Tree · Rosaceae
Weeping Cherry
Prunus subhirtella
Come April, the weeping cherry throws open a cascade of pink and white blossom and steals the whole garden's attention.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 4–8
15–40 ft · 4.6–12.2 m
Overview
The weeping cherry ranks among spring's biggest thrills, a small tree whose long branches climb from a grafted standard and then pour back to the ground. Early in spring, well before the leaves show up, the entire canopy erupts into light pink to white flowers that dangle from the trailing stems. It comes from the rose family and hails from Japan, where the Higan cherry has drawn admirers for centuries.
Nearly every tree you bring home is a graft, and that fact powers the whole show. A weeping scion rides on top of an upright standard rootstock, usually at 4 to 6 feet, so the branches spill from that height instead of the soil. Keep an eye below the graft, though, because anything that shoots up there reverts to a plain, straight tree and needs snipping off to protect the cascade.
Give it space and it takes off fast, climbing to 15 to 40 feet (4.6 to 12 m) tall with a spread to match. It thrives across a broad slice of the country and asks for almost nothing once it roots in. Just remember it carries the cyanide-bearing foliage every cherry has, so smart placement counts wherever grazing animals roam.
Care
The short version: full sun, moist well-drained soil, and steady water while it is young. Feed it once in early spring, prune lightly after the blooms fade, and keep snipping the suckers below the graft.
Light
Plant it in full sun and watch the bloom go all out. It will take a bit of part shade and still flower, but the payoff shrinks. The more direct light hits the canopy, the denser and bolder that spring show.
Water
Keep the soil moist and well drained, and water every 5 to 10 days while the tree is young or a drought bites. Once it establishes, it powers through some dryness on its own. Just never let it sit in soggy ground.
Soil
It hits its stride in moist, fertile, well-drained loam, yet it adapts happily to clay or sand. Any pH from 5.5 to 7.5 keeps it thriving, and that range spans most garden soils.
Temperature
This tree laughs off the cold, holding up from about -20°F to 100°F (-29°C to 38°C). It even leans on the winter chill of a temperate climate to fuel a big spring bloom.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air suits it fine, so skip the humidity fuss. What really counts is strong airflow through the canopy, since crowded, damp branches roll out the welcome mat for the leaf and bark diseases cherries catch.
Feeding
One feeding gets the job done. Work in a balanced slow-release tree fertilizer in early spring as growth kicks off, and stop there, because anything heavier forces soft growth that pests and canker pounce on.
Pruning
Grab the pruners right after flowering and clear out dead, damaged, or crossing wood while you sharpen the weeping shape. Always cut off the suckers below the graft union, and skip the big cuts, which fling the door open to borers and canker.
Repotting
Here is the easy part: it stays put. It is no container tree, so set it in its forever spot with room for the full spread and let it run.
Size & spacing
Count on a mature tree of 15 to 40 feet (4.6 to 12 m) tall with a spread of 15 to 25 feet (4.6 to 7.6 m), and hand it that whole footprint up front. Keep it well clear of buildings and other trees, since it grows fast and will resist moving down the line.
When to plant
The weeping cherry runs on the cool side of the season, and the schedule is a breeze to follow. Get it in the ground while it is dormant in early spring or fall, then cheer as the flowers burst open ahead of the leaves in early to mid spring, and save the pruning for right after the blossoms drop.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Early spring or fall while dormant
- Harvest: Early to mid spring (light pink to white flowers before leaves)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Most of the action happens on the bark and twigs, not the flowers, so that is where a keen grower keeps watch. Spot a canker or a black knot gall early and you can cut it out before it travels. Match the symptom below, then jump in while the surrounding wood still holds firm.
Wilting branch tips over sunken, oozing bark cankers
This is canker and dieback at work: fungi push in through wounds and choke off whole limbs, often with borers carving tunnels underneath. Wait for dry weather, then cut the cankered wood well below the lesion, wiping tools clean between cuts. A strong, well-watered tree with no fresh bark wounds shrugs the whole thing off best.
Fix:
- Prune out cankered wood well below the lesion during dry weather
- Sterilize tools between cuts
- Improve vigor with proper watering and avoid bark wounds
Hard black galls bulging along twigs and branches
Those coal-black, corky lumps signal black knot, a fungus that clamps onto twigs and pops out clearest in winter. In late winter, prune each knot out 10 to 15 cm below the gall and get rid of every piece. Yank any wild cherry nearby too, since it keeps pumping the same disease straight back.
Fix:
- Prune out knots 10-15 cm below the gall in late winter
- Destroy or remove pruned material
- Repeat inspections annually
Spotted, sticky, or chewed-through leaves
A few troublemakers land on the foliage. Aphids and scale drip sticky honeydew and curl the leaves, Japanese beetles gnaw the green out between the veins, and leaf spot or leaf curl fungi stamp clear lesions. Blast off or treat the sap-feeders with horticultural oil, pluck the beetles by hand, and rake up fallen leaves so the fungus cannot ride into next year.
Fix:
- Hose off or treat aphids/scale with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
- Handpick Japanese beetles
- Rake and destroy fallen diseased leaves
Toxicity
This tree dazzles, but it comes with a warning worth respecting. Like every cherry, its leaves, twigs, bark, and seed pits pack cyanogenic glycosides that release cyanide, and wilted foliage tops the danger list. Keep prunings and fallen leaves far from horses and livestock, and stop pets and children from chewing the twigs or pits.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that gnaws wilted leaves, twigs, or a seed pit can turn up brick-red gums, widened pupils, and labored, panting breath. It rarely happens, but cyanide moves fast, so treat any breathing trouble as a full emergency.
Dogs Mild
A dog chewing bark, twigs, or fallen seeds might drool, breathe hard, and flash flushed red gums and dilated pupils. It seldom happens, yet a dog that has cracked into the pits needs a vet right away.
Horses Severe
Horses sit in real danger here. A heap of wilted prunings tossed over the fence can spark staggering, gasping breath, bright red mucous membranes, and convulsions, and a horse can be lost within minutes.
Rabbits Toxic
Those same cyanogenic compounds put the leaves, twigs, and bark off-limits for rabbits. Keep every cutting and pruning out of reach, since even a scrap of wilted foliage can trigger weakness and breathing distress.
Livestock Severe
Cattle, sheep, and goats are the classic victims of wilted-leaf cyanide poisoning. Within 15 to 20 minutes of eating fallen or pruned leaves they can slobber, breathe fast, flash bright red membranes, and convulse, often fatally.
Birds Toxic
The cyanide in the foliage, bark, and seed pits threatens birds too, so keep poultry and pet birds off any prunings or cracked pits.
People Caution
This is an ornamental tree, not a snack. The pits, leaves, twigs, and bark all pack cyanogenic glycosides, so eat none of it and keep curious children from chewing the seeds or foliage.
Keep pruned branches and fallen leaves away from horses and livestock, since wilting raises cyanide. Prevent pets from chewing twigs, bark, wilted leaves, or seeds.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Nearly every weeping cherry springs from a handful of named cultivars, sorted out by flower color, single or double blooms, and the size of the tree. Here are the ones any grower will want on the radar.
'Pendula'
The classic weeping form flaunts single light-pink flowers down long cascading branches grafted atop a 4 to 6 foot standard.
'Pendula Plena Rosea'
This weeping pick swaps single blooms for fuller, double pink flowers.
'Snofozam' (Snow Fountains)
A dwarf weeping cultivar, it showers white flowers down a low cascading frame built for smaller gardens.
'Autumnalis'
Its semi-double pink flowers put on two rounds, one in fall and another in early spring.
Yoshino cherry (Prunus × yedoensis)
A related flowering cherry that shoots up upright and spreading rather than weeping, wearing white to pale-pink blooms.
How to propagate
Propagating a weeping cherry is a real challenge, and half the fun is knowing why. The cascading form hinges on grafting onto a tall standard, which is why nurseries drive nearly all of it and home cuttings seldom nail the look.
GraftingDemanding
Late winter to early spring (bench graft) or summer (budding) · 1-2 years to a saleable grafted tree
Grafting builds nearly every weeping cherry out there. Growers bench-graft in late winter or bud in summer, marrying the weeping scion to an upright standard rootstock, often Prunus avium, at 4 to 6 feet so the branches can pour from the top. It takes 1 to 2 years to raise a saleable tree, and the work runs demanding enough that few home gardeners take the plunge.
Stem cuttingsDemanding
Early summer (softwood) · Several weeks to root, 1-2 years to establish
Softwood cuttings taken in early summer will root, though they fight you the whole way, needing several weeks to strike and 1 to 2 years to establish. The real snag: a rooted cutting has no tall standard, so it never reaches the raised cascading form grafting delivers, which is why this route stays rare.
Myths
Weeping cherries grow from seed or cuttings and rocket straight up like a regular tree.
That cascade is pure grafting, a scion set onto an upright standard rootstock, never a seed. Any sucker that shoots up below the graft union reverts to the rootstock and grows straight, so lop those off fast.
Only the flowers and fruit put animals at risk.
Forget the petals here. The cyanogenic compounds pile up in the leaves, twigs, bark, and seeds, and wilted foliage ranks as the most dangerous of all to grazing animals.