Flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees are one of the most popular ornamental trees because of the profusion of blooms that appear in the spring. They belong to one of the largest families of plants, Rosaceae. which also includes roses, blackbrush, thornapples, hawthorns, flowering quince, blackberry and raspberry.
The colorful flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees have dark green leaves and pink or white flowers that bloom in the early part of the spring. They can reach a height of 20 to 40 feet and a width of 15 to 30 feet.
Flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8, from the Middle Atlantic states to parts of Florida and the Gulf states, as well as the West Coast north to the Canadian border. They need full sun and consistently moist soil, which can be acidic, loamy, sandy or clay.
Flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees need well-drained soil so the roots do not stand in water, which can lead to root rot. Planting should be as early in the fall as possible to allow the roots to established and give the tree time to store up energy before flowering in the spring. Transplant trees in the spring. Newly planted trees need fertilizer and a good layer of mulch.
Flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees are grown by grafting a bud from a tree onto root stock from another tree. The grafting causes branches to grow from the root as well as from the trunk. These branches are easy to spot because they grow straight up instead of weeping. Prune these branches or they will destroy the look of the tree. The bark of these cherry trees is very thin, so exercise care when mowing around them.
Flowering Japanese weeping cherry trees pair nicely with water features. They grow tall and wide so they need plenty of space between themselves and other plants. They do best as specimen plantings.
Brown rot is a common problem with flowering cherry trees that affects both the flowers and the leaves. It attacks in the spring causing the flowers to wilt, turn brown and die. Bacterial canker produces a toxin that destroys the plant's tissues. The trees are also susceptible to twig blight, root rot, powdery mildew, bacterial and fungal leaf spots, borers, aphids, tent caterpillar and scale.