Prunus subhirtella

Plant Image Data Base

Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula'

Weeping Higan Cherry

(Rosaceae - Rose Family)

Form

medium-sized ornamental tree
maturing at up to 40' tall by 25' wide (but often smaller), and grafted onto a standard
pendulous oval growth habit in youth, becoming a pendulous mounding growth habit with maturity (like a single or multi-tiered umbrella)
medium growth rate for its arching vertical growth, but a rapid growth rate for its many weeping stems

Culture

full sun to partial sun
prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in full sun, but is adaptable to poor soils, compacted soils, dry soils, and heat
propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings, and rarely by seed
Rose Family, with several potential disease problems (including trunk cankers) and several potential pest problems (including trunk borers and Japanese Beetles), plus potential frost cracks on the trunk in Winter
commonly available in container or ball and burlap form
Weeping Higan Cherry is somewhat sensitive to being transplanted in Autumn, and care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter
placement near a house foundation should be done with discretion (note the mature height and width) as well as placement directly at water's edge (it is not wet-site tolerant, but will do fine if placed on a well-drained slope above the water)
if desired, stems that weep to the ground can be pruned up to a desired height (either staggered in height for informality, or clipped to precisely the same height for formality) so that mowing, growth of other ornamentals, or maintenance access can be achieved underneath the tree
remove all suckers and water sprouts that occur below the graft union, as these will be vertical (rather than weeping) in their growth habit and will destroy the character of the tree

Foliage

medium- to dark green with dull shiny upper surfaces, alternate, ovate to elliptical, singly or doubly serrated, with an acuminate apex
fall color is a mixture of green, chartreuse, and yellow, and is ornamentally insignificant

Flowers

single- or double-flowering, light-pink pendulous clusters of flowers occur on the weeping branches in late March or early April before the leaves emerge, effective for one week

Fruit

fruits are small and glossy black, but are sparse, ornamentally insignificant, hidden by the foliage, and seldom noticed

Twigs

rapid growth rate at the weeping terminals, but a medium vertical growth rate from the upper arching shoots
among ornamental tree members of the Rose Family, Weeping Higan Cherry is one of the few that has very few spur shoots, as most flowers occur from buds along the slender, straight, relatively unbranched weeping twigs

Trunk

single trunked, obtained from grafting the weeping cultivar 'Pendula' onto the upright species standard, typically at 5' to 6' above the ground
bronzy-copper in color and lenticeled, becoming gray in color and platy to exfoliating in bark character with age
prone to fissures (frost crack or borer-induced) that ooze a thick, gummy sap
remove all root suckers and trunk water sprouts that occur below the graft union, as these will be vertical (rather than weeping) and vigorous in their growth habit, and will destroy the character of the tree

ID Summary

strongly weeping character that arises from rapidly growing whip-like, virtually unbranched, hanging shoots that are attached to arching branches grafted onto a vertical standard, having faded pink showy flowers in late Winter or early Spring, before the foliage emerges
weeping thin stems will grow all the way to the ground, and sway gently in the Summer breezes

Function

specimen, foundation, border, or entranceway ornamental tree
often used near bodies of water to showcase its cascading, waterfall-like weeping effect

Texture

Assets

strongly weeping and cascading habit on a relatively large ornamental tree
pendulous, relatively unbranched stems sway easily in the breeze
rapid growth and establishment
accent tree in late Winter or early Spring, with its showy pink flowers that emerge before the foliage, on pendulous branches
relatively long-lived (on average) for a Cherry

Liabilities

several potential diseases and pests, as is typical of most Rose Family members
marginally hardy in severe zone 5 Winters, especially at the graft union on established trees, or the entire tree on recent transplants
vertical trunk water sprouts and root suckers, if not removed, will destroy the weeping character of the tree

Habitat

Variants

Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' - an upright oval form with a few sporadic flowers in Autumn (mostly obscured by the still-persistent foliage), and a heavy floral display of semi-double pink flowers in Spring, maturing at 30' tall and 20' wide
Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula Plena Rosea' - a double-flowering form with pink flowers, maturing at 40' tall by 25' wide with the same weeping growth habit as 'Pendula'
Prunus x 'Snow Fountains' - sometimes considered a small tree cultivar of Weeping Higan Cherry, this dwarf hybrid matures at about 12' tall and 12' wide when top-grafted onto a 5' standard, with stout stems that repeatedly arch, branch, and cascade to the ground, having showy white flowers in early Spring before the foliage, but again prone to the typical diseases and pests of the genus (especially Japanese Beetle) and dieback or death in severe zone 5 Winters

Purpose

Weeping Higan Cherry is a strongly weeping tree (grafted onto a standard) with prolific pink flowers that bloom before the foliage emerges.

Summary

Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula' is a medium-sized tree noted for its showy early Spring blooms, rapid growth, and strongly weeping habit to the ground, with its upper arching branches becoming mounding with age.