Sign 5
Cherry ‘Yoshino’ Weeping
Prunus × yedoensis
- Bloom Time:
- March–April
- Family:
- Rose (Rosaceae)
- Form:
- Tree, Deciduous
Tree
Description: The Weeping Yoshino Cherry blooms with a spectacular display of white to pale pink blossoms in March–April, before the leaves emerge. The flowers attract bees, birds and butterflies. It’s a deciduous tree that can grow to approximately 20’ tall x 20’ wide.
The Yoshino Cherry anchors Japan’s hanami tradition, celebrating renewal and life’s fleeting beauty beneath its blossoms. Trees gifted by Japan in 1912 created Washington, D.C.’s famous cherry display. Blossoms also flavor teas, sweets, and spring festivals worldwide.
Photo: Rest-Stop-Ranch
More plant info
What to look for
Yoshino cherry flowers open before the leaves, so in March and April the whole tree turns pale pink to white. This weeping form carries its branches downward like a fountain. New leaves are often bronze when they first unfold, then turn dark green for summer.
The story behind it
Yoshino cherry is a hybrid that arose in Japan between the Oshima cherry and the Edo higan cherry. The famous ‘Somei-yoshino’ is a single clone that has been grafted and planted around the world. In 1912 Japan gave the city of Washington, D.C. a gift of cherry trees, and Yoshino cherries still line the Tidal Basin there.
Growing it at home
It grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil and is hardy in zones 5 through 8. Mature trees usually reach 16 to 39 feet in the species; weeping forms stay lower and wider.
Sources
Guided tours of the arboretum are free, by appointment. Text Mary at 978-887-4202.