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Gardening

I’m so sick of our flowering cherry tree!

(92 Posts)
Witzend Sun 20-Apr-25 10:53:27

Pretty for maybe a week, with a mountain of pink ‘snow’ to clear up afterwards. Actually IMO they should be called ‘No-cherries’ trees - what is the point of all that blossom with no fruit to follow?

We didn’t plant it , it was there when we bought the house decades ago and is now really too big. (And protected, so we can’t have it felled.).
Personally I’d much prefer a tree that produces fruit, apple blossom is IMO much prettier anyway - or even ‘real’ cherry blossom.
I dare say I will be seen as VVU but I now see flowering cherries as overdressed and blowsy!

Foxyferret Sun 27-Apr-25 14:38:45

We have a very large pink magnolia which has been magnificent this year. I have tons of petals to sweep up but I don’t mind. I have to sweep because for some reason the dogs like to eat them. I checked if they are harmful, but apparently it’s ok as long as they don’t eat a lot.

debbiemon123 Sun 27-Apr-25 14:20:13

Our street was lined with these stunning trees . 3 years ago , the council said they were diseased and cut them ALL down , and replaced them with flagpole cherry trees .
We all miss our beautiful trees , at this time of year . I know they make a mess but it was SO worth it . People would tour our street and come walking around the street, just to see the amazing display . So sad .

Momac55 Sun 27-Apr-25 14:12:36

We have a crab apple tree in the front garden , flowers beautifully and they last several weeks. I would live a cherry blossom tree as well even though they don’t last long enough , they’re so beautiful.

lizzypopbottle Sun 27-Apr-25 14:01:03

I like the pale pink ones but there's one near me that's so dense and in-your-face deep pink it's almost obscene!

Lahlah65 Sun 27-Apr-25 13:59:55

There is a huge cherry tree planted just inside the boundary of the house next door. I don’t mind the blossom, but the leaves take a great deal of clearing up on our side. I’ve had to replant the bed on our side as it has become increasingly shady. I think a lot of people don’t understand the difference between an ornamental cherry and the native British woodland cherry tree. A bit like the native silver birch v ornamental cultivars.
Unfortunately, local authorities desperate to meet their tree planting targets have given these native trees away for free or at very low cost for years now. People just see silver birch or cherry and plant them in urban gardens where they become an increasing problem.
Incidentally, even if a tree is protected, you can apply to have it removed or reduced size if it’s in an inappropriate space or too close to a building. We have a huge beech tree alongside our driveway - we recently had the lower branches removed to raise the canopy and the tree surgeon simply applied for permission to do this - it really wasn’t a problem.

57VRS Sun 27-Apr-25 13:48:32

I felt exactly the same. We moved into the house 6 years ago and the cherry tree was in the middle of the front lawn. Both my husband and i felt the same . Would much rather have an apple or a real fruiting cherry tree. My husband felled it last year. Just need the apple tree now!

keepingquiet Fri 25-Apr-25 19:48:56

I used to have one and I loved it. In the breeze when the blossom fell it was like a snowstorm- magical!
I don't get the fuss about the mess- it soon disappears in the rain and wind...

loopyloo Fri 25-Apr-25 19:39:43

Of my three score years and ten, seventy will not come again.

Stansgran Fri 25-Apr-25 19:33:52

We had a grumpy old lady living next to us for 40 years insisting on the hedge between us be cut. I kept it as high as possible as she and her husband with dementia had the most atrocious loud arguments. Then the house was sold and the pretty cottage was replaced by a monstrosity by the builder who had bought it. So I’ve let the hedge grow and been rewarded by magnificent cherry blossom and this year it almost hides the monstrosity.

mrswoo Fri 25-Apr-25 16:12:50

I have a cherry tree in the garden it's currently covered in white blossom. It fills me with joy.
Later when all the blossom has gone there will be cherries - if the birds don't get to them first.

Aldom Fri 25-Apr-25 14:54:44

"Loveliest of trees, the Cherry now is hung with blossom on the bough".

A.E.Houseman.

SparklyGrandma Thu 24-Apr-25 16:06:43

Complaining about cherry blossom? Nature isn’t tidy.

Esmay Tue 22-Apr-25 05:05:21

Flowering cherries remind me of my huge collection of iris -not that attractive for most of the year and absolutely glorious when in bloom !
I must admit that they are truly exquisite when they flower .
Careful with pruning-it often creates an ugly tree .
My father had a magnificent tree pruned and ruined by someone claiming to be a gardener .
I think that J52 has the best solution - use it to display lovely climbers.

Ilovedogs22 Mon 21-Apr-25 17:47:40

Witzend

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

Yes I agree, I have a beautiful plum tree, the blossom is divine and later on we have lovely plums for a crumble. Win, win.😊

Romola Mon 21-Apr-25 14:30:19

We had a large flowering cherry cut down in our fairly spacious front garden. It was pretty for a week or two but took up too much space, light and nutrients. Now enjoying red and white currants if the birds don't get there first.

Allira Mon 21-Apr-25 11:51:48

David49

Our Cherry trees do produce fruit, the birds love then but spread the seeds which is a pain because we get seedlings popping up everywhere.

If the OP doesn’t like her Cherry cut it down and plant something else

I think it has a tree preservation order on it, David49.
I sometimes think our garden would be like Sleeping Beauty's Forest if we didn't pull up all the tree seedlings from nuts that the squirrel buries everywhere.

You could apply to the Council for permission to have it lopped or topped, Witzend.

TheWeirdoAgain1 Mon 21-Apr-25 10:38:43

If I had a garden I'd love that gorgeous tree in there!

Don't kill it, it's been there a lot longer that you have!

vegansrock Mon 21-Apr-25 10:32:21

It’s a shame that people hate trees because it makes their car a bit dirty for a couple of weeks a year. I can understand if it’s threatening your house foundations or spoils the whole of your garden but we need to balance a bit of inconvenience with the need to conserve somethings in our nature depleted country.

flappergirl Mon 21-Apr-25 10:30:19

Agree with Carlotta and Coconutty, why on earth would anyone sweep up blossom?

David49 Mon 21-Apr-25 07:24:06

Our Cherry trees do produce fruit, the birds love then but spread the seeds which is a pain because we get seedlings popping up everywhere.

If the OP doesn’t like her Cherry cut it down and plant something else

NotSpaghetti Mon 21-Apr-25 06:36:33

Franski that's exactly how I feel about the tumbling petals blown in a spring breeze!
😍

crazyH Sun 20-Apr-25 23:25:44

The house opposite has the most gorgeous Japanese Crab- apple blossom tree - he tells me that’s what its called but he has to move his car away because the falling blossoms stick to his car

valdavi Sun 20-Apr-25 23:08:56

I love them too & agree that the fleeting nature of blossom is part of it's beauty. They're also an attractive trees with a nice shapes all year round.Tai Haku are my favourite but all lovely.

I have 2 copper beech on our boundary, the largest probably 70' tall.You have to be aware what will grow under them, & a bit of watering is essential when newly planted, but I can grow peonies, spring bulbs, & smaller trees like acers & trimmed yew under them.They are lovely in leaf, glorious in the autumn & lovely for sitting in the shade on a hot day. Yes they're messy, but I'm not a tidy gardener & take shoes off when I come in.

foxie48 Sun 20-Apr-25 21:17:24

I've got two cherry trees, two magnolia, a lilac and forsythia in flower on the drive ATM. They are stunning, particularly good this year. On Monday we saw that a branch had come off one of the cherries, so OH brought some indoors. Almost a week later the blossom is still fresh and the leaves have opened up. It's magnificent I had no idea that it would be so long lasting as a cut flower!

CanadianGran Sun 20-Apr-25 20:54:21

We had a controversy in our town with flowering cherry trees. They were on a boulevard next to a parking lot of a government building. The workers I guess were complaining about the blossoms landing and sticking to their vehicles so a decision was made to take down the trees.

While it was happening, several people noticed and stopped the workers. It turns out that the trees were donated by Japanese citizen born in our town, but interred in a camp at the age of 13 with his family during the war. The Japanese were not allowed to re-settle within 100 miles of the coast after the war, so his family settled in Edmonton. He had fond memories of our town, so in 1959 donated 500 cherry trees to the city.

Three of the seven trees by the parking lot had already been removed before the workers were stopped, but the others were saved.

By publicizing the story, more citizens are now aware of the story behind the cherry trees in our town. I think of Japanese Canadians and all they suffered whenever they are blooming.

www.thenorthernview.com/community/the-legacy-of-prince-ruperts-cherry-trees-5951839