially in smaller gardens, so order yours now, because out stock is rapidly shrinking and it will soon be all gone.

Easy to grow, needing no special care, hardy across most of the country, yet so beautiful, the Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry is also small enough to be grown in a small garden, where most larger weeping trees will not fit. It is an essential feature in any Japanese or Asian-themed garden, big or small, where it captures for you just the right look to give your garden an authentic feel. Plant this tree in a small lawn or courtyard as a specimen, in any garden at all. Grow it among other medium-sized shrubs and small trees, for early spring and fall color. Plant it in a corner of your Asian garden, beside a large boulder, a lantern or a pond. Wherever you use it you will be adding a beautiful feature to your garden.

Growing Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry Trees

The Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry is a small tree, typically growing to around 12 feet tall, and about 6 feet wide. Its flexible branches allow you to modify the shape significantly, to suit your needs. Left to grow by itself it will form a broad mound of branches which arch upwards briefly and then cascade straight down to the ground. In spring the bare branches are smothered in cherry blossoms, of a clear and perfect white. Each flower has 5 petals, and in the center is a tiny cluster of yellow stamens. The flowers crowd the branches so densely the bark is almost completely hidden.

Even when the petals fall the brief carpet of snow they create is enchanting, and all part of the charm of this lovely plant. As the flowering is ending, fresh green shoots are emerging, and soon those pendulous branches will be covered in pretty, green leaves, 3 inches long and oval in shape, with a soft serrated edge. Then in fall, as the weather cools, the leaves turn all the magic color of fall, until they too drop to the ground, revealing the graceful winter architecture of this beautiful ‘4-seasons’ tree.

Planting and Initial Care

The Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry grows almost anywhere in the country, from zone 4 to zone 8. It will grow in ordinary garden soil, including alkaline soils, and it should be planted in full sun so it produces the most flower buds, and gives the most spectacular floral display. Because of its flexible branches you can train this tree into many forms. By adding height to the staking and turning a branch upwards, you can continue to tree to greater height, making a multi-level cascading beauty.

Uses in Your Garden

It can also be planted against a sunny wall or tall fence, and by spreading out the branches you can form a beautiful espalier tree on a trellis. Planted on a slope you can allow the branches to cascade down along ground or over a wall – the options for making something spectacular are endless.

History and Origins of the Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry Tree

The Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry was created in 1985 by Jim Zamponi, who was the owner and CEO of Lake County Nursery, in Perry, Ohio. He turned it into one of the largest wholesale nurseries in America, and Jim was an icon in the industry. He bred over 150 new plants, and he called this one ‘Snofozam’, using his own name to end it, as he did with all his plants. The name Snow Fountains® was registered as a suitable garden name, and it certainly describes the tree perfectly.

The exact origin and breeding of the plant is unclear, but it is probably a variety of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis), a Japanese tree found growing only in gardens, not in the wild. One of the parents of the Yoshino Cherry may be Prunus subhirtella, another Japanese cherry which has several weeping varieties. That tree too has been suggested as the origin of the Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry. Whatever its exact origins, this is a marvelous small tree, and a great tribute to Jim Zamponi, who passed away in 2017.

Our trees are produced by attaching stem pieces of the Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry onto sturdy, upright stems of Prunus serrula, a Chinese Cherry Tree, which has superbly attractive glossy, rich red-brown, peeling bark, and adds an extra dimension to the tree. This trunk supports the tree and allows it to cascade downwards freely. These trees are always in high demand, especially with the modern love of Asian-themed gardens. Order right away, or our stock will be gone.

This plant is especially attractive placed at the top of a bank where the branches can freely cascade down to the ground. It also looks very beautiful planted by a pond where the flowers will reflect in the water. The Pink Weeping Cherry will grow between one and two feet a year, quickly maturing into a gorgeous specimen for your front lawn or gracing your garden as a back-drop to flowers and shrubs. The branches will cascade to the ground if left un-pruned, or they can be trimmed each year to any length you want, so that you can, for example, walk under the tree.

Despite its delicate beauty, the Pink Weeping Cherry is a tough, hardy plant that will grow happily in almost any type of soil, although it prefers not to be in acid soils. It has a few pests and diseases, but with a very little care it will reward you by growing happily for many years. It will very rarely if ever be eaten by deer. So wherever you live you can enjoy the spring beauty of this tree.

Size and Appearance

Over time your Pink Weeping Cherry will develop a sturdy trunk and a large crown of pendulous branches. Every spring those bare branches will be covered in gorgeous soft-pink flowers. As the flowers fade green leaves will burst out and cover the branches for the summer, making a green column. In fall they will turn golden yellow before falling and revealing the elegant hanging branches and the glossy, dark-brown trunk. Pink Weeping Cherry is a reliable flowerer, performing well every spring, unlike some flowering trees that flower well only every second or third year. It will reach 20 to 30 feet in time, and up to 20 feet across.

Hardiness

The Pink Weeping Cherry is hardy in zones 5 to 8, so if you live anywhere but Southern Texas, Florida, California or most north-central states, you can have this beauty in your garden.

Soil Conditions

Flowering Cherry trees will grow in almost any soil, but they do best in soils that have some clay in them and are not acidic. They have a strong root-system able to find food, so they rarely if ever need fertilizer. When established they will tolerate some drought, but should be given water during extended dry periods. Your Pink Weeping Cherry will do best without competition from grass, so keep a wide tree-circle under your tree and cover it with mulch.

Planting Location

The Pink Weeping Cherry prefers an open sunny position, but it will also be happy with a few hours of the day in shade. The Pink Weeping Cherry is easy to plant. Dig a hole two or three times wider than the pot. Place your plant in the hole, replace most of the soil and firm it well down. Then water thoroughly and replace the rest of the soil. If your spot is very exposed to strong winds it could be a good idea to put in a stake and tie the trunk to it. After a couple of years take out the stake as you tree will now be ready to stand alone.

Watering and Maintenance

Water once a week during the first growing season, but after that you only need to water when the soil has become dry. This tree needs little or no pruning, but you can shorten back the branches if they grow too close to the ground. This should be done immediately after flowering has finished. Always cut where a bud is pointing out, as this will preserve the beautiful arching form of the branches as they cascade down. Watch for any shoots that point straight up, as these are from the supporting trunk, not the Pink Weeping Cherry and they should be cut completely off as soon as they are seen.

History and Origins of the Pink Weeping Cherry

Weeping Cherries have been grown for hundreds of years in Japan and they form an important part of the famous Cherry Blossom Festivals held each spring. The Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella) grows wild across the hills and very rarely a plant occurs that has branches that fall instead of growing upright. This plant is the Pink Weeping Cherry. It was first brought to Europe in 1862 by the famous traveler and plant collector Philipp Franz von Siebold. It quickly became popular and was brought to America where it has proved to be a reliable favourite with many gardeners.

Buying Pink Weeping Cherries at The Tree Center

Pink Weeping Cherry is a special plant and only this exact plant will have these beautiful flowers and pendulous branches. So it must be produced directly from trees absolutely known to be the correct plant. Our trees are grown the correct way, by skillfully attaching pieces of the Pink Weeping Cherry onto a strong stem. This way every tree is identical to the original. However these obviously take longer to produce, so avoid cheaper, seedling trees that will only be a disappointment.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.

Every spring your Okame Cherry will burst into bloom with hanging clusters of bright pink flowers on the bare branches. It is one of the earliest cherry blossom trees to flower, so it will also extend the cherry season in your garden if you mix it with other cherry blossom trees. It can be used as a lawn specimen, among large shrubs or for a spectacular effect, to line a driveway or walk. It is also a great plant for natural plantings with native trees or in informal gardens. Although usually grown as a tree, it can be encouraged to grow as a large bush by cutting the central branch out when young.

The Okame Cherry Tree is known botanically as Prunus x incamp ‘Okame’. It is a hybrid between Prunus incisa and Prunus campanulata, both wild Japanese species of cherries. Although it has a Japanese-sounding name, the tree was actually bred by the famous English flowering-cherry authority and plant breeder, Collingwood Ingram, who produced this plant around the middle of the last century.

Growing Okame Cherry Blossom Trees

Many flowering trees take their time to develop, but not this one. It can easily grow over two feet a year, so in a few short years you will have this beautiful tree gracing your yard and dazzling your family and friends with its gorgeous carmine-pink blossoms. Unlike some cherries it is a reliable bloomer and year after year it will put on a show for 2 or 3 weeks, bringing spring in with a bang.

Hardiness

The Okame Cherry Tree is also one of the easiest cherry blossom trees to grow. It will grow from the warmer parts of zone 6 and almost into zone 10, which is the tip of Florida. It needs very few cool days to give it sufficient chilling hours to allow it to bloom, so it is a terrific choice if you live somewhere where 32⁰F is a novelty. It prefers full sun but will happily tolerate a little shade. It is not particular what type of soil it grows in and will do well in clay and alkaline soils. It prefers moist but well-drained soil but once established will tolerate some drought. It is generally pest and disease free, unlike many other cherry blossom trees that can develop a variety of problems.

Size and Appearance

The Okame Cherry will grow rapidly into a tree 15 to 30 feet tall and the same size across. It will produce its rich pink flowers as early as January, or later in the spring, depending on when it is grown. The blooms are remarkable both for their strong color and for the density with which they cover the bare twigs of this tree. Blossoming lasts up to 3 weeks and is then quickly followed by the leaves, which generally stay healthy throughout the summer. In areas that get some fall coolness they will turn pretty shades of bronze, red and orange before falling. The bark is a dark, rich chestnut color and a little shiny. The fruit is small and insignificant.

Planting Your Okame Cherry Tree

To plant your Okame Cherry tree, dig a hole three times the diameter of the pot and mix in some organic material such as garden compost or rotted manure. Add a handful of bone-meal or other phosphate-rich fertilizer. Place your tree in the center of the hole and replace most of the soil, firming it around the roots as you go. The tree should be the same depth when planted as it was in the pot, so don’t plant too deeply.

Once most of the soil is back, fill the hole with water. When it has drained away, replace the rest of the soil. Water well once a week for the first season and after that when the soil is dry. Put mulch around the roots, especially in a lawn, to stop competition from the grass and prevent mower or string-trimmer damage. A little fertilizer or organic mulch in spring is helpful. No special pruning is required except to develop a trunk if needed, to remove crowded branches and to reduce the height a little.

Buying Okame Cherry Trees

The Okame Cherry is such a special plant that only the exact plant will have the right color and growth rate. So it must be produced directly from trees absolutely known to be right. Our trees are grown the correct way, from branch cuttings of these special trees. That way every tree we offer is identical to the original so they will produce a very uniform effect when planted in a row. However, these take longer to produce, so avoid cheaper, seedling trees that will only be a disappointment.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.

This is a beautiful tree to place on your front-lawn to be admired by everyone. It is usually grown as a specimen – but imagine a driveway in spring lined with these beautiful trees! For such an amazing tree, Kwanzan Cherry is fast growing. It can increase by 2 feet a year under good conditions and rapidly develops into a beautiful mature tree to grace your property. When young you should keep your Cherry tree well watered and fertilize it each spring. Once it is established it will take care of itself and is tolerant of drought, heat and humid weather. If well-tended the Kwanzan Cherry will give many years of beauty to your garden.

Growing Kwanzan Cherry Trees

The tree grows in a broad vase-shape, reaching 25 to 30 feet tall and as many feet across. The deep-pink flowers are a full 2 ½ inches across, with up to 30 petals. They hang from the bare branches in clusters of two to five flowers, covering your Kwanzan Cherry in pink glory every spring. The beautiful bark is a smooth, chestnut brown color, with interesting horizontal paler bars across it, making a lovely display in winter with the bare twigs.

The leaves are oval in shape and around 4 inches long. When they first come out they are a gorgeous bronzy-red color, before turning dark green for the summer. In fall they turn beautiful yellow and orange shades before they drop. This tree produces no fruit, so there will be no mess on your driveway as can happen with Crab Apples for example.

Hardiness

Kwanzan Cherry is hardy in zones 5 to 9, right across most of America, so outside the coldest mid-west states, Vermont, and the tip of Florida, you can enjoy this tree. It is definitely one of the hardiest flowering cherries and will grow in colder areas that would not suit other varieties. So if you live in zone 5 and want a flowering Cherry, this is the one to choose.

Soil Conditions

Kwanzan Cherry prefers rich soil without too much clay or sand. It likes moisture but does not like to be standing in wet soil all the time. Once established this tree is quite drought hardy.

Planting Location

Kwanzan Cherry does best in sun, but it will take some shade too. It should be planted in an open area where its beauty can be best seen. Allow plenty of room from the house. Dig a hole two or three times wider than the pot, but no deeper. Mix some organic material like compost, rotted manure or peat moss into the soil and add several handfuls of bone meal of superphosphate.

Place your plant in the hole, replace most of the soil and firm it well down, keeping the trunk of your tree straight. Then water thoroughly and replace the rest of the soil. If you are planting a row of these trees, space them 10 to 15 feet apart.

Pruning

This tree needs very little (if any) pruning, except to remove any crowded branches. If you do want to prune it to control the size, do it in the dry days of summer as this protects your tree from disease. Watch for any shoots coming from the main trunk that are a different leaf color or shape. These should be cut off straight away.

History and Origins of the Kwanzan Cherry

The Japanese Cherry (Prunus serrulata) is a tree native to Japan, Korea and China. It is one of several types of Cherry tree that is grown in Japan for the famous Cherry Blossom Festivals held each spring. They grow wild all over the hills of Japan and the Japanese people have been breeding Cherry trees for hundreds of years. They have selected larger double flowers in different colors, different leaf colors and a variety of tree shapes.

‘Kwanzan’ is certainly one of the best. This tree was part of a gift of 12 types of flowering Cherry given to the US by the Japanese people in 1912, and it was originally planted in the Washington D.C. area. This tree proved so popular and grew so well that it was reproduced across America. Kwanzan Cherry is definitely the best choice for your first flowering Cherry.

Buying Kwanzan Cherries at The Tree Center

Kwanzan Cherry is such a special plant that only this exact plant will have the right flower color and beauty. So it must be produced directly from trees absolutely known to be right. Our trees are grown the correct way, from grafts of these special trees. That way every tree is identical to the original. However these take longer to produce, so avoid cheaper, seedling trees that will only be a disappointment.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.

This plant is especially attractive placed at the top of a bank or among rocks, where the branches can be left to cascade down and across the soil. It also looks very beautiful planted by a pond where the flowers will reflect in the water, and it is small enough to be grown in a large pot on a terrace or in a courtyard. The descending branches of the White Weeping Cherry will eventually flow across the ground, down a bank or over rocks if left un-pruned, or they can be trimmed each year to any length you want. The upper height will increase only a few inches a year, but soft new stems can be staked-up to form a central stem from which more branches will cascade. In this way the height can be increased by several feet.

Growing White Weeping Cherry Trees

Despite its delicate beauty, the White Weeping Cherry is a tough, hardy plant that will grow happily in almost any type of soil, although it prefers not to be in acid soils. It has a few pests and diseases, but if given a little care it will reward you with a long, healthy life. It will very rarely if ever be bothered by deer. So wherever you live you can enjoy the spring beauty of this tree.

Weeping Cherries have been grown for hundreds of years in Japan and they form an important part of the famous Cherry Blossom Festivals held each spring. There are many types of Weeping Cherry, in different colors, but the White Weeping Cherry is especially prized for the brilliance and purity of its color and its unique cascading habit.

Appearance

Over time your White Weeping Cherry will develop a sturdy trunk and a large crown of pendulous branches. Every spring those bare branches will be covered in gorgeous white flowers with pale-pink centers. As the flowers fade, green leaves will burst out and cover the branches for the summer, making a green column. In fall they will turn golden yellow before falling and revealing the elegant hanging branches and the glossy, dark-brown trunk. White Weeping Cherry is a reliable flowerer, performing well every spring, unlike some flowering trees that flower well only every second or third year.

Hardiness

The White Weeping Cherry is hardy in zones 5 to 8, so if you live in anywhere but Florida, Southern Texas, California or the north-central states, you can have this beauty in your garden.

Soil Conditions

Flowering Cherries will grow in almost any soil, but they do best in soils that have some clay in them and are not acidic. They have a strong root-system able to find food, so they rarely if ever need fertilizer. When established they will tolerate drought quite well, but should have some water during extended dry periods.

Planting

The White Weeping Cherry is easy to plant. Dig a hole two or three times wider than the pot. Place your plant in the hole, replace most of the soil and firm it well down. Then water thoroughly and replace the rest of the soil. If your spot is very exposed to strong winds, it could be a good idea to put in a stake and tie the trunk to it, making sure the stake goes up to the top and some of the weeping branches are attached too. After a couple of years take out the stake as you tree will now be ready to stand alone.

Sun Exposure and Watering

The White Weeping Cherry prefers an open sunny position, but it will also be happy with a few hours of the day in shade. Water once a week during the first growing season, but after that you only need to water during extended periods of drought.

Pruning and Maintenance

This tree needs little or no pruning, but you can shorten back the branches if they grow right to the ground. This should be done immediately after flowering has finished. Always cut where a bud is pointing out, as this will preserve the beautiful arching form of the branches as they cascade down. Watch for any shoots that point straight up, as these are from the supporting trunk, not the White Weeping Cherry and they should be cut completely off as soon as they are seen.

Buying White Weeping Cherries at The Tree Center

White Weeping Cherry is a special plant and only this exact plant will have these beautiful flowers and pendulous branches. So it must be produced directly from trees absolutely known to be the correct plant. Our trees are grown the correct way, by skillfully attaching pieces of the White Weeping Cherry onto a strong, upright stem. This way every tree is identical to the original. However these obviously take longer to produce, so avoid cheaper, seedling trees that will only be a disappointment.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.

The Yoshino Cherry tree is hardy in zones 5 to 8, so it can be grown right across America except for the coldest and hottest regions. As a lawn specimen, planted as an avenue or mixed with other trees and shrubs around the boundary of your property, the Yoshino Cherry makes a great impact in spring and also in fall, when the leaves turn yellow and bronze before falling. The trunk and branches are an attractive deep reddish brown color and glossy, making for winter interest as well.

Growing Yoshino Cherry Trees

The Yoshino Cherry is quite fast growing; the branches can easily put on 2 or 3 feet of growth in a year. This means that in just a few short years you will have a 10 or 15 foot tree that will already be a feature of your garden. It will grow well in all kinds of soil, and will succeed and thrive in alkaline soils that other plants do not tolerate. Once established, it has reasonable drought tolerance and although it can be subject to some pests and diseases any work in controlling them will be amply rewarded with its marvelous flowering display every spring.

Appearance

The flowers are white or very pale pink but darker pink in the bud and on the back of the petals, so the overall effect in bloom is of a pale-pink cloud. Its appearance is even more dramatic because the flowers are born on bare branches. The leaves are oval and up to 5 inches long and they turn yellow and bronzy colored in the fall. The tree does bear a crop of small cherries around one half-inch across, but these are sour and have very little flesh. However they are very popular with birds and they will quickly clean the tree when the fruit is ripe. The bark is a rich, deep chestnut brown and is an attractive feature in winter when the dark branches are highlighted against a cold blue sky.

Hardiness

This tree grows well from zone 5 to 8 and does best in soil that does not become too dry. It is a good choice for alkaline soils where other trees will not thrive but it will grow well in most types of soil, preferring loam or loamy-clay to sandy soils. When young it should be kept well watered and annual mulch with compost or other organic materials will be beneficial. In ordinary soil it will not usually need other fertilizing.

Planting

When planting your Yoshino Cherry tree, choose a sunny spot and dig a hole three times wider than the pot it comes in. Add some organic material such as garden compost or rotted manure, if you can, to enrich the soil. Remove the tree from its pot and place it in the hole to the same depth as it was in the pot. Put back most of the soil, water well and after the water has drained away replace the rest of the soil. Water your tree well each week during the first year and after that during dry periods.

Pruning

This tree needs very little pruning, but remove any shoots that come from low down on the main trunk. Branches can be shortened back in winter to encourage a full, rounded crown.

History and Origins of the Yoshino Cherry

In the late 19^th century, Americans started to travel to Japan and were amazed and impressed with the Flowering Cherry trees that abound in Japan. This encouraged an interest in growing these trees in American and in the early 20^th century several thousand trees were given to America by Japan. They then began being planted in Washington DC. These original trees were mostly the Yoshino Cherry and the Kwanzan Cherry. Over time more trees were added and the Washington National Cherry Blossom Festival became a feature of national life. So these trees link directly to both Washington and Japan and are a symbol of international peace and co-operation.

The Yoshino Cherry is known botanically as Prunus × yedoensis and it is a hybrid created in the 18^th century by Japanese gardeners from natural Japanese species of cherry. It is one of the most widely cultivated flowering cherries in Japan. It is a rounded tree that at maturity is between 15 and 30 feet tall or, exceptionally, even 40 feet tall. It has a rounded shape and is almost as wide across as it is high.

Buying Yoshino Cherries at The Tree Center

The Yoshino Cherry is a special tree that needs to be grown by grafting stems from known trees onto cherry roots. That way every tree is identical to the original and you can be sure that you are growing the correct tree. This take more time, so avoid cheap trees just labelled ‘Flowering Cherry’ as these will not be this famous and beautiful tree. We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock to ensure that our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.