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Flowering Cherry
Prunus serrulata
Flowering Cherry blooms from April through April.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Flowering Cherry
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 26 ft tall and 23 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 12 years.
When to plant Flowering Cherry
Plant Flowering Cherry in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 8 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms in April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 9 varieties across 2 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Flowering Cherry
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Leaves, stems and seeds hold cyanogenic glycosides, toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Wilted or damaged foliage is the most dangerous, releasing cyanide. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
Where you plant it is a disease decision: full sun with good airflow dries foliage and cuts brown rot, leaf spot and canker, while sharp drainage avoids root rots. per NC State and University of Maryland
How long it lives
Sources differ: NC State gives 15 to 20 years, Maryland 20 to 25. Either way it is short-lived, roughly 15 to 25 years. Plant it as a temporary specimen. per NC State and University of Maryland
Weak wood, thin bark
Its wood is weak and splits, its bark thin and easily damaged. Those wounds and frost cracks are the entry points borers and bacterial canker exploit. per NC State
Black knot galls
Black knot fungus makes hard black galls that girdle branches. Prune them out 6 to 8 inches below the swelling in winter and destroy the prunings. per Wisconsin and Penn State
Modest wildlife value
A larval host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and birds eat its (not abundant) fruit. Grown mainly for bloom, not as a top pollinator plant. per NC State
Holes aren't one disease
Holes in cherry leaves aren't one problem. Gummy ooze points to bacterial canker; whitish spore felt on leaf undersides points to the leaf spot fungus. per Penn State and Wisconsin
What pairs well with Flowering Cherry
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Tulip Tree
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Clematis
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; shorter at 9.8 ft, an understory layer; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Mock Orange
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; shorter at 8.2 ft, an understory layer; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Honeysuckle
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; a soft color beside the pink.
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