When choosing a cherry blossom tree for your garden it is useful to consider the following questions:
How big can the tree get? There are many different species ranging from very small to very tall.
A related consideration is the form of the tree, again there is a range of choices, from very columnar to spreading or weeping.
Next, decide what colour blossom do you require? The choice is broadly white or pink - but the actual range of hues and flower styles is enormous, and flowering cherries have perhaps the most beautiful blossom of any ornamental tree species.
Once you have set these parameters you should find it much easier to narrow down your choice to a specific variety. The best approach is to decide what is most important to you - the overall size, the form, or the blossom colour.
Flowering cherry tree matrix
The following table shows some of the most popular ornamental cherry varieties, categorised by mature size and tree form. Click the links to see our full listings in each sub-section.
| Size / Form | Columnar | Upright - Spreading | Weeping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (2m-3m) |
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| Medium (3m-5m) |
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| Large (up to 6m+) |
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Exceptional or unusual flowering cherry varieties
If you are looking for a flowering cherry with specific characteristics, here are some suggestions:
- Amanogawa - the most upright columnar form of all the flowering cherries.
- Tai-haku - perhaps the largest flowers of any ornamental cherry.
- Pink Perfection - the definitive pink blossom tree.
- Royal Burgundy - for its classic pink double-flowered blossom, and dramatic dark bronze leaves which turn fiery red in the autumn.
- Shirotae - for its intense pure white semi-double blossom.
- Frilly Frock - for its weeping form.
- Autumnalis Rosea and Autumnalis White - the earliest flowering cherries, their delicate blossom appears in mid-winter.
- Prunus serrula for its distinctive peeling bark.