Natural Fashionista: Gowns Inspired by Spring Blooms

We recently spotted some very familiar sights in unfamiliar territory: a high-fashion shop in Center City. We're excited to see Philadelphia-headquartered Anthropologie rolling out some fabulous dress designs inspired by some of our favorite blooming trees - cherries and magnolias! Check it out...

Magnolia Grove Gown, Anthropologie

Cherry Blossom Gown, Anthropologie

Sakura Blossoms Gown, Anthropologie

5 Fast Facts About Cherry Blossoms

There is nothing quite like the show of small petals covering flowering cherry trees on a clear spring day; their flowers are beautiful at all stages – from first bud break through emergence into full flower… and even as the petals shower onto the ground.  The ephemeral nature of ornamental cherries is what makes them all the more special.

Here are a few facts about cherry blossoms:

1. Flowering cherry trees are small to medium-sized plants and they are one of the most diverse groups of ornamental trees in our area.
2. Cherry trees are members of the rose family, and like all its members, they require full sun and good drainage.  
3. Their small delicate petals come in colors ranging from white to light pink, and even some darker pink-reds.   
4. As part of the Sesquicentennial celebration of 1926, the Japanese government gifted flowering cherry trees to the city of Philadelphia and some of these original trees can still be seen in Fairmount Park.  
5. Since 1998 the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia has planted more than 1000 cherry trees throughout the city.  

See Morris Arboretum's cherry blossom collection in bloom this April. Learn more.

5 Cherry Trees for Gardeners

Cherry Trees have a very fine texture and even in autumn they reward gardeners with excellent fall color.  There are an immense number of varieties but the main ones for gardeners to consider are:

• Prunus ‘Okame’: the Okame cherry is one of the most commonly planted cherries and the first to bloom in Philadelphia - usually in late March or early April.  It has dark pink flowers that fade to pale pink as they open.  It grows to 25 feet at maturity.  Okame was introduced to the United States through the Morris Arboretum in the 1940s.
• Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’: the weeping Higan cherry is the most common of the weeping cherries and one of the most graceful garden trees.  Its small April-blooming flowers are pale pink and cover the branches, giving the plants a beautiful overall look.  These plants grow to 25-30 feet.
• Prunus ‘Snofozam’:  SNOW FOUNTAINS weeping cherry is a slower growing and smaller weeping tree, making it useful in smaller spaces.  Its branches are held more stiffly than the weeping Higan cherry, but the overall effect is very attractive.  Its small white flowers completely cover the branches, making a fantastic display.
• Prunus x yedoensis, the Yoshino cherry is probably the best known flowering cherry, famous for the display surrounding the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.  This is a medium-sized tree that will grow to 40 feet.  Its flowers are pink in bud, opening to a pale pink-white at full flower.  A common variety of Yoshino cherry is Daybreak (‘Akebono’) known for its soft-pink, semi-double flowers that cover the branches. 
• Prunus sargentii: Sargent cherry is native to northern Japan and is among the hardiest and largest of the flowering cherries. Its single rose-pink flowers emerge in mid April before the foliage and at the same time as the Yoshino cherries. The deep red-brown lustrous bark of Sargent cherry adds interest throughout the year.

Come explore Morris Arboretum's cherry blossom collection in bloom this April. Learn More

Predicting Cherry Blossoms

Photo: Judy Miller

Author: Anthony Aiello - The Gayle E. Maloney Director of Horticulture & Curator, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

Ornamental cherries (Prunus) are one of the main reasons that spring is my favorite time of year.  I know that spring has reached its peak when these trees are in full flower. After our hard winter and cold start to spring, you may be wondering if and when the cherry blossoms will arrive.  I can easily answer the ‘if’ question and say definitively that they will flower this spring.  As for the ‘when’ question, that is more complicated, but I can at least provide some background.

Recently the National Park Service has predicted that peak bloom dates for the Yoshino cherries around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C will be delayed until sometime around April 11-14th (see D.C. dates).  Similarly, Jason Samenow of the Washington Post has predicted peak dates between April 9-13th.  Either way, this is about one week later than the historic peak of April 4th in Washington.

Now what does that mean for us in Philadelphia? Normally, I would predict that the peak flowering for the Yoshino cherries along Kelly Drive is roughly one week behind that of Washington.  A lot depends on what happens in the next two weeks, but if temperatures remain below or close to normal, we should expect our Yoshino cherries flowers to peak sometime around April 17-20th.  Although this may seem late, last year the peak along Kelly drive was right around April 16th, so we are not far off from last year, which you might remember was another cold winter.

We invite you to start your own search for the first blossoms of the season at Morris Arboretum's Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on April 11 and 18. Enjoy traditional cultural events such as performances by the Kyo Daiko Drumming Crew, origami workshop for kids, and tours. See the full line-up here.