Prunus Pink Cascade - Wheeping Cherry Tree

Prunus Pink Cascade is a variety of Cherry tree notable for its exclusively weeping habit. Its flexible and trailing branches touch the ground, forming a perfectly shaped dome with a highly ornamental design, even in winter when the leaves have fallen. Early in the season, before the emergence of new leaves, this small tree is covered with a multitude of small, eye-catching, bright pink flowers, with a delicate fragrance. Its cascading green foliage creates a very aesthetic scene, which comes to life in autumn when the leaves turn yellow, orange, and red. This easy-to-grow, magnificent Flowering Cherry tree deserves to be planted as a specimen on a sunny lawn where it will thrive.

The Prunus genus includes more than 300 species, both fruit trees (apricot tree, peach tree...) and ornamental trees (Japanese Cherry tree, Cherry Laurel, Portuguese Laurel...), and belongs to the large family of Rosaceae. Prunus Pink Cascade is an American hybrid, resulting from a collaboration between the North Carolina State University on the east coast of the United States, and the J. Frank Schmidt and Son Nurseries, located on the other side of the country in Oregon on 1200 hectares! This variety was obtained by crossing two Prunus species, P. yedoensis native to Tibet, and P. incisa, native to the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan.
This small tree has a naturally weeping growth habit, and if it were not grafted onto a trunk, it would likely form a ground-covering bush. The height of the graft determines the final size of the tree, which generally does not exceed 3.50 m in height with a spread of up to 4 m. Highly branched, it produces quite thin and flexible branches that barely rise upwards before pointing towards the ground. The branches thus form a true dome with a very interesting architectural appearance throughout the year. Early in spring, in March-April depending on the region, before the leaves appear, a profusion of small flowers cover the branches along their entire length, all the way to the ground. They are slightly fragrant and their bright pink colour brings joy to the garden. Grouped in 2 to 4-5 units, borne on long flower stalks, the small flowers, about three centimetres in diameter, delicately hang down, draping the entire plant in a pink floral coat. They are simple, composed of five petals and a central cluster of yellow-tipped stamens, they exude a romantic charm at the beginning of the season. They then develop into small ovoid fruits, initially red and then turning black.
The bright green foliage that emerges at the end of flowering accentuates the cascading effect of the tree, running along the branches that rush towards the ground. The unique growth habit of this Prunus is ornamental throughout the growing season, but even more so in autumn, when it adorns itself with its end-of-season colours. The leaves gradually turn yellow, orange, and red and coexist with a few leaves that remain green for a longer time, creating a delightful spectacle for about three weeks, or even longer depending on the year. They gradually fall to the ground as the cold sets in, revealing the tree's original architecture.

Planted as a specimen on a sunny lawn, Pink Cascade will fully showcase its ornamental qualities. You can also integrate it into a mixed border, making sure to give it some space so that it is not overshadowed by other plants that would hinder its weeping dome shape. Surround it with low-growing plants, such as ground-covering shrubs or perennials with later flowering, to enjoy flowers for a longer period. Potentilla fruticosa Creamissima is a shrubby Potentilla that forms a spreading cushion of 50 cm in height and 1 m in width, and its pale yellow flowers will take over from the Prunus from May onwards, continuing until September. A few clumps of Daylilies planted here and there will brighten up your border with vibrant colours, pink, red, orange, yellow, monochromatic or bicoloured throughout the summer. Perovskia atriplicifolia Lacey Blue, with its very compact habit, will offer a charming summer flowering in shades of blue-purple, carried by its greyish and finely-cut foliage, both ornamental and aromatic.