A forum for lively discussion about the gardening, remodeling and landscaping in the Northern Virginia area.
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Posted by AnnDe on April 17, 2001 at 21:01:43: In Reply to: Weeping cherry tree dormant? posted by Sher on March 19, 2001 at 17:44:14:
With no flowers or LEAVES last year it sure seems dead to me, also, BUT --you say twigs are green. Cherry trees are generally considered short-lived and disease-prone. However, they grow fast and put on a good show relatively quickly in the landscape. Some cultivars have had increasing incidence of viruses. Though many cherries are subject to diseases, etc., your weeping cherry is likely to be a cultivar of the Higan Cherry, Prunus subhirtella (I’m using these names in case you might recall a name on a tag...but probably not). Yes, drought could be a factor, but the Higan cherries are among the most cold, heat, and stress tolerant of the prunus group. That’s nice to know, but doesn’t solve your problem. The other posters already gave you the likely bad news, but you say the twigs are flexible and green -- so maybe there’s another problem Is the tree sitting in the middle of a heavily-fertilized lawn? If so, it may be adversely affected by lawn chemicals. Flowering is often related to csoil chemistry as well as other factors. Since it didn’t flower LAST year or leaf out fully, it may, in fact, be dying. People should always consider calling a certified arborist SOONER, rather than later. So go to the phone right now to start to find out if your tree is salvagable/treatable or not. Call Care of Trees, Inc. at 703-471-1427. Tell them what your problem is when they call. All their people are good, but some may be more experienced with certain species than others. If it’s really more dead than alive and not reasonably “fixable”, ask them what ornamental species they might recommend for the spot while they are there to see the. Write down the scientific name, as well as the common name, because some nurseries/garden centers/growers may be careless with labels. There’s nothing quite as beautiful in the same way as the graceful elegant weeping forms of well-grown Japanese cherries in the landscape, but you still might want to consider some other native flowering species. Some native flowering trees and shrubs are great for hardiness and maybe you could plant species to attract birds which would add a different special beauty to your landscape.
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