Plant these plants now in the cooler weather, before it's too late
The chilly spring weather can work to a gardener's advantage if you have trees and shrubs you need to plant. Here's a look at ornamental cherries and what makes them so popular.
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Cherry trees are one of the best trees for gardens in our area. There are hundreds of different varieties, selected for bloom time, bloom shape and size, and overall growth habit, but most of them do very well in our climate and in urban areas where many other trees struggle. However, the most common cherry trees are "ornamental" and will not produce large juicy fruit.
Why Your Ornamental Cherry Tree Isn’t Producing Fruit
Ornamental cherry trees are beloved for their spectacular spring blossoms, but these beautiful trees are a different species than the edible cherry (Prunus avium). Many popular cultivars or ornamental cherry, such as the March blooming Yoshino, and double-flower late April blooming Kwanzan are cultivars selected to maximize bloom quality rather than fruit set.
These trees may produce tiny, insignificant drupes that are technically edible, but generally not palatable.
Why do Weeping Cherry Trees Stop Weeping
Nearly all weeping cherry trees are grafted, which means they're two different cherry trees growing together as one. The elegant cascading top (the scion) is a weeping species attached to a straight, more hardy cherry species (the rootstock). This method ensures the tree develops the classic umbrella shape and remains structurally strong, but sometimes that strong foundation takes over.
If you see branches growing from the trunk of your weeping cherry tree, prune them off if you want to maintain a weeping form. Otherwise, the bottom portion of the cherry will eventually overtake the weeping portion. and will become an upright variety (usually a Mazzard cherry, which has edible fruits beloved by wildlife).
Late April & May is the ideal time to plant trees
Although the weather still feels chilly, this period is actually one of the best planting windows of the year. There is less loss of moisture from evapotranspiration (the combination of evaporation from heat & loss of moisture from the process of transpiration in plants) which helps plants establish better.
Many gardeners mistakenly believe planting should wait for warm weather, but spring and autumn planting gives trees and shrubs the best chance to establish stronger roots, improving long-term health and resilience.
Visit the cherries and other blooms at Planting Fields
If you want to see mature ornamental cherries, along with a vast array of flowering trees, shrubs, and horticulture at its best, Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York offers an exceptional display. Visitors can explore historic landscapes, spring flowering collections, and beautifully maintained specimens that highlight how ornamental cherries thrive when properly planted and cared for.
It’s an inspiring destination for anyone planning a garden or looking for beautiful cherry bloom displays!
