The Weeping Cherry Tree is a projection of aesthetic splendor. Its name may sound melancholic, but the life it will bring to your yard is second to none. Once you sow the seeds of this elegant botanical, you’ll only find yourself mesmerized by its beauty after a couple of years.
I don’t know about you, but cherry trees for me have always been associated with a sweet childhood memory. I still remember picking plump cherries (oozing with bursting zesty flavor) from my grandmother’s backyard and devouring them one after another while basking in the winter sun.
However, the weeping cherry tree does not yield edible fruit. Some species may produce small cherries, but the weeping cherry tree is acknowledged for its beauty rather than its produce.
Here’s all you need to know about growing one in your backyard.
Table of Contents
Meet the Weeping Cherry Tree: Basic Knowledge and Origins
If you google picturesque natural wallpapers, the first image to pop up on your feed will comprise numerous tiles of promising pink and white weeping cherry trees! Many people associate its appearance with the Sakura tree, and the reason is quite obvious: they both share soft, subtle pink blooms.
This stunning botanical, also known as the Pendula Rosea, represents friendship. The Japanese government donated around 30,000 blooming trees to the US as diplomacy in 1912. This botanical has an entire annual festival named after it.
Native to Japan, this tree thrives under the climatic conditions of Canada and North America. Because of its romantic pink and white hues, its presence is synonymous with the onset of spring!
The name is quite a misnomer. The Weeping Cherry Tree neither makes you weep nor creates a mess by shedding off its fruits.
It is more of an ornamental botanical; it doesn’t grow cherries!
Nonetheless, if you are looking for a new plant to amplify the colorfulness of your garden, don’t hesitate and plant this tree right away.
Rest assured, the weeping cherry tree will be a gorgeous addition to your collection!
Family Type: Rosaceae
Common Name: Weeping Higan Cherry/ Weeping Cherry blossom
Botanical Name: Pendula Rosea
Plant Type: Broadleaf, deciduous tree
Size: 15 to 25 feet
Native Area: Japan
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Consistency: Well drained, Fertile
Humidity: 80 gallons a week
Toxicity: Poisonous during the wilting season
Flower Color: Pink and White
Common Pests: Aphids, cherry leaf spot, CytoSport, mites, twigs, etc.
Varieties of Weeping Cherry Tree
The deciduous cherry trees, with falling branches that bear pinkish garnet-like blooms, come in different sizes and varieties.
Regular weeping cherry blossoms can grow tall up to 35 ft tall, but a few miniature varieties grow about 6-10 ft in height and have slender appearances. Let’s discover a few exquisite garden varieties of the pink cherry yumminess.
Prunus subhirtella (Pendula)
This blossoming tree sports double flowers in the spring that reflect a creamy-pink hue. It is also called the Weeping Higan Cherry. These trees size up to 30-35 ft tall.
A single botanical is enough for your garden to look like pink heaven. With its large canopy and glossy green lance-shaped leaves, it stands as one of the most coveted varieties of the Prunus trees.
Prunus x yedoensis (Shidare-Yoshino)
The spring bloomer, also known as the Japanese Yoshino Cherry tree, grows up to 25 ft in height and 30 ft in the canopy.
It yields beautiful white flowers that house multiple soft pink strokes wandering on the petals, making it the pageant queen of the trees.
The Shidare Yoshino grows well in moist soil and full sun, and once the leaves fall off in Autumn, these exquisite floral species cultivate dark green pointed leaves.
Prunus serrulata (Snow Fountain)
The snow fountain is appreciative of its name. This variety of Weeping cherry trees is an ethereal example of a dwarf Prunus tree.
With a height of 8 to 15 ft, the snow fountain has white flowers and is a slow-growing plant. By Autumn, the lush foliages of this beautiful tree turn orange and golden-yellow, showing the beauty of the natural change.
How to care for a Weeping Cherry Tree
Selecting a perfect location to plant a Weeping Cherry tree is the first step in cultivating this Maytime herbage.
Even though it may appear to be a high-maintenance diva, it is fairly easy to look after.
Your angelic cherry blossom only demands the bare minimum: full sun and proper drainage.
Soon, it’ll grow to become a prosperous ornamental delight, enhancing the aesthetics of your garden!
Sunlight
Your Weeping cherry tree requires full and direct sunlight.
What we mean by the full sun is regular 6-8 hours of sunlight exposure, but make sure to protect it from scorching weather and UV radiation. You don’t want your botanical to grow wrinkly and saggy.
Also, the scenery looks breathtaking when the sunlight tears through those romantic pink blossoms and falls onto the luscious green grass!
Soil
Rich, well-drained, loamy soil will prevent your cherry tree from weeping (pun intended!).
The tree thrives in light and airy environments. You might want to add a little perlite and compost to strengthen the tree’s roots if you choose to grow this tree in a pot.
Water
This botanical requires moderate watering conditions to thrive with perfection.
Moist soil is a premium prerequisite for optimal growth.
Avoid over-watering but also be wary that this plant doesn’t perform well in dry environments.
We suggest providing this blooming lush with at least 80 gallons of water per week during spring and summer.
However, once winter arrives, leave the roots be. The plant needs some stress-relief period, and watering it in cold weather might inhibit flower production.
Temperature and humidity
Neither too North, nor too South!
This spring, blooming flora thrives in moderate temperatures but can resist cold and heat better than many other ornamental plant species. High-speed winds and hard frosts can destroy its blossoms and cultivate them in a place where the humidity and temperatures are moderate and moist.
Fertilizer
Feed your magnificent pink tree with a total dose of fertilizer in early spring. We suggest spreading an organic, acidic fertilizer about 6 inches away from the trunk of the botanical. Over-fertilizing can cause it to burn. Also, try mulching, and prevent evaporation after watering for it to thrive.
Pruning
There are two parts of a weeping cherry tree. The upper part, Scion, is the Weeping part, while the down bottom, rootstock, is the non-weeping portion. This botanical can cover all inches of your small green garden with its tall height and mighty canopy, so if you want to keep up with the tree, prune off the undesirable shoots from the rootstock. Don’t worry! The tree won’t need much effort.
Potting and re-potting
Not many people grow the weeping cherry in a pot, but if you want to do so, then be my guest. Add perlite and compost to a standard potting mix before planting your cherry blossom in it.
You might need to re-pot, or we might suggest replanting it in the garden once it starts to grow, as a pot can’t handle even the miniature version (sizing at least 8ft) of this pink beauty.
Propagation
The cherry blossom you have might result from a graft itself, so it’s impossible to propagate another graft from it. However, you can get the true seeds of this plant and cultivate it in your backyard.
Grafting from a true-tree
If you can get your hands on an actual cherry tree, prepare for propagation in the spring after frosts.
Take a pot and fill it with a drainable medium such as perlite, sand, or pest moss. Soak the media in water and drain out the excess before cutting a 3-6 inch section off the tip of the branch before the leaf node.
Apply rooting hormone to the cut end, and place it in the pot indoors. Allow indirect sunlight and appropriate watering to nurture this little fetal plant to grow a bit before planting it in the garden soil. Next spring, you can take all your pictures with this exquisite flora.
Challenges and Solutions
Now that we know what environmental conditions a weeping cherry tree prefers, we better discuss the diseases and pesticides that can cause this exquisite pink beauty to fall into its grave or the ground.
Pests
From pesky feeders that multiply rapidly around the tree’s base to heavy insect infestations (Aphids, spider mites, twigs, and borers), all can damage a perfectly healthy spring delight. They can cause wilting, spotting, discoloration, and distortion of flowers and leaves.
Treating the tree with some horticultural oil or an organic pest killer like neem oil or vinegar spray can save it from being skeletonized.
Diseases
Dying limbs, rotting leaves, or yellowing and falling flowers can all be symptoms of your weeping tree, literally weeping for attention.
Inspect for any pests, remove them and keep the botanical in optimal growth conditions if you wish for it to live long.
Ask Away: FAQs
Where can I get a weeping cherry tree from?
A variety of Weeping cherry blossoms, regular and dwarf, can be bought from multiple online stores, including Amazon, Brighter Blooms, and Landscapehub.
Why does my weeping cherry look like it’s dying?
Not getting proper nutrition from the soil, exposure to UV, poor watering schedules, and several pests can cause wilting and yellowing of a weeping cherry tree. Make sure to provide it with immense care.
Is a weeping cherry blossom messy?
Commonly cultivated botanical varieties of the cherry blossom, such as Japanese Flowering Cherry or Yoshino Cherry, don’t fruit. Therefore, you won’t have to keep up with the messy clean-up of ripened cherries.
How long does a weeping cherry stay alive and weeping?
Typically a weeping cherry tree has at least 10-20 years to live. However, by providing excellent care, this botanical can exceed a life expectancy of 30 years.
Does a Cherry blossom bear fruit?
All wild varieties of the Weeping Cherry tree produce unpalatable small fruit that the birds and insects feed on. However, don’t confuse them with red cherries!
