I’m so sick of our flowering cherry tree!

The Japanese would strongly disagree 😄.

Actually the beauty of one in full flower is breathtaking.

Sorry, but I’d still prefer almost any real fruit tree, perhaps especially an apple. But I know so many will disagree!

I have an Autumn flowering cherry. So very uplifting on a cold, dark winter's day.
One of my happiest memories is of flowering cherry trees lining the avenue I walked through to the shops. It was during May, before my son was born in the July.

How about planting a clematis at the base of the trunk. We used to have a Montana growing through a silver birch. It looked like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon when in full flower. Also didn’t affect the tree.

what is the point of all that blossom with no fruit to follow?

Ornamental cherry trees provide a valuable early source of nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators.

Monty was waxing lyrically about his Taihaku on last week's GW. 14:30 minutes in:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002b2g2/gardeners-world-2025-episode-6

My neighbour's is beautiful. Yes, it drops its blossom onto my side path but it's a matter of minutes to sweep it up.

We have one too, not planted by us! First the blossom then the leaves! So much work.

I have one planted by the previous owner. Petals all over the place at the moment especially with the breezy days we have had lately.
To digress a little. My daughter-in-law's neighbour has a glorious magnolia tree in their front garden. That doesn't last five minutes either.

Ours isn't flowering yet, but I love it when it's in full bloom. There is a wild cherry tree just on the lane outside our back gate and it's flowering beautifully just now. I love cherry blossom - so I'm more than prepared to put up with the petals to enjoy it for the short time it is in bloom.

We have a Forsythia. 2 to 3 weeks of glorious yellow blossom and then just green leaves, but I like it anyway.
The point about the pollen, or food for the insects is important. I wasn’t terribly impressed though when I noticed my DGS had carefully mowed around the dandelions on the lawn yesterday, but he did explain it was for the bees.

All part of the beauty that is Springtime.

Our neighbours used to have one, they chopped it down, I miss it even if the blossom fell on our patio.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see them in Japan WWM2 stunning.

I hate the enormous wild cherry tree in the bottom neighbours garden! The flower petals everywhere I can cope with, the leaves in autumn not so much. More of it overhangs my garden than theirs and the roots run extensively into my garden. The shade and dryness prevent me from growing much under it which in a very small garden is a shame. Added to which if I don't get to them quickly when the cherries drop I get self seeded saplings growing.

Mollygo DGS is right to leave the dandelions, it's perfect insect food early in the season having both nectar and pollen.

Mollygo

We have a Forsythia. 2 to 3 weeks of glorious yellow blossom and then just green leaves, but I like it anyway.
The point about the pollen, or food for the insects is important. I wasn’t terribly impressed though when I noticed my DGS had carefully mowed around the dandelions on the lawn yesterday, but he did explain it was for the bees.

This made me happy-laugh!

Mollygo

We have a Forsythia. 2 to 3 weeks of glorious yellow blossom and then just green leaves, but I like it anyway.
The point about the pollen, or food for the insects is important. I wasn’t terribly impressed though when I noticed my DGS had carefully mowed around the dandelions on the lawn yesterday, but he did explain it was for the bees.

I digress but is it my imagination of have early yellow flowering shrubs been especially magnificent this year? Forsythia, Kerria Japonica and Mahonia Aquifolium have all been glorious, the latter covered in bees.

Ten more days and we'll be into NoMowMay and even JustLeaveItJune so the bugs get an extra boost of food.

As Jaxjacky said - we love the one in our neighbours garden.

We too have seen them in Japan and they are gorgeous.

We have a crab apple which does something every season.

I think they look beautiful!

Bring joy to spring.

Is it in the lawn, if so the blossom can just be mowed up with the grass.

Witzend, I love my flowering cherry, ours blooms in late May here in Ontario , we just run the mower over the fallen petals. I’m trying to figure out what VVU stands for?🤔

Witzend

Sorry, but I’d still prefer almost any real fruit tree, perhaps especially an apple. But I know so many will disagree!

I totally agree with you. I’ve had one for about 20 years now and regret it. Wish I’d had a fruit version instead. 😁

Witzend you may be able to get the tree pruned back. My son has a protected ancient apple tree in their garden. That sounds lovely but it’s so prolific with fruit that many, many small apples fall off and it’s like trying to walk on marbles on the paving beneath it.

He applied to the council and got permission (after six months ) to get it trimmed back and it looks so much better now.

For the first time our apple tree have some lovely blossom this spring. Let's hope there might be some fruit, they've been in for five years.

trees (two)

Llamedos13

*Witzend*, I love my flowering cherry, ours blooms in late May here in Ontario , we just run the mower over the fallen petals. I’m trying to figure out what VVU stands for?🤔

VVU - at a guess, Very Very Unreasonable 😁

My neighbour has a flowering cherry on her front lawn - it’s about 34 yrs old and far too big now, loves it, so won’t do anything about it and all the other neighbours hate it. My gardener says it’s undermining my drive and caused a crack in a brick wall. In addition it’s so close to her window, she complains it blocks out the light. I suspect she doesn’t declare its proximity to her house to her insurers either.

The blossom is beautiful, but when it drops, she doesn’t do anything, so the four winds blow it up and down the street, onto our gardens and drives, where we are left to deal with it. I always put what I collect in her garden bin - often half filling it.
I should add she’s the youngest of us and has a son of 26 living at home.

Do these trees have a lifespan and if so, about how many years?

Aldom

All part of the beauty that is Springtime.

That’s exactly it👏🏻👏🏻
However annoying for the homeowner to sweep up the petals, think of all the joy it gives to passersby Witzend😃