Author Topic: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?  (Read 1812 times)

Weboh

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Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« on: August 09, 2018, 11:47:06 PM »
I really like the beautiful blooms that Japanese cherry trees make. All of the regular "for Florida" varieties that I've seen recommended have dull, white flowers. Is there a variety of Japanese cherry tee that will grow in zone 9b? Or just any cherry tree that will give lots of pink blooms (and fruit, of course  ;))?

AndrewAZ

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2018, 12:06:38 AM »
Not sure about that, but, you could plant a mexican redbud and get that explosion of pink flowers.

SoCal2warm

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2018, 02:28:22 AM »
Japanese cherry trees really have a problem dealing with heat, especially heat combined with high levels of humidity.

If you do try growing it I would suggest trying to grow it on its own roots (not grafted onto different rootstock, like the trees from the nursery normally are), it will be more vigorous that way, better being able to resist the lack of chill hours.


The leaves are likely going to get baked and scorched in the sun in the Summer, so you might want to start them off in containers in partial shade.



SoCal2warm

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2018, 02:45:31 AM »
Oh, also there's a few Japanese cherry varieties that have a lower chilling requirement and do much better in climates that don't have winter cold.

kanzakura, okame, and youkouzakura are three such relatively low-chill cultivars in Japan

Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata, also called Formosan cherry, and called kanhizakura in Japan) is one that is very popular in the U.S. in parts of the South.
It has a deep bright magenta color.

Pink Cloud is another one (it probably derived from P. campanulata pollinating a white flowered serrulata variety)

You might look up pictures of all of them, but in my personal opinion none of these lower chill varieties really have as attractive flowers as other varieties of Japanese cherry cultivars.

Despite the supposed chill hour requirement, it is possible for the standard Yoshino cultivar to grow and put out blossoms in climate zone 10.
 I grew a very small one. I think they had more difficulty dealing with the heat and dryness than they did coming out of dormancy in the Spring.
 All the very small Japanese cherries that were on their own roots survived. The one large one that was on grafted rootstock didn't survive, and I'm pretty it was in substantial part because it couldn't handle the lack of chill and just didn't have the vigor to really leaf out.

Weboh

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2018, 10:53:19 AM »
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm in love with the Okame. It looks like it does pretty good in Florida. Maybe I'll get a Kanzakura too. It looks pretty as well and that way I'll have a longer cherry season. Does anyone know where I can get these around Tampa Bay? I found a website that will ship me an Okame, at least, but I'd really rather pick up the tree myself.

SoCal2warm

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2018, 11:24:23 PM »
I'm assuming you realize that Japanese cherries do not really produce edible fruit?

Also, just in case you were wondering, Japanese cherries could be regarded as a subspecies group within the same larger group as regular sweet cherries (the type you eat).

(Unlike all the other cherry groups I am aware of, these two groups actually have the same chromosome count, so it is possible for the two to interbreed to produce fertile offspring, although I would expect the vigor and health to be just a little bit stunted due to outbreeding depression. Okay, that's probably more information than you wanted to know. None of the hybrids they attempted produced very good cherry fruits)

Weboh

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Re: Grow Japanese Cherry Tree in Florida?
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2018, 09:18:42 PM »
Wait, Japanese cherries aren't edible? Why not? :( Do they just not taste as good?

Would a Japanese cherry tree and an American one be able to cross-pollinate (so that the American one would have higher yields)? Is there an American tree that does well in Florida and still gives the blooms like Japanese ones do?