Denny Schrock
A welcome sight each spring, cherry trees provide some of thefirst blossoms of the season.
Fragrant, single- or double-flowers cover the small trees leafless branches.
There are two groups of cherry treesedible varieties and ornamental selections.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Ornamental Cherry Trees
The hallmark ofornamental cherry treesis their highly anticipated spring flower show.
Ornamental cherry trees rarely produce fruit but their bold flowers provide nourishment to early season pollinators.
These deciduous trees are hardy in Zones 5 to 9 andgrow best in full sun.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Notably short-lived, these types of cherry trees thrive for about 20 years before they begin to decline.
Cultivars vary by size, form, and flower color.
It has pink or white flowers that are single or double in midspring.
Credit:Bob Stefko
In fall the leaves turn bronze or yellow-orange.
Kwanzan is a popular cultivar with large double-pink flowers.
Higan cherry(Prunussubhirtella) has excellent heat and cold tolerance.
Credit:Bob Stefko
It also grows well in a variety of soil conditions but thrives in moist,well-drained soil.
The showy pink or white flowers are followed by dark green leaves that turn yellow in autumn.
Pendula is a popular weeping form.
Yoshino cherry(Prunusyedoensis) is one of the largest types of ornamental cherries.
It is a fast-growing but short-lived tree, often only thriving for about 15 years.
It does not tolerate heat, humidity, and drought well.
Late frost and windy conditions often disrupt the bloom show.
Okame cherryhas a distinctive vase shape as it grows 20 to 30 feet tall.
Its bright pink flowers and shiny red bark are a pleasing combination.
Its leaves turn bold orange-red in autumn.
It is one of the easiest ornamental cherry trees to grow.
There are two groups of fruiting cherry treessweet cherries and sour cherries.
Expect a tree to be productive for about 20 years before it starts to decline.
They can survive extreme winter temperatures better than sweet cherries.
Here are some popular varieties to grow:
Meteorproduces fruit with bright red skin and yellow flesh.
The 10- to 14-feet-tall tree is easy to harvest.
Notable disease resistance makes Meteor an excellent and productive cultivar.
Especially well-suited for Zone 4, it’s hardy up to Zone 8.
Montmorencyproduces plentiful tangy, bright red fruit that’s a favorite forcherry cobblersand pies.
This small tree has white flowers in spring and grows best in rich, well-drained soil.
Montmorency is self-pollinating but another variety of sour cherry planted nearby will boost production.
Good pollinating partners include North Star, Balaton, and Meteor.
North Staroffers tart fruit with deep red flesh and mahogany red skin.
Thisdwarf fruit treetops out at 8 to 10 feet tall, making harvesting andpruning this cherry varietyeasier.
It’s self-pollinating but is more productive when another sour cherry is planted nearby.
Sweet cherries require another compatible sweet cherry tree nearby for cross-pollination.
Be sure to plant a pollinating partner within 100 feet for best results.
Its fruit is juicy and sweet, perfect for eating fresh.
Fruit ripens in July.
Cross-pollinate with Van or Rainer.
Itseye-catching pink flowersare followed in July by dark red fruit that has purple-red, sweet, firm flesh.
It has good disease-resistance and crack-resistance.
Rainieroffers high-quality fruit that is yellow with pink blush with outstanding flavor and good crack-resistance.
Fruit ripens at the end of May or early June, depending on theHardiness Zone.
Cross-pollinate with another sweet cherry variety.
Vanhas dark mahogany fruit that ripens in June.
Cross-pollinate with any sweet cherry variety, except Regina.
Windsorproduces medium-size, dark red fruit in July.
It’s a fast-growing tree that reaches 15-18 feet tall and wide.
Cross-pollinate it with any other sweet cherry variety.
