A variety called Pink Cloud performs very well in Southern California’s milder winters. It grows 15 to 20 feet tall and as wide with a willowy round shape. The leaves are simple, alternate and toothed. The flowers have 5 petals and appear before the leaves in late March and early April.
There are many other cultivars of flowering cherry trees with blossoms ranging in color from white to rose and dark pink. These trees produce some of the most dramatic blooms during the spring that attract so many hummingbirds. The bloom season unfortunately lasts only a few weeks. Most cultivars live 30 to 40 years with a few exceptions such as the ones in Washington D.C. where some of the original trees that were planted in 1912 are still alive.
Flowering cherry trees require full sun, good air circulation and a well-drained soil rich in organic matter. They also require some light pruning during the winter, and are considered drought tolerant once established.
Another variety to consider planting if pink Cloud is not available is Akebono, it has tight dark pink buds that open white, turning to a soft pink. The flowers also tend to hang on longer on the tree.
Pasadena where I live is very fortunate to have several Pink Cloud flowering cherry trees with dark pink flowers growing in Victory Park, Memorial Park and Central Park. These trees can also add a beautiful accent to any garden. The trees in Pasadena were planted in 2012 to commemorate the Centennial of when the trees in Washington D.C. were planted.
In 1912 more than 3000 flowering cherry trees, a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo Japan to the United States were planted in Washington D.C. These trees were meant to celebrate the growing friendship between the people of Japan and the United States.
The sight of cherry blossoms is so spectacular people travel from all over to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival in our Nation Capitol.
In Japan the “Sakura” or cherry blossom is considered the national flower.
If you are not able to make it to Washington D.C for its Cherry Blossom Festival OR Japan where the tradition of celebrating the cherry blooms goes back thousands of years, you can still be dazzled by the beauty of the ones growing here in Pasadena, at Descanso Gardens, at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, or in your own garden.
