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Front yard tree?? Possibly a Yoshino cherry

13 years ago

Everyone,

I have been searching around to find a nice focal point to my front yard. I would like it to be a very nice tree. I originally wanted a bradford pear or a cleveland pear but then read up about them and decided against them. I think i would like a yoshino cherry but want some suggestions first.

I want a tree that is going to be around 25-35 feet tall and about 20 to 25 feet wide. I want it to flower in the spring and to have awsome colors in the fall. I want a nice round tree as well. I am gonna add some pictures of my home so you can see what i am working with. Its not a big front yard but i want a nice sice tree there. thanks for your help everyone. and please if you dont like my selection of tree please offer something else that fits that criteria please. Thanks

Featured Answer

Embothrium

13 years ago

If you are back East this is one of those kinds that has been the cause of multiple posts wondering what was going on with their tree. Other than that, it produces a spreading top of greater width than you have indicated - when fully developed. Specimens have been measured with average crown spreads more than double 20'-25'.

Visually the tree is a sort of cattleya orchid, with a sensational flowering contrasting with a utilitarian foliage appearance. Fall color is more than yellow but not spectacular.

A modern, disease-resistant flowering crabapple cultivar might be a better bet for you. Or maybe a service berry with good fall color, as long as pests and diseases in your area do not make these a gamble.

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Comments (8)

pkvir
13 years ago
It would be very helpful if we knew where you lived.
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Ken, Thanks for your quick response. Yes we did have a cold snap but 35 feet near the tree is another Yoshino tree. It's leaves are large and looking very healthy. I will send you a picture shortly. Iris ===>> i have 5 acres.. across such.. i have many forsythia ... frost can hit only one.. all.. some here.. some there ... there is no predictability to mother nature.. and her cruel sense of humor... it simply doenst matter ... what happened to one tree.. as compared to another.. i suppose.. its part of the base definition of micro climate... varying.. even across your small space ... it took me a long time to understand that ... ken
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On many plants the flower buds are less cold-hardy than the woody parts, so the tree may survive even though it doesn't flower. Dirr lists Yoshino cherries for zones 5-8, which probably means that the flower buds are getting too cold most winters. You may find that some years like this one, that are warmer than usual, will allow you to have flowers, but that won't happen all years. I'm just north of Concord, and I know of one cherry that I'm pretty sure is a yoshino that was severely damaged (cracked trunk and limbs) by cold weather 2 winters ago, but for at least 10 years before that flowered profusely and beautifully every spring. Dirr also says flowering is most profuse in full sun, but is quite respectable in partial shade. All the yoshino cherry trees I have experience with have been planted in pretty much full sun.
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Katie, before you treat for fungus check for Ambrosia Beetle borers. Ambrosia beetle is Asian, having gotten to the SE US in 1999 (port of entry : Charleston, SC) and is spreading fast, mostly due to the transport of infected stock in the nursery trade. I've seen trees look great one day and be just about dead the next from the little suckers. They like trees with smooth bark. Look closely and carefully all over the trunk of your trees for little (and I mean pretty small, about the size of the head of a pin) holes. These holes will often have a little sawdust sticking out of them or dribbling down the trunk below them. I've seen as few as two and as many as 15 holes on one tree, so be sure to look closely. They're easy to miss. If you find such holes, there's no saving your trees. Do call your county extension agent ASAP to alert them to the presence of this new pest in the area. And ask them what to do about your infected trees and how to protect other trees nearby. Fortunately the insects aren't very mobile on their own, so they're not likely to spread all over your yard. Having said all that, I hope you don't have Ambrosia Beetle. But the symptoms you describe -- catastrophic wilting of entire trees -- is symptomatic of a major system meltdown in the plant, and such problems are usually due to borers in the main circulation system of the tree or serious root damage of some sort, which can be caused by a fungus. Fungus usually takes longer and is slower, though. Marty
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racsos222
Original Author
13 years ago
zone 5. sorry i thought that i had put that in zone line but it didnt come up. I am also having a hard time uploading the pics. But i am in chicago, IL
suburbs
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
marginal in z5.. based on your micro climate ...

mine was great for about 8 years..

last year a late hard frost . killed about 1/3 of the tree ... or winter did it.. one can never tell for sure ...

they are all over the county ... mine is in a 10 foot shallow.. subject to pooling of cold air in spring.. or in winter ...so .. my micro may not be favorable ...

sooooo .. if i were you .. i would go cheap and small .. rather than going for instant gratification with a big tree ... most likely you will win .... but if you dont.. then your investment is lower ....

ken
racsos222
Original Author
13 years ago
any other ideas? I have ruled out the yoshino very pretty tree but too big width wise.

I really would like some more options so if anyone else has any ideas please please let me know.

I am considering the Prairiefire Crabapple Even though i would like for it to grow a little taller than this tree. I have read that it grows 20x20 feet aprox.

Thanks in advance
hydrangeasnohio
13 years ago
Sorry to be only negative, but I must warn you about the amount of Japanese Beetles you will have to contend with. My parents have one and regret it. Nothing brings the beetles like that cherry tree. It is blooming now and is stunning, but the beetles are intense.
Embothrium
13 years ago
Growth behavior not that predictable and precise, nor do trees grow to a specific height and then stall out, to never grow a single foot taller yet remaining healthy and attractive. If somebody thinks that crab grows 20' tall, in a certain amount of time then that is definitely in the ball park.
joan5025
8 years ago
Hi - So what did you decide? I live in Chicago, also - Edgewater Glen - and am considering a PrairieFire for my front yard. It would be on the north side of the house, getting east and west sun. Anyone have any thoughts on that purchase? I'd also like to get a Cherokee Chief dogwood. Joni Beigh

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