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Who knew it would be this difficult? I decided to add a cherry tree to my front yard because I love the springtime floral display. The nice man at the garden center asked me if I wanted a dwarf flowering cherry tree, semi-dwarf, or full size variety; flowering or non-flowering; fruiting or non-fruiting. Wow. I had no idea there were that many options. I had to do a little more research.
Cherry trees come in three size categories – dwarf, semi-dwarf, and full size. Dwarf species are those that grow up to around 12’ – 15’. Semi-dwarf species will grow to 20 - 25’ and full size cherry trees can get as large as 40’. The smaller species are generally used in residential yards, gardens, and for container plants. Since they are smaller, they are easier to prune and harvest. I was planning to use this tree as an ornamental in a smallish front yard, so I decided to go with a dwarf species.
The second part of my cherry tree learning experience involved flowering and fruiting. All cherry tree flower and all cherry trees produce fruit. However, the species are generally cultivated to emphasize one or the other. Therefore, you can plant a dwarf cherry tree that produces a spectacular floral display, but the fruit harvest is pretty mediocre. Conversely, dwarf cherry trees that are planted for their fruit harvest are not as showy during their springtime bloom. I was more interested in the ornamental aspects, so I determined that I was looking for a dwarf flowering cherry tree.
Finally, I narrowed it down to three species – Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry, Besseyi (Sand Cherry), and Carmine Jewel. Snow Fountain is a weeping cherry tree with cascading branches (like a weeping willow) and pure white springtime foliage. It averages 12’ to 15’ at maturity, prefers partial shade, and moist, well-drained soil. It produces small, very sour fruit that birds enjoy, but are considered inedible for human consumption. Sand Cherry is a bush-like dwarf flowering cherry tree with reddish foliage and fragrant pink and white flowers. It averages 7’-10’ at maturity, prefers full sun to partial shade and tolerates many different soil types. The small, scarce purple cherries are very sour and, although sometimes used in jams and jellies, cannot be eaten straight from the tree. Carmine Jewel is one of the few dwarf flowering cherry trees that also produces a tasty harvest. Carmine Jewel is a bush-like cherry tree with deep green leaves, and quantities of pink and white flowers. It averages only 7’ at maturity, prefers full sun to part shade, and tolerates many different soil types. It produces large reddish-purple fruit that are very sweet and are commonly used in baking and preserving, as well as being enjoyed straight from the tree.
The decision to add a cherry tree to my yard was more complicated than I realized. Once I researched the basic options and species available, I decided that a dwarf flowering cherry tree would suit my needs and available space perfectly. My only regret is that I have to wait until next spring to see it bloom.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about trees and shrubs and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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