Cherry blossom

[NewbiePlanter]

I'm looking for a plant that looks similar to cherry blossoms that will survive cold winters and cold winds. Also a decent amount of rain. I can plant it where it will get a good 8 hours of sun in the summer.

Any ideas? I did try Google but it just talked about visiting Japan in different months.

When you say a plant, what do you mean? Is it a small plant you're looking for, or a shrub that might reach a metre or so, or a tree? You say you want something like cherry blossoms, but cherries are mostly trees and might be too big for the space you have?

Cherries are in the Prunus family, there are quite a few plants in this group that might fit the bill. This Prunus tormentosa is pretty but can get quite large. This cistena is smaller at about 5 feet when fully grown. Or maybe 'Kojo-No-Mai'. They can be trimmed back in late summer after flowering if they start to get uncomfortably large. (Although these are all from one website, I'm not suggesting you get them from there, it's just as an example really.)

If this isn't what you had in mind, it might be a springboard towards finding what you really want. I'm cautious about Prunus as they do tend to sucker which can be annoying, but for most people they're worth it for the blossom in spring and general low maintenance.

Hawthorn is one of my favourites for the flower and scent. Mock Orange is heaven itself. Crab apple is pretty and hardy.
I have a cherry tree in my (northern and exposed) garden and it survives well. It might just be the variety though.

That's a great help thank you. Yeah looking for a tree/largish shrub. I've got a decent size garden. Has anyone ordered a tree online?

Amelanchier is a beautiful tree/shrub, spring blossom, vibrant new leaves, berries and golden foliage in Autumn. It can be pruned to keep it small.

I've ordered trees on line. Ornamental Trees were very good as was the RHS. Arrived perfectly packaged. There's good information on the websites too.

But if you have a decent nursery near by it's nice to go an look at the form of a young tree if you've decided what you want first. I found a better choice on line than near me though.

There are lovely blossom trees. I think that cherry trees are beautiful for a couple of weeks a year but a bit dull otherwise.

The amelanchier a PP mentioned has more seasons of interest if you just want one tree.

@NewbiePlanter Yes, I've bought a tree online. It's a Magnolia "Genie" with dark plum-coloured flowers. It was quite well established in a 50 litre pot, cost me about £80 iirc and has been great.

Amelanchier is a good smallish tree as PP says. Some trees do have lovely autumn colour as well, or colourful berries, so you can get more bang for your buck - although blossom in spring is lovely, there are other attributes that can make a tree worth having if you have the space. The Cercis is nice, lots of colourful flowers.

The RHS finder has filters that you can apply to narrow your search, as there's so many out there to choose from, it can get overwhelming in a way...

Oh yous have started something now 😊 OH will not be happy

Crabapple? Lovely blossom, some have good autumn colour, followed by fruit, some varieties staying on the tree well into winter.

Why is it that you don't want a flowering cherry?

When I looked up cherry blossom it stated it can't grow in cold winds and harsh winters. We had snow yesterday. And it's still quite cold for April

I'm the same, I love cherry blossom and need an alternative for a harsher climate. I planted a cherry blossom tree a few years ago and the wind burned it down to nothing. I tried to create shelter around it but it wasn't happy.

Have a look in neighbours' gardens for inspiration on what will thrive in your environment. My neighbour suggested I plant an apple tree, within the shelter belt that has since grown. We have hawthorn, rhododendrons, New Zealand holly, escalonia, Rowan trees, Laurel.... you have some shelter? Where I live is flat, with cold wind straight off the sea and not many trees so the crucial thing is some shelter.

It'll have a fence next to it and there's a fence across on the other side too if that makes sense so kind of sheltered but not much

@NewbiePlanter

When I looked up cherry blossom it stated it can't grow in cold winds and harsh winters. We had snow yesterday. And it's still quite cold for April

There's some lovely cherry blossom where I am in Lancashire.

Some types of ornamentals cherry tree have lovely autumn colour so I don't agree that it's just a two week wonder.
I don't have one myself but I've been enjoying a bit of hanami courtesy of the neighbours.

We have a cherry tree in our north-facing garden - variety Stella, it's an edible one, though we've yet to get any fruit off it as the birds get to it first.
It survives fine but we're in SW.

We have some beautiful cherry trees on the verges near our house, I rang the parks department at our council to ask what variety they were as they keep a record.

So it's not just neighbours' gardens where you can look for inspiration, it's everywhere, which makes gardening a somewhat expensive pastime for me 🤣

Cherry trees cope almost anywhere till you get really quite far north. I’ve got a small garden so have to squeeze as much interest as possible from everything that goes in it.

Even very nort if sheltered they will grow.

I’m north west and they are in every garden.

If you want one go for it. I prefer the single white or pale pink blossom tree in my own garden. But love to see a full flight double pink cherry tree.

Have a look at eventual height, they can get really large.

I love choosing and planting trees and have occasional fantasies of buying a field and planting a mini arboretum.

Where do you live? I grew up in Scotland and cherry trees were very common, I’m now in thr south east and have one in the garden, they are fine. Unless you live up the very top of Scotland I think it is ok, but you’d not get a good eight hours of sun up there any way?

When I looked up cherry blossom it stated it can't grow in cold winds and harsh winters. We had snow yesterday. And it's still quite cold for April Whereabouts in the country are you? And where did you get the advice from - was it a UK site?

I'm in Yorkshire, in a frost pocket, 400ft above sea-level. In February I was sledging while my winter-flowering cherry was in full blossom (it's still in full blossom). Today there's ice on my car, as there has been every day for most of the last two weeks. My early flowering cherry is in full bloom, and the white flowered cherry my father gave me 30 years ago is just coming into blossom. Meanwhile, the wild cherries in the local nature reserve are also in flower.

I think, if you want a cherry, you can get a cherry, and not a cherry-look-alike.

It's wind rather than low temperatures than do the damage, it strips off the blossom and that's it for the year. Ornamental varieties of native trees like hawthorn, crab apple or rowan/mountain ash are generally more wind tolerant and, because they fruit, you have two seasons of interest as well as food for birds.

I understood it to be the wind too. Our front garden is a sunny wind tunnel, the wind has totally taken out a pair of very healthy bay trees. I'd love a cherry but don't think I'd risk it. We have a crab apple (only planted recently but seems happy).

I live at the very tip of Scotland you can't go any more north without crossing the sea. When it's summer we do get loads of sun. Not as much as south gets but enough to grow some heavy sun plants.

What about a ‘frilly frock’, I’m in Yorkshire and mine have always survived. They blossom early, and although they don’t blossom for long, they are stunning to look at and the leaves stay really interesting all year. I love the weeping shape too.

I have this one - it's very small - it's been in a large pot for about 7 years. But it has beautiful blossom and you could put it somewhere sheltered. www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/70924/prunus-incisa-kojo-no-mai-/Details

It sounds like you have good shelter so enjoy choosing the variety and then go for it - try it out in the most sheltered, sunny spot with good drainage. I am excited for you. I'd love to try a blossom in a pot... I know i'd be kept awake at night worrying about it during the gales but it would be worth it! This thread has inspired me to go for a crab apple tree experiment this year.

Loads to choose from is now the problem 😂 I might just have to get two different ones. They will be the focus of the garden with handmade stepping stones underneath I'm thinking.