15 Types of Flowering Cherry Trees

A branch of cherry blossom standing out against the spring sky — there is nothing as uplifting as this panorama.

Ornamental or flowering cherry trees (known as sakura in Japan) are one of the delights of spring in Japan admired for their magnificent floral display.

You may have noticed that all the cherry trees are not the same. They are distinct from each other in terms of look, blossom, color, height, blooming period, etc.

Seeing these variations, you might be interested to know about different types of flowering cherry trees.

Then you are exactly at the perfect place, as I am here to discuss different varieties of cherry blossoms today.

Just go through this write-up to remove all your curiosity.

Ornamental Or Flowering Cherry Tree Varieties

Ornamental cherry blossom trees are deciduous trees where masses of stunning white or pink flowers are grown in spring.

Anyway, most cherry blossom trees are native to Japan, and here, you will find more than two hundred cherry tree varieties.

Only a few of them are wild varieties grown in the forests of this country, but the majority of flowering cherry tree varieties have been cultivated in gardens and parks over the centuries for decorative purposes.

As different flowers have different meanings, cherry blossoms are also not an exception to this.

It is the symbol of beauty, renewal, and change.

Now we will know about their types one by one.

From spectacular vase shapes to lovely weeping varieties, flowering cherry trees are diverse.

1. Japanese Cherry Tree or Sakura (Prunus Serrulata)

The blossoms of the Japanese sakura tree can be of different colors ranging from white to glorious pink.

You will get to see these flowers in early to mid-spring. A notable characteristic of these flowers is that they are incredibly fragrant.

They can be single, double, or semi-double, depending on the cultivar.

The blossoms appear on branches before the leaves. So, the appearance is usually intense only with the blooms.

And to tell you about the leaves, it has dark-green oval-shaped leaves that turn a red or warm bronze color in the fall.

You can grow sakura trees in full sun where the climate is favorable.

The soil should be well-drained, while at the same time, you need to keep the soil moist by providing enough water.

At A Glance
Height: 15 and 25 ft (4 – 8 m).
Colors of the blooms: White to pink.
Blooming time: Late March to mid-April, or early May.
Lifetime: About 15 to 20 years.
Duration of Peak Bloom: About 1 week.

2. Somei Yoshino or Yoshino Cherry Tree (Prunus yedoensis)

The most popular and numerously found sakura in Japan is Yoshino or Somei Yoshino, which is cultivated during the Edo Period in Tokyo.

Its beautiful white to pale pink blossoms will lift up your mind in a blink with their majestic appearance.

Each bloom has five petals and grows in clusters of three to six in early spring.

Their fresh leaves don't emerge until after the peak of the flowering season, and that's why the blossoms look immensely beautiful without getting mixed up with the leaves.

Yoshino cherry has a vase-shaped crown with dark green foliage that turns orange and red in the fall.

At A Glance
Height: 16 - 30 ft (5 - 12 m).
Color of the blooms: White to pale pink.
Lifetime: About 80 years.
Blooming time: March to April.
Duration of Peak Bloom: About 2 to 3 weeks.

3. Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus Serrulata 'Kwanzan')

This time I will talk about one of the most decorative cherry trees, which is Kwanzan.

This dark pink cherry blossom tree develops upward with spreading vase-shaped growth.

It has showy double flowers that flourish in clusters of three to five. There are up to 30 individual petals in each of the stunning flowers.

These trees are also known as Kanzan or Sekiyama cherry trees. They don't produce any fruits.

Its leaves are generally dark green, but they turn an attractive yellow or orange color in the fall before dropping.

At A Glance
Height: 25 and 30 ft (7.6 – 9 m).
Color of the blooms: Dark pink.
Lifetime: About 15 to 25 years.
Peak bloom: Around April 22.
Duration of Peak Bloom: Around 2 weeks.

4. Okame Cherry Tree (Prunus x incam ‘Okame’)

Okame cherry trees are not as tall as the other ones. It is a small cherry tree with upright growth and a vase-shaped crown that becomes rounded when the tree matures.

It is an extremely popular decorative cherry tree for sunny backyards.

Okame cherry trees have reddish-pink blossoms with five petals. The bright pink colored single flowers have a red center.

The blooms look stunning on the bare cherry tree branches.

These particular cherry trees fill every garden with colors starting from early April to late fall.

They have dark green leaves, which range from warm orange to red in autumn.

At A Glance
Height: 15 to 20 ft (4.5 – 6 m).
Color of the blooms: Reddish pink.
Blooming time: Late March and early April.
Duration of Peak Bloom: Around 2 to 3 weeks.

5. Bird Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus padus)

Another type of flowering cherry tree is the ornamental bird cherry tree, which is also known as the European bird cherry.

These trees are famous for their fragrant white blossoms that hang down in clusters, creating a stunning floral display.

These pendulous flowers usually bloom in mid to late spring.

Unlike the other cherry blossoms I have described till now, the flowers of these cherry trees appear after the foliage or at the same time when the leaves grow.

So, with the combination of white blossoms and green leaves, you can mistake it for a green cherry blossom tree.

However, the leaves also change colors in autumn like the others, but the difference is they turn into bright yellow colors instead of orange or red.

At A Glance
Height: 20 – 40 ft (6 – 12 m).
Color of the blooms: White.
Lifetime: Maximum of 200 years.
Blooming time: Late March through June.
Duration of Peak Bloom: Up to 2 weeks.

6. Sargent's Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus sargentii)

The Sargent's cherry is a species of flowering or ornamental Japanese cherry tree with masses of single light pink to deep-pink colored blossoms.

This cherry tree has another name, which is North Japanese Hill cherry.

In early spring, you can see numerous bright red buds on this tree that open up into beautiful pink flowers with wavy edges.

Its flowers emerge before the leaves like most other cherry trees.

Anyway, this cherry tree has shiny, mahogany-colored bark.

Besides, Sargent's cherry tree makes an excellent shade tree due to its spreading growth habit.

At A Glance
Height: 40 – 50 ft (12 – 15 m).
Color of the blooms: Light pink to deep pink.
Lifetime: About 25 to 50 years.
Blooming time: Late April or early May.

7. Fuji Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus incisa)

Fuji cherry blossoms are single white-colored fragrant flowers that dangle in clusters. Its dainty flowers start blooming from mid-March to early April.

These decorative cherry trees are smaller to medium in size and characterized by a rounded growth and densely growing foliage.

The oval pointed green leaves have a double indentation, and they turn yellow to orange in the fall.

Though their thin branches have a slightly drooping habit, they are not a species of weeping cherry blossom trees.

At A Glance
Height: 20 and 26 ft (6 – 8 m).
Color of the blooms: White.

8. Dwarf Flowering Fuji Cherry blossom Tree (Prunus incisa 'Kojo-No-Mai')

Now I will talk about a dwarf cherry blossom tree, and it is the ornamental cherry tree, Kojo-No Mai. It only grows up to a few feet.

The blossoms of these Kojo-No-Mai cherry trees appear on bare branches from crimson buds. The flowers are single and made of thin whitish-pink petals.

Zig-zagged branches and masses of single white flowers are some of the identifying characteristics of these blossoming miniature cherry trees.

These dwarf cherry blossom trees are suitable for growing in compact gardens. You can also plant it in containers on your terrace.

Their lance-shaped leaves remain dark green in summer but turn into a spectacular red color in the fall.

By this time, we have known about the usual cherry blossom trees. Now, I am gonna introduce you to weeping cherry blossom trees.

Weeping cherry trees are one kind of ornamental cherry tree that have pendulous weeping branches with clusters of white and pink flowers.

At A Glance
Height: 8 ft (2.5 m).
Color of the blooms: Whitish pink.

9. Weeping Higan Cherry Tree (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula')

The weeping Higan cherry trees are fast-growing flowering cherry trees with showy double flowers of white to pink color.

When the blossoms cover the bare cascading branches, the tree looks stunningly beautiful.

These trees have glossy green lance-like leaves that turn yellow in the fall.

The arching cascading branches of the weeping trees spread to up to 25 ft (7.5 m).

At A Glance
Height: 20 and 30 ft (6 – 9 m).
Color of the blooms: White or pink.
Lifetime: About 20 years.
Blooming time: Mid to late April.

10. Weeping Yoshino Cherry Tree (Prunus x yedoensis 'Shidare-Yoshino')

Weeping Yoshino cherry trees are eye-catching ornamental trees with a rounded, umbrella-like crown.

You will be enchanted with its bare branches bursting into white-colored blossoms in early spring.

The clusters of single white flowers blanket the pendulous bare branches, creating a splendid scenic view.

One specialty of these weeping cherry tree is that it looks stunning any time of the year due to their graceful drooping habit.

Besides, these trees have shiny decorative bark that provides some winter interest.

And to tell you about the foliage, they have dense green leaves that turn into gold and bronze colors in fall.

At A Glance
Height: 20 and 25 ft (6 – 7.5 m).
Color of the blooms: White.
Duration of Peak Bloom: 2 to 3 weeks.

11. Double Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula Plena Rosea')

Compared to other flowering cherry blossoms, this variety blooms for a long time.

Clusters of double flowers in diverse shades of pink appear on these graceful flowering cherry trees in mid-spring.

When you see the cascading branches bursting into pink blooms, you will surely be bewildered by its gorgeous splendor.

And if you want to enjoy this beauty captivating within your eyesight, there is a way too.

Yes, this Pendula Plena Rosea is one of the most amazing weeping cherry blossom trees that you can grow in your garden.

At A Glance
Height: 15 and 25 ft (4.5 – 7.5 m).
Color of the blooms: Various shades of pink.

12. Pink Snow Showers Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus x 'Pisnshzam' syn. Prunus' Pink Snow Showers')

Pink Snow Shower weeping cherry trees produce dramatic cascading flowers and leaves due to their exquisite weeping growth habit.

This cherry blossom cultivar grows up to a few meters with a sizeable umbrella-like crown.

Its green foliage turns into golden yellow in autumn, and before the leaves drop, these trees reveal their smooth red bark.

Moving onto their blossoms, double flowers in a deep mauve or dark pink color appear on their cascading branches in mid-spring, which looks exactly like a pink garden waterfall.

At A Glance
Height: Up to 25 ft (8 m).
Color of the bloom: Deep mauve or dark pink.
Lifetime: About 40 to 150 years.
Blooming time: March and April.

Besides these weeping cherry trees, there are also some varieties of dwarf weeping flowering cherry blossom trees.

They are perfect for your small and compact garden.

Let's know about them right now.

13. Japanese Dwarf Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus serrulata' Kiku-Shidare-Zakura')

Sakura weeping trees are late flowering cherry trees that can be striking dwarf trees for landscaping your garden.

These weeping trees have drooping branches with marvelous showy chrysanthemum ball-like pink flowers.

As they are late flowering cherry trees, the blossoms appear in April, covering the cascading branches.

And they have glossy green leaves that turn into an orangey-bronze color in the fall, revealing the bronze-colored bark.

At A Glance
Height: Up to 10 ft (3 m).
Color of the blooms: Pink.
Lifetime: About 10 to 20 years.

14. Snow Fountain Dwarf Weeping Cherry Tree (Prunus serrulata' Snow Fountain')

One of the finest examples of a flowering dwarf tree is the Snow Fountain weeping cherry tree with a narrow growth habit.

Small, single white fragrant blossoms occur mid-spring, covering the curved branches.

When you look at these trees in full spring, the blooms will look like a lovely fountain of cascading snowflakes.

And in the fall, its lush green foliage changes into eye-catching golden-yellow shades.

At A Glance
Height: 8 and 15 ft (2.4 – 4.5 m).
Color of the blooms: White.
Lifetime: About 10 to 20 years.
Blooming period: Around mid-spring.
Duration of peak bloom: Around 3 weeks.

15. Hiromi Dwarf Weeping Cherry Tree (Prunus jacquemontii 'Hiromi')

Hiromi cherry trees are dwarf weeping flowering landscaping trees with showy, single flowers in tones of light pink.

It is the smallest one among the dwarf weeping cherry trees.

Full sun and moist soil are required for their growth and development.

The green leaves of these dwarf trees turn bright golden yellow in autumn.

They are one of the few shrubby cherry trees that you can plant as a flowering privacy screen or hedge.

At A Glance
Height: 6 or 7 ft (1.8 – 2 m).
Color of the blooms: Light pink.

So, these are the varieties of flowering cherry trees.

How to Plant Flowering Cherry Trees

Planting a cherry blossom tree is not a difficult task and can be achieved within a few steps. 

Of course, you’ll first need to purchase the cherry blossom tree in a pot. Most nurseries have a wide selection of specimens to choose from, ensuring you’ll get something visually appealing. 

When planting, it’s best to go with something of larger size; one-gallon pots would be ideal.

• Once you’ve selected your tree, carefully select a spot in the garden that will get plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil. 

Before you start digging, it’s important to take some time to plan the ideal planting environment. 

Analyzing the soil type in the area, monitoring weather patterns and the pH levels of the soil are all important steps to take. 

• When it’s time to dig, start by grabbing a shovel and marking out a hole that’s a few inches larger than the pot the tree came in. While making sure the depth is correct, it’s important to also make sure the hole is wide enough for the roots to spread and grow in all directions.
•  Before inserting the tree, add some nutrient-rich soil mixture to the hole and mix it around. Back fill the hole with the soil and gently pack it down.

• Finally, place the tree into the prepared hole, replenishing the excess soil from the hole.
• Once you’ve filled the hole, roll the soil around the tree to ensure consistent moisture and steady growth.
• Water the tree well and fertilize when necessary — following the directions of the fertilizer.

As with all young plants, be sure to keep a regular watering schedule as this will help the tree take root and grow in its new home. Properly caring for your cherry blossom tree is key to successfully replicating your own picturesque blossom wonderland.

Conclusion

Now you have a clear knowledge about the types of flowering cherry trees. I hope this write-up has met up your interest regarding this topic.