If you want to add a gorgeous, charming pink tree to your driveway, look no further than the Okame cherry tree. This incredible species of Prunus is one of the most striking of the flowering tree category, with pops of color brighter than you’re likely to see in a tree of any kind.
Even when the Okame flowering cherry tree isn’t blooming, it makes a beautiful addition to your garden, thanks to its green leaves with strong orange tints in its fall color display. Its rosy pink flowers are perfect for cherry blossom festival season, and they lack the messy fruit that other stone fruit trees do.
So let’s delve into the Okame cherry tree, so you can learn to grow one at home!Okame cherry trees sport striking pink and white blossoms that will add bundles of beauty to your landscape, and they can be planted at any time of the season. Producing masses of candy floss-pink flowers in early spring, Okame cherry trees are ideal for small gardens or lining driveways. These are strictly ornamental trees and don’t often produce viable fruit.This tree was originally bred in England from a cross of Prunus incisa and Prunus campanulata. The breeder, Captain Collingwood Ingram, wanted to create a tree with bright pink flowers, but without the low cold tolerance of the parent plants. It’s safe to say that he succeeded!Before reaching maturity, it grows in a vase-shaped structure, rounding out as it grows older. When not in bloom, the foliage of these evergreen trees is still beautiful. It remains deep green until late August. At this point, the fall foliage begins turning golden yellow before eventually fading to a deep orange and red. The leaves remain, meaning it’s not a deciduous tree. All year long, the tree dons reddish brown bark that looks great in a landscape.
If you want a tree that attracts bees like crazy, look no further. Pollinators of all kinds flock to the rosy pink blossoms of this flowering cherry, with flowers lasting up to three weeks in the early spring. It also tends to flower earlier than other varieties of cherry for an earlier spring burst of color.
You can buy your own bare-root plants or find someone with a tree and propagate from that one. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.Planting an Okame cherry tree requires careful site selection and preparation to ensure healthy growth. Start digging a hole twice as wide and slightly deeper than the tree’s root ball. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix in compost to enrich it. Place the tree in the hole, ensuring the root collar (where the trunk meets the roots) is level with or slightly above ground level.
Backfill the hole with the soil, gently tamping it down to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Mulch around the base with organic material, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish the tree.
Before reaching maturity, it grows in a vase-shaped structure, rounding out as it grows older. When not in bloom, the foliage of these evergreen trees is still beautiful. It remains deep green until late August. At this point, the fall foliage begins turning golden yellow before eventually fading to a deep orange and red. The leaves remain, meaning it’s not a deciduous tree. All year long, the tree dons reddish brown bark that looks great in a landscape.
If you want a tree that attracts bees like crazy, look no further. Pollinators of all kinds flock to the rosy pink blossoms of this flowering cherry, with flowers lasting up to three weeks in the early spring. It also tends to flower earlier than other varieties of cherry for an earlier spring burst of color.
You can buy your own bare-root plants or find someone with a tree and propagate from that one. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.
Planting an Okame cherry tree requires careful site selection and preparation to ensure healthy growth. Start digging a hole twice as wide and slightly deeper than the tree’s root ball. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix in compost to enrich it. Place the tree in the hole, ensuring the root collar (where the trunk meets the roots) is level with or slightly above ground level.
Backfill the hole with the soil, gently tamping it down to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Mulch around the base with organic material, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish the tree.
Popular in the south, where it’s hot and humid, this tree can also tolerate a moderate to slightly cold climate. In fact, it needs a cold winter to bloom well in late winter and early spring. Grow it if you’re in zones 6 to 8.