Pruning Snowfountain Weeping Cherry

19 years ago

I'd like to put a small Snowfountain weeping cherry right in front of my one-story house. Is it possible through pruning to keep it around 7 feet high? Also, what is the minimum distance I should plant from my house? Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

creatrix
19 years ago
A short web search showed me that the tree grows to about 10-12' x 10-12'. It is recommended for bonsai, so it should take pruning. Figure half the width plus 2-3 feet away from the house. 6+3=9, 5+3=8, so 8-9 feet from the house.
sandykk
19 years ago
I have one in my front yard. She is about 12 years old now. Probably about 8-9 ft wide and 7-8 ft tall. I do prune her each year to keep from out growing her space. The Star Magnolia is first to start blooming in my yard, then Snowfountain is second. Then the beautiful Yoshino Cherry. Love all of them. After a long winter, beautiful blooms are a site for sore eyes.
Related Discussions
Over Pruning Dwarf Weeping Cherry Help Please
Q
Comments (2)
If you are thinking that by 'sawing off the stumps' and 'sanding' (YIKES!) you can make the tree look like nothing ever happened - well, that's just a bad idea. The tree needs some of the branch collar (never, ever prune a branch flush with the main trunk) in order to heal over the wound. Let the poor thing be. It needs to heal as much as it can over your cuts. I bet when it leafs out it won't look quite so bad. Keep it well watered and hope for the best. Lesson learned, eh? (Oh, and a good rule of thumb to keep in mind in future: in pruning, never remove more than 1/3 of the plant in one growing season.)
...See More
Weeping Cherry Pruning
Q
Comments (5)
The 'expert' had it right, hacking away big chunks of a weeping cherry isn't likely to be good for the tree. The habit varies a bit within the particular variety as well as from one kind of weeping cherry to the next. Some will throw up taller branches in time and pull themselves up into a more elevated and dramatic shape, others remain mushrooms indefinitely. Some get big and others not so big. For most probably best practice is to assume tree came from nursery in a finished condition (unless very small) and leave it alone. If some branches eventually start growing across the ground like snakes and producing a somewhat bizarre effect snipping these back can certainly be seen as an improvement. Otherwise the point of the tree is the long hanging branches so these should be left to produce the intended effect. The common practice of cutting weeping cherries back to look like cocktail umbrellas or Moe Stooge's hair shows that much of the time a completely different, non-weeping tree should have been planted instead.
...See More
Weeping Cherry not Weeping
Q
Comments (4)
Most weeping cherries are grafted onto a non-weeping rootstock with a clear trunk. The vertical growth you see is coming from the rootstock, not the grafted portion. It cannot be trained to weep and should be removed. If you leave it in place it will eventually overwhelm the weeping feature completely.
...See More
Pruning established Weeping Cherry
Q
Comments (4)
Thanks for the reply bboy, It is not from the root stock it is from the corwmn and only is going skyward on the very tip of the branch. Same leaves, girth, etc. With that beaing the case you purpose leting the three gow upwards and become larger. There is no danger with my winters that thais will make it more prone to snow load damage will it. Most pruning guiges I have tell me to only keep branches at a 90 angle to the trunk?? I guess this is ONLY if you are looking for a musroom shape not a natral shape?
...See More
breezyb
19 years ago
I've never been able to warm up to the Snowfountain. That drastic up-&-down growth pattern just looks weird to me. Perhaps if I were planting it in a Japanese garden I'd find it more appealing. But in the general landscape, to me it just looks like a tube - lol!!

My absolute favorite weeping tree is a weeping crabapple called "Louisa". It has a much more open, low, spreading, weeping habit, & is just SO very pretty. Flower buds start out dark pink - almost red - then open into 2-tone white-dark pink single flowers. In the fall, the tree sports small gold crabapples that the birds adore. What more could you ask for?

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN The Weepers and the Creepers: 10 Intriguing Trees for Your Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bring something a little different to your landscape with a tree that dives, twists or crawls

Full Story

TREES 11 Japanese Maples for Breathtaking Color and Form

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

With such a wide range to choose from, there’s a beautiful Japanese maple to suit almost any setting

Full Story

115

GARDENING GUIDES How to Avoid Overcrowded, Overpruned Shrubs

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Go for a more natural look that’s easier and less expensive to maintain by giving your plants the right amount of growing room

Full Story

SPRING GARDENING 7 Spectacular and Practical Spring-Flowering Trees

By Bill Marken

Put on a beauteous show in the garden with a landscape tree awash in flowers — just do your homework first

Full Story

PLANTING IDEAS Designing With Conifers: How to Unite Your Landscape

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Create a landscape full of intrigue and artistry with the right placement of conifers and their supporting players

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Houzz Call: What’s Your Favorite Backyard Beauty?

By Stacy Briscoe

The simple, honest daisy is this writer’s go-to garden flower. We want to hear which plant, flowering or otherwise, gives you special joy

Full Story

118

ARBOR DAY 8 Reasons to Plant a Great Tree

By June Scott Design

Beauty is its own reward, but the benefits of planting the right tree in the right place go way beyond looks

Full Story

WEDDINGS Houzz Call: Show Us Your Backyard Wedding!

By Janet Paik

Did you say ‘I do’ at home? We want to hear and see everything about it. Share your photos and you could be featured in an upcoming ideabook

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 Evergreens for Beautiful Foliage All Year

By Kim Gamel

Give your landscape consistent color and structure with the emeralds, chartreuses and blues of evergreen trees and shrubs

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Create a Beautiful Shade Garden

By Falon Mihalic

Turn the cool, shady spot in your garden into your own quiet oasis

Full Story

Pruning Snowfountain Weeping Cherry

Comments (3)

creatrix

sandykk

Related Discussions

breezyb

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US