Colorful Pink Blooms Load This Fast Growing Tree in Early Spring! The Okame Cherry Tree, also known as the Prunus Okame Cherry, or the Taiwan Cherry, is a beautiful flowering cherry tree that boasts bright pink blooms before any other tree opens up in early spring. We love the Okameherry Blossom tree for its vivid colors and beautiful fall foliage. The Okame Cherry blossom color is a vibrant pink with white undertones and is mildly fragrant. The flowers will appear while the fast growing tree is still bare without leaves. Once spring hits and the weather warms up, the Okame Flowering Cherry tree will flush out with dark green foliage to contrast the end of their bloom period. The Okame Cherry tree does have an exceptionally long bloom time from late winter until the end of spring. The Okame Cherry tree leaves are long and slender up to 1-2 inches with razored edges. Eventually, the green leaves will turn shades of yellow, orange, and red. The Okame Cherry tree fall color will become more dramatic the further north you plant it. The deciduous tree will drop its leaves in late fall or winter signaling to go into a dormant phase. The tree does produce a fruit that is round, inedible, and inconspicuous. You might not even know it is there. It may attract wildlife like birds and squirrels to your front yard. Most ornamental cherries are bred for their beautiful blooms and not the ornamental fruit. Being ornamental, the Prunus Okame Cherry Blossom Tree is best planted as a statement tree in a front or back yard where the gorgeous flower blossoms can be enjoyed. It is also suitably planted in groups. You can see the display of deep pink blossoms on the trees at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC every year. Okame Cherry Tree Size & Height The Okame Cherry tree is considered a shorter flowering cherry tree variety and usually grows to about 20 feet in height at full maturity. It also grows to about 10-20 feet wide and can be a good choice as a lawn or courtyard tree. Okame Cherry Tree Growth Rate The flowering cherry Okame has medium to slow growth rate and only grows 1 to 2 feet per year. At this rate, it usually takes about 7 to 10 years for Okame Cherry trees to fully mature. Okame Cherry Tree Bloom Time Okame cherry blossoms are some of the earliest to appear each year, as the Okame Cherry tree usually begins to bloom from late winter to early spring. Once it starts to bloom, the Okame Flowering Cherry tree’s blossoms last around three weeks in the spring. Do Okame Cherry Trees Bear Fruit The Okame cherry tree is a hybrid cross between the Prunus incisa and Prunus campulata. Because this variety of cherry tree blooms so early in the year, it does not usually grow fruit, and is grown more for its beautiful blossoms. How To Prune an Okame Cherry Tree The best time to prune Okame Cherry trees is immediately after all the blooms fall. This will help minimize healing time for the tree and help shape it as it matures. Be sure to prune vertical shoots in the center to support good ventilation. You can also remove any branches that look damaged or diseases. By shortening some of its branches by 1/3 of new growth, you can help encourage the tree to develop more buds from blossoming. Okame Cherry Tree Care Grow the Okame flowering Cherry across the United States in USDA hardiness zones 5-9. It is a more cold tolerant cherry tree but can also be heat tolerant in the southern states. It has low chill hours and will perform well in any planting location. The flowering tree performs best in full sun but can tolerate partial shade in warmer climates. The tree will produce fewer flowers in shade. Moist, well draining soil is best but it is widely adapted to many soil types and planting sites. It will establish a large root system so be sure to give it plenty of room to grow. A slow release fertilizer applied in early spring will give the Okame Flowering Cherry tree a good boost of nutrients to display its rosy pink flowers at their best and brightest. A thick layer of mulch around the base of the tree will help retain moisture in hotter climates. Okame Cherry Tree Lifespan Okame Cherry trees, like most flowering cherry trees, have a shorter lifespan with a life expectancy of 20 to 40 years. Because this variety of trees grows slower, it tends to last longer than other cherry tree varieties. Shop the Okame Cherry Tree for sale for beautiful blooms and low maintenance care!
