Weeping Higan cherry

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade. Choose a position sheltered from strong winds.

Water

Moderate; water deeply during establishment and prolonged dry spells. Avoid waterlogged soil.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained loam is ideal. Tolerates clay or sandy soil if drainage and moisture are suitable, and grows in slightly acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

Height

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m), sometimes taller with age

Spread

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m)

Flowers

Early to mid-spring, before or as the leaves emerge; single, pale pink flowers fading towards white.

Foliage

Green, pointed, toothed leaves; autumn colour is usually yellow, sometimes with orange tones.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   10 ft (3 m)

About 20 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons, moistening the root area rather than just the trunk base.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk and graft union.
• Keep grass away from the trunk and protect the bark from mower and strimmer damage.
• Feed in spring only if growth is weak or a soil test indicates a deficiency; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Remove shoots arising below the graft union promptly, as these belong to the rootstock.
• Stake a newly planted tree only if needed for stability, and remove the support once its roots hold it firmly.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in dry weather in summer, after flowering, to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Remove dead, damaged or rubbing branches and shorten trailing tips only where they obstruct access; do not shear the canopy or cut back into the grafted crown.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and well drained; in very cold climates, wait until spring.

Late winter

Check stakes, ties and bark protection, loosening anything that is becoming tight.

Spring

Refresh mulch and water newly planted trees if rainfall is insufficient.

After flowering

Check for dead blossom clusters, dying shoots and gum exuding from damaged bark.

Summer

Carry out any necessary light pruning in dry weather and remove rootstock suckers.

Summer

Water deeply during prolonged drought, particularly while the tree is establishing.

Late autumn

Collect fallen leaves if leaf spot has been a problem.

• Use as a lawn specimen where the branches can sweep down without blocking paths or being repeatedly clipped.
• Place beside a pond, above the wet margin rather than in saturated soil, to reflect the weeping canopy.
• Make a focal point in a Japanese-style garden with restrained evergreen planting and stone.
• Underplant with spring bulbs and low, shade-tolerant perennials for flowers beneath the bare spring canopy.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Traditional, Romantic rose garden, English country, Woodland and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Snowdrops, Daffodils, Hellebores, Japanese painted fern, Epimedium and Hostas.

Wildlife: The single flowers provide pollen and nectar for spring insects when weather allows them to forage. Any small fruits produced may be eaten by birds; fruiting can be sparse.

• Bacterial canker or silver leaf: watch for dying branches, sunken bark or silvery foliage. Prune affected wood back to healthy growth in dry summer weather, disinfect tools between cuts and seek local advice if the trunk is affected.
• Cherry leaf spot: spotting and early leaf fall are encouraged by damp conditions. Collect fallen leaves, avoid wetting the foliage and maintain airflow without heavy pruning.
• Aphids: curled leaves and sticky honeydew often appear on young growth. Wash off small colonies with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators; avoid spraying open flowers.
• Root rot and poor establishment: yellowing, wilting or dieback can follow planting too deeply or waterlogged soil. Keep the root flare at soil level and improve drainage or choose a better site.

Leaves, stems, bark and seed kernels contain cyanogenic compounds and can poison cats, dogs, horses and people if eaten. Wilted leaves are especially hazardous to grazing animals, and chewing or crushing the pits increases the risk; substantial ingestion can be fatal. The ripe fruit flesh is not generally considered poisonous, but this is an ornamental cherry, not a food crop, and the pits must not be eaten.

• Snow Fountains weeping cherry (Prunus 'Snofozam')

  Usually much smaller and narrower, with a compact cascade of white flowers; often sold as a small grafted garden tree.

• Double weeping Higan cherry (Prunus × subhirtella 'Pendula Plena Rosea')

  Has distinctly double pink flowers with many petals, rather than the single, five-petalled flowers of 'Pendula'.

• Yoshino cherry (Prunus × yedoensis)

  The usual form has an upright, spreading crown rather than a curtain of strongly pendulous branches; its blossom is also pale pink to white.

The epithet subhirtella refers to slight hairiness, Pendula means hanging, and Higan is the Japanese Buddhist observance around the equinox, associated with the tree's spring flowering.

Propagation. Usually propagated by specialist grafting or budding onto a suitable cherry rootstock, with training to establish the desired height and weeping crown. Seedlings will not reliably reproduce the cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Prunus subhirtella

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and USDA PLANTS. The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.