Nothing beats the magical sight of flowering cherry and plum trees in full blossom during spring. Their spectacular blooms not only signal the end of winter, but also create breathtaking flowering displays in any landscape. It's no wonder flowering cherries and plums are a top choice with our landscape customers for adding wow-factor to their garden designs!
Best known for their stunning spring blossom, these ornamental trees offer so much more than just beauty. They enhance garden designs with their variety of forms, colors, and sizes, making them perfect for both small and large projects. Whether you're looking to create a serene, traditional garden or add a modern touch with their spectacular flowers, flowering cherry and plum trees can elevate your landscape design in countless ways.
Beyond their aesthetic value, these trees also bring practical benefits to the landscape. Ornamental cherry and plum trees can be used to create shade, attract pollinators, and even serve as natural privacy screens. Their versatility and adaptability to different environments make them a must-have in many garden projects, especially for landscapers looking to create a multi-seasonal display.
Why flowering cherry and plum trees are a must-have
Ornamental cherry and plum trees are not just a fleeting springtime marvel; they provide year-round beauty and structure in gardens. Here’s why our landscape customers often turn to these trees when designing outdoor spaces:
Stunning seasonal blooms: Flowering cherries and plums are renowned for their gorgeous spring blossoms, ranging from soft whites to vibrant pinks. These blooms create a striking focal point in any garden, instantly adding a wow factor.
Versatility in form and size: Whether you're designing a large park or a compact urban courtyard, there’s a flowering cherry or plum variety to suit your needs. From weeping forms like Prunus subhirtella Falling Snow to upright varieties such as Prunus cerasifera Oakville Crimson Spire, these trees can fit into a variety of spaces.
All-year interest: Beyond the spring display, many ornamental cherry and plum trees offer attractive summer foliage, vibrant autumn colors, and architectural winter branches, ensuring they remain a focal point throughout the seasons.
Wildlife attraction: These trees attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, helping to create a more biodiverse garden. Additionally, some varieties produce small fruits, attracting birds.
Low maintenance: Once established, flowering cherry and plum trees are generally easy to care for, making them a practical choice for large-scale projects or low-maintenance garden designs.
Maximise impact: using flowering cherry and plum trees in the landscape
Often seen in Japanese style gardens, flowering cherry and plum trees are incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into many types of landscape designs, from traditional to contemporary. Their wide range of forms—from weeping to upright and compact varieties—allows for creative planting combinations.
Focal points: Use weeping varieties like Prunus serrulata Cheals or Prunus subhirtella Pendula Rosea as stunning focal points in a garden. Their cascading branches and prolific blooms make them ideal for drawing attention and creating visual impact. The weeping varieties are particulary attractive when used near ponds or water.
Framing pathways and entrances: Their elegant, drooping branches and vibrant blooms make cherry and plum trees perfect for framing pathways, driveways, or entrances. The graceful shape and seasonal color add a welcoming touch, creating a striking entryway for homes or gardens. Flowering cherry and plum trees are also popular Australian street treees, adding beauty while not growing too tall.
Natural privacy screens: Varieties such as Prunus cerasifera Oakville Crimson Spire can be used to create natural privacy screens or windbreaks. Their dense foliage and vertical growth habit are perfect for lining property boundaries or hiding unsightly views.
Complementing other plants: Flowering cherries and plums pair beautifully with flowering shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials. You can create layered planting beds that showcase seasonal color changes while maintaining harmony in your design.
Shade and shelter: Plant in groups to provide shade for smaller plants or create sheltered spaces in the garden, perfect for seating areas or courtyards. Planting in groups also creates a standout feature and maximises the impact of spring blossom.
Key features to consider for Australian landscapes
When selecting cherry and plum trees for your landscape projects, consider the following features:
Flowers: Depending on the variety, flowers can range from white to deep pink and can be single or double in form. These blossoms appear in early to mid-spring and last for two to three weeks, creating a dramatic seasonal display.
Foliage: Many varieties, such as Prunus cerasifera Nigra, offer stunning purple or dark red foliage throughout the growing season, while others turn brilliant shades of orange, yellow, or red in autumn.
Size and form: With heights ranging from 2 meters to over 7 meters, there’s a variety for every space. Weeping, upright, and compact forms ensure flexibility in design, whether you're working with large landscapes or small gardens.
Climate: Cherry and plum trees grow best in temperate to cool climates, thriving in our southern regions such as Victoria, Tasmania, and southern parts of New South Wales with their cold winters and mild to warm summers. This winter chill helps the trees enter dormancy and encourages a more spectacular spring bloom.
OUR TOP PICKS FOR MAGICAL SPRING BLOSSOM
So which tree should you choose for the best spring blossom display? Let's dive into our curated list of the best flowering cherry and plum trees, guaranteed to create a magical spring garden for your next project.
Here are our TOP picks, as chosen by the Plantmark team.
Prunus subhirtella Falling Snow
Weeping Flowering Cherry or Higan Cherry
This stunning weeping cherry tree is known for its graceful, cascading branches and prolific white flowers. Blooming early in the spring, Falling Snow transforms into a blanket of snow-like blossoms, making it a standout feature in any garden and one of our most popular spring trees.
Characteristics: The tree has a soft weeping habit, creating an elegant focal point with its arching branches. In autumn the leaves turn into golden and orange tones, providing another feature. Often grafted onto a standard of approx. 1.8m means it won't grow any taller.
Landscape Usage: Ideal for domestic gardens, parks, or as a standalone feature tree, it provides a beautiful contrast against darker foliage and adds a serene atmosphere. Its size makes it perfect for providing shade in smaller spaces, while its autum colour and winter silhouette adds interest when the blossoms fall.
Prunus subhirtella Snofozam
Weeping Flowering Cherry or Snow Fountains Cherry
Snofozam is another elegant weeping cherry variety, offering cascading branches laden with pure white, clustered flowers in early spring.
Characteristics: This compact tree, reaching around 2-4m H x W, is a slow grower, making it well-suited for smaller gardens or containers. Usually grafted onto a 1.2m or 1.8m standard, makes it ideal for smaller gardens as it won't grow any taller. Its pendulous branches add grace to any space, and its vibrant green foliage turns yellow in autumn.
Landscape Usage: Snofozam is perfect for urban gardens, courtyard plantings, or even container gardening. Its modest size makes it a fantastic ornamental tree for pathways, patios, or near ponds to create a tranquil environment. For a stand out effect, try group planting. Often used in Japanese style gardens.
Prunus serrulata Cheals
Weeping Japanese Flowering Cherry
A top pick for those wanting stunning color, the Prunus serrulata Cheals or Japanese Flowering Cherry offers spectacular double pink blossoms in spring.
Characteristics: This tree grows up to 4-5 meters and features arching branches with deep pink flowers standing out against the branches and the dark green leaves. Its dense blossoms create a striking effect when in full bloom, followed by a foliage transition to bright orange and red in the fall. Often grafted as a standard.
Landscape Usage: Cheals is perfect for adding a pop of color to the landscape and as a statement tree in front yards. It creates a dramatic spring display that looks amazing near ponds and water and remains attractive throughout the year due to its autumnal foliage.
Prunus subhirtella Pendula Rosea and Pendula Alba
Weeping Flowering Cherry or Higan Cherry
Both Prunus subhirtella Pendula Rosea and Alba offer stunning weeping forms, with Rosea displaying masses of soft pink blooms, and Alba classic white blooms.
Characteristics: These trees grows to around 3m tall and wide with arching branches that cascade downwards. Prunus Pendula Rosea provides a soft blush of pink, while Alba boasts pristine white flowers. Both are reliable bloomers and perform well in a variety of climates.
Landscape Usage: Ideal for providing dramatic spring interest, both varieties work well as focal points in both large and small gardens, along pathways, or near water features. Often used in Japanese style gardens, their graceful forms add softness to the landscape and pair beautifully with perennials and evergreen shrubs. Plant in groups for extra impact.
Prunus yedoensis incisa Pink Cascade
Weeping Cherry
Prunus Pink Cascade is a compact, weeping cherry perfect for small spaces, celebrated for its abundant fragrant pink blossoms in early spring and stunning weeping habit.
Characteristics: With a mature height of only approx. 2.5m, this variety is ideal for those projects with limited space. Its light pink flowers emerge before the bright green foliage, creating a true spring spectacle.
Landscape Usage: This cherry tree is perfect for courtyards, small gardens, and even large containers. It pairs well with flowering bulbs and perennials in cottage style gardens and can serve as a beautiful entryway accent equally in modern or traditional landscapes.
Prunus cerasifera Oakville Crimson Spire
Purple Leaf Cherry Plum and Flowering Plum
This striking variety is known for its dramatic crimson foliage, which complements its pale white flowers in early spring.
Characteristics: Prunus Oakville Crimson Spire reaches up to 6 meters in height with a narrow, columnar growth habit. The contrast between its deep purple leaves and soft white and deep pink flowers creates a bold statement in spring gardens. Prefers full sun to semi shade.
Landscape Usage: Perfect for adding height and color to garden borders, Prunus Oakville Crimson Spire is ideal for narrow spaces, hedging, or as an accent tree. Its dark foliage offers year-round interest and drama, even when the blossoms have faded.
Prunus blireana
Purple Leafed Plum or Flowering Plum
A hybrid plum, Prunus blireana is cherished for its vibrant bronze-purple leaves and fragrant, semi-double pink blossoms. Flowering in early spring, Prunus blireana is the ideal feature tree.
Characteristics: This non-fruiting, flowering plum offers a striking contrast in the garden with its purplish-red foliage and slightly fragrant flowers in vibrant pink. A beautiful sign of spring, it blooms early, with flowers often lasting for several weeks. Attractive upright, vase-shaped habit and relatively small size, growing up to 5m tall.
Landscape Usage: Prunus blireana is ideal for use in garden beds, as a focal point, or as part of a mixed ornamental planting. Its unique color palette makes it a popular choice for those looking to add seasonal interest to their landscape projects.
Prunus cerasifera Nigra
Purple Leaf Cherry Plum or Flowering Plum
Prunus Nigra is a gorgeous purple-leafed cherry plum, perfect for adding rich, dark foliage to your landscape design.
Characteristics: This variety grows to approx. 2-4m tall and produces masses of pale pink flowers in spring, contrasting beautifully with its dark, almost black leaves.
Landscape Usage: Prunus Nigra is a popular Australian street tree and can be used as a feature, in group plantings, or as a screen. Its dark foliage provides a perfect backdrop for lighter-colored flowers or other green-leafed plants, offering year-round structure and interest.
Prunus hybrida Elvins
Dwarf Flowering Plum
For those looking for a more compact option, Prunus Elvins offers all the beauty of a flowering plum in a dwarf form.
Characteristics: Growing to only approx. 3m x 3m, this tree produces profusions of single fragrant flowers in spring, that entirely cover the bare branches. The flowers open as white, changing into a soft pink. But this is not the only feature! The spring blossom are followed by lush green foliage, maturing into a rusty red in autum, follwed by small ornamental fruits.
Landscape Usage: Its compact size makes Prunus Elvins perfect for smaller gardens or urban landscapes. It's well-suited for both domestic gardens and parks, as well as courtyards and containers. Prunus Elvins pairs beautifully with other flowering shrubs and perennials and can create a charming feature in cottage or contemporary garden designs.
FAQs about flowering cherry and plum trees
1. What is the best time to plant flowering cherry and plum trees? Cherry and plum trees are best planted in late winter to early spring when the ground is workable but before the trees begin their growth phase.
2. Do flowering cherries and plums require a lot of maintenance? Both types are relatively low-maintenance once established. Regular pruning and watering, particularly during dry periods, will help keep them healthy.
3. How much space do ornamental cherry and plum trees need? The space required depends on the variety. Weeping cherries grafted as standards won't grow any taller and dwarf plums such as Prunus hybrida Elvins only need small areas, while other varieties may require more room.
4. Can ornamental cherries and plums be grown in containers? Yes, many dwarf and smaller varieties, like Prunus Elvins and Prunus yedoensis incisa Pink Cascade, can be grown in large containers.
5. How long do the blossoms of flowering cherry and plum trees last? Cherry and plum tree blossoms generally last for about two to three weeks, depending on the weather and the variety.
6. How can I ensure a long-lasting spring blossom display?
Regular pruning, proper watering, and ensuring the trees receive adequate sunlight will help maintain a healthy and vibrant spring display.
7. Do flowering cherry and plum trees bear fruit? While some varieties do produce small fruits, these are generally ornamental and not edible. If you're seeking fruiting varieties, be sure to select those specifically bred for fruit production.
8. Can I grow flowering cherry and plum trees in Queensland? Ornamental Cherry and Plum trees are are not well-suited to tropical or arid climates, where the lack of winter chill and extreme heat and humidity can reduce flowering and stunt growth. They can however, grow in pockets that experience lower levels of humidity, such as around Toowoomba and Mt Tamborine. However, our Northern regions, such as Queensland and the Northern Territory, typically do not provide the ideal conditions for growth.
Conclusion
Adding flowering cherry or plum trees to your landscape is an easy way to create a stunning springtime display. Whether you're looking for a weeping form, a dramatic splash of spectacular flowers, or a compact tree for small spaces, there’s a perfect option to enhance the beauty of your next landscape design.
Didn't find quite what you were looking for? Have a look at our blog post about our TOP 6 Ornamental Pear Trees, also known for their spectacular spring blossom!
Did we include your favourite spring blossom trees in the list above? Let us know your favourites in the comments below.
Have a question? Let us know below. Our Plantmark team would love to hear from you!
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