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Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry tree new branches growing vertical

14 years ago

I planted a Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry tree in my perennial garden about 6 years ago. Each year instead of draping nicely, new branches bend and grow vertical and squirly. Either I pruned it incorrectly at one point or bought a poorly grown one, but what do I do now? It came with a very thick trunk, chopped, with a small amount of branches draping down. I love the idea, but it has become quite frustrating.

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Comments (6)

mainegrower
14 years ago
The new branches on Snow Fountain should weep down after growing horizontally for a very short distance. This is a genetic trait of the cultivar so should not be effected by pruning or being poorly grown. Has the tree always been like this?

The only explanations I can think of are: The branches are coming from the rootstock below the graft - highly unlikely as you'd be sure to notice this. Mislabeled and wasn't Snow Fountain at all. So little sun the branches are growing up toward it - also unlikely as they'd still have a strong weeping tendency.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
i suspect a grafting issue also..

we really need a picture to go much further

ken
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The low graft just means it will never get to be a very large tree at all. And you don't want to do any pruning at this time. Let the tree establish and develop. You should remove any shoots that appear below the graft and any top shoots that are growing in an unusual, outward or non-weeping pattern. But leave the lower branches/shoots in place for the time being as they help with establishment and trunk development. After a few years in the ground, you can gradually remove them from the the lowest point up to where the canopy really starts to develop. Not to rain on your parade but you should be aware that weeping flowering cherries - in fact, most flowering cherries - tend to be problematic trees in the PNW. Our climate seems to generate a lot of disease issues and weeping cherries/flowering cherries tend to have the lion's share. Keep on top of any problems, watch for rootstock shoots and enjoy your little tree for as long as it looks good and remains in good health.
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Colt produces pink flowers that smell like melons. Don't know if this is being used outside of fruit orchards. Gisela I haven't seen the top of and known it. Sweet cherry although commonly used is terrible beneath Japanese flowering cherries. I think I've seen that some Snow Fountains ('Snofozam') TM are grown from cuttings.
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re dig it .. and remove as much of the burlap as you can ... all but that which is stuck under the tree ... and then refill ... you are right.. the soil is moist.. but that burlap.. could be wicking the water out of the soil.. right at the root tips.. that are trying to regenerate ... fill it all back in .. or maybe even better.. since it near july... at least remove the first 3 inches of soil.. and remove at a minimum . ... that much of the burlap.. and go get the rest in fall ... what do the rest of you say.. do it all now.. or the min??? one other thing.. is your soil clay .. and how bad is that clay???? .. we might want to do other things ... please review the link.. and it will fully describe the issues that i am trying to explain.. too fast ... and see if there are others things you did.. that might be problematic ... all this said.. boy did you choose the right tree for the tiny space you have to work with ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link
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Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula' is a synonym of P. pendula. The large growing, seed raised P. pendula have their own bark all the way to the ground. Although still present in the inhabited landscape these are effectively commercially extinct in North America. The top grafted, named horticultural selections offered instead are perched on a sweet cherry (Prunus avium) trunk. Or the trunk of whichever other cherry was used to provide the trunk for the grafted combination (finished stock resulting from the use of named rootstock selections such as the Gisela series for grafting Japanese cherries instead of sweet cherry was beginning to see some presence on the market awhile back). Some weeping cherries that have been seen and identified in my area are P. pendula (tiny, blush pink), P. pendula 'Pendula Plena Rosea' (semi double, rosette like, rose pink), P. pendula 'Pendula Rubra' (single, deep pink) and Snow Fountains ('Snofozam') (white). This last is from Lake County Nursery in Perry OH, was introduced around 1985 and has since become quite common here. I have also seen at least one other weeping cherry introduction made by them on the local market in later years: http://www.lakecountynursery.com/lcns%20sell%20sheets/PinkSnowShowers.pdf
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Yes. Common. Without a pic impossible to say, but likely the branches are from the rootstock. If below the graft, prune immediately and get used to it.

Dan
hortster
14 years ago
I agree that it sounds like a grafting issue. I would suggest that it may be a high graft with the weeping scion wood being attached at 4' or 5' up at the top of a "standard" (a regular cherry tree stem). If the graft is weak, the tree will spend more energy trying to sucker out along the trunk and less on the weeping wood, and if the trunk is from a regular cherry the branching from this area will grow upward normally.
I have seen this happen on weeping mulberry, too.
hortster
rbernstein_snet_net
13 years ago
I have a question regarding a new planting. Will this tree do well if planted in a shaded area?
Embothrium
13 years ago
No shade for cherry trees, the wild parental species are all pioneer species that pop up in clearings, live fast and die more or less young. That's why they appeal to people, you get fast development and lots of flowers from an early age.

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