Plan Room for the Pink Blooming Higan Cherry in the Landscape

Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella) is a native of Japan that has found wide acceptance in American landscapes. This fast growing, flowering tree is also known as the rosebud cherry. Late March or early April brings soft white or pink blooms that appear in clusters of up to five flowers on bare branches, followed by rich green leaves.

Higan cherry is a deciduous tree that will tolerate clay and compacted soils once it is established. It is hardy in Zones 4 to 8. Higan cherry grows better when planted in a full sun location. The tree can be successfully transplanted from bare root stock, from ball and burlap, and from a pot. The higan cherry does not like wet feet and prefers in a well drained soil. It does tolerate some soil acidity. The higan cherry should be watered if there is a long period of drought and should be planted in locations where it is sheltered from strong winds.

The shape and aesthetic of the tree is enhanced if the flowers are pruned after they have gone past blooming. The tree may require some pruning if the branches arch downward and block a walkway, or to maintain a desired shape. The structure of the tree can be strengthened with regular pruning. Overall, there is not much ground litter from this cherry tree. Even the fruit persists on the tree during the cold months, if they are not picked by local birds first.

The higan cherry is a medium sized tree with a mature height of 20-40 feet and a spread of 15-30 feet. The rounded shape of the canopy, lively green leaves, and spring blooms that can be single, semi-double, or double, make this a popular specimen tree. The trees are also a fine focal feature planted in rows along a pathway or in a mass grouping. In the fall, the leaves turn a pleasant yellow which adds to the ornamental value of the tree. The mature cherries are black in color.

Cultivars available in commerce include 'Autumnalis', 'Pendula', 'Pendula Rubra', 'Pendula Plena Rosea' (a double pink), 'Rosy Cloud', 'Stellata', and 'Whitcomb'.

This cherry can be propagated by grafting on to fast growing, strong root stock or from cuttings. Grafted trees tend to be more hardy. The tree is susceptible to verticillium wilt and some insect damage from aphids, borers, scale, spider mites, and tent caterpillars. Nurserymen recommend that the turf be kept cleared from beneath the canopy to limit the competition for soil nutrients. The higan cherry is known as a reliable blooming tree that will bring years of beauty and enjoyment to a landscape.

Sources
Weeping Higan Cherry, 'Pendula', University of Connecticut, http://www.ipm.uconn.edu/Plants/p/prusub/prusub1.html
Prunus subhirtella, 'Pendula', University of Florida, http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/PRUSUBB.pdf
Prunus subhirtella, FloriData, http://www.floridata.com/ref/P/prun_sub.cfm
Prunus subhirtella, North Carolina State University, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/prunus_subhirtella.html
Prunus subhirtella, Michigan State University Extension, http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00001187.html