4 Best Ornamental Cherry Tree Types For Southern Yards
Cherry blossom trees bring stunning spring flowers, rapid growth, handsome bark, and colorful autumn leaves. Learn how to grow your own.
Ornamental cherry trees, also known as cherry blossom trees, are easy to grow and perfectly fill all sorts of spaces. When these trees bloom, the show is stunning. These trees do produce small fruit, but they are known for their spring blossoms. Their fruits are pretty sour, not like the sweet fruit of Prunus avium. Flowering cherry trees bloom in early spring, around early March or April, and bloom time depends on the weather. Blooms appear as early as January in warmer weather. Plant cherry trees in early spring or late fall in an area with full sun and well-drained soil.
Here are our four favorite cherry tree types that do great in the South and are widely available. Pet owners should know that cherry blossom tree leaves, stems, and seeds are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Ornamental Cherry Tree Features
There are more than 100 varieties of ornamental cherry trees, only a few of which are suited to the Southern climate. White or pink spring flowers, rapid growth, handsome bark, and colorful autumn leaves will make any gardener smile—not to mention the delicious fruit these trees provide for wildlife.
The sweet cherries attract birds and other intruders, so protect your trees with netting if you see this becoming an issue in your area. Use the following profiles to select the right one for your environment.
Ornamental Cherry Tree Habitat
Air circulation and ideal soil moisture will help these trees to thrive, but after planting a tree, apply some mulch, like wood chips, and continue watering while it establishes its roots. Plant in an area with full sun and well-drained soil. Ornamental cherry trees don’t like saturated soil or soggy roots. Even with proper care, these trees have a relatively short life span of about 15-25 years.
Related: How To Grow And Care For Cherry Blossom Trees
Yoshino Cherry
Botanical Name: Prunus × yedoensis
Sun Exposure: Full, partial
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, loamy, sandy, clay
Soil pH: Acidic (6.0-6.5)
Want a big show right away? Yoshino flowering cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) is the one to plant. The star of the spring cherry festival around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., these trees can grow three feet a year while young. They top out at about 35 feet tall and wide.
Frothy clouds of blush pink-to-white flowers smother leafless branches in early spring, while fall foliage may be yellow to russet. Graceful tiers of wide-spreading branches make this tree popular for lining residential streets. It also makes a fine lawn tree or medium-sized shade tree. Try it in the Upper, Middle, and Lower South.
Weeping Cherry
Botanical Name: Prunus subhirtella (Pendula)
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, loamy
Soil pH: Acidic (6.0-7.0)
High on anyone's list of graceful trees is the weeping cherry. There is a variety of weeping cherry trees. They may have pink or white flowers and single or double blooms. Some grow 40 feet tall, while others grow 12 to 15 feet tall. Ungrafted weepers grown on their original roots appear fountain-like. Those grafted atop a straight trunk of Higan cherry (P. x subhirtella) offer a more formal look.
'Snow Fountains' variety is available both ways, so choose the one you like. Growing only 12 feet tall and wide with pure white blooms, it has pendulous branches that cascade to the ground. Leaves turn orange and golden in the fall. It's suitable for the Upper, Middle, and Lower South.
Okame Cherry
Botanical Name: Prunus × incam ('Okame')
Sun Exposure: Full, partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, moist
Soil pH: Slightly acidic, adaptable (5.5-8.0)
Spring begins whenever the 'Okame' cherry (P. 'Okame') decides to bloom. That could be as early as Valentine's Day in the Lower South.
Thousands of glorious, deep pink blossoms adorn its leafless branches. Vase-shaped in youth, 'Okame' develops into an oval or rounded tree about 20 feet tall and wide—ideal for shading a courtyard or patio.
In fall, the leaves turn orange-red before dropping to reveal glossy, reddish-brown bark. Very heat and cold tolerant, 'Okame' grows and blooms well as far south as Central Florida.
Kanzan Cherry
Botanical Name: Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan' (formerly Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan')
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, moist, loamy, sandy, clay
Soil pH: Neutral, adaptable (7.0)
When it blooms, the 'Kanzan' Japanese flowering cherry (P. serrulata 'Kanzan') looks like it's dressed up for the prom about a thousand times over. Huge, ruffled, double pink blossoms resemble corsages dangling beneath the branches from mid- to late spring after the tree leaves out. The glossy, deep green leaves turn russet red in fall.
Growing to 30 feet tall, the vase-shaped 'Kanzan' provides plenty of headroom beneath it. This trait makes it an excellent lawn, street, or courtyard tree for the Upper, Middle, and Lower South. Plant this vigorous grower where you can gaze up into it.
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