Ahhh, spring is here — and gardeners and non-gardeners alike know that the delightful blooms of the flowering cherry tree will soon make their debut. Their delicate beauty and soft hues signal the brighter skies and walkable weather to come. Unsurprisingly, the much-loved flowers also help produce the number one selling fragrance in America.
Flowering cherry trees are known for their masses of white and pink spring blossoms. You might be surprised by their distant cousins — as a part of the Prunus tree family, they're related to almonds, apricots, and peaches.
The tree is said to be native to the Himalayas, but you can see them in all their splendor up close in the nation's capital around the Washington Monument grounds.
Dubbed the nation's greatest springtime celebration, the capital also hosts the annual National Cherry Blossom Fest. The dates of this year's festival are March 20 - April 16.
The mean date of blooming is April 4, and can last as long as 14 days. However, this date isn't set in stone — nature can be a little unpredictable when it comes to bloom time.
Flowering cherry trees can grow well in cityscapes, including along sidewalks and concrete patios. The small cherries they produce provide food for small birds, but are too sour for human consumption.
There are many different types of flowering cherry trees, including one known as the weeping chrysanthemum cherry. It has bright pink double blossoms that cover cascading branches.
Many trees can grow to reach 25 feet in height, while others can grow as tall as 50 feet with a canopy spreading up to 40 feet wide. (Wouldn't you love to see that?)
The blossoms can change colors. Many of them start out as dark pink while in bud, and then light pink when they blossom. Eventually, they turn pale pink or white.
Unfortunately, flowering cherry trees don't live very long — only up until 30 or 40 years, at best.
Gardeners, watch out! The tree suffers from the same issues as rose bushes, such as leaf spot, leaf curl, powdery mildew, root rot and fire blight.
Following a recent trend due to climate change, flowering cherries are blooming earlier compared to years past.