Weeping Yoshino Cherry Tree

The Weeping Yoshino Cherry (also called the Shidare Yoshino) is a cultivar of the hybrid Yoshino Cherry. With gracefully weeping branches, the tree is heralded for its abundant blooms that appear in April prior to leafing out. The tree is pollution tolerant, making it wonderful in urban environments. Thought to be the result of hybridization between the Oshima Cherry (Prunus speciosa) and the Weeping Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella var. pendula), the species arose during the 1800s. Its botanical species name references the old name of Tokyo – Edo/Yedo, and the Yoshino flower is both the national flower of Japan and the symbol of the Japanese emperor. Ideally, cherry trees should get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Cherry trees do best in deep, well-draining soil that has a pH of 6.0-7.0. Space sweet cherries 35 to 40 feet apart; dwarfs, 5 to 10 feet apart. Space tart cherries 20 to 25 feet apart; dwarfs, 8 to 10 feet apart.