When neighbors plant a new tree on their side of the property line, it feels to me like I’ve got a new tree of my very own. In this case the tree is a Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis), and its first season of profuse bloom is happening right now.
Not that a Yoshino Cherry would have been my first choice. Gently I tried to steer my neighbors towards a small native flowering tree, but without avail. The Yoshinos are hybrid trees from Japan, all of them clones from the same specimen, or so I am told.
Still, it would be churlish not to appreciate what the Yoshino Cherry has to offer. Its white flowers are lovely, and coincide with the flowering of our two ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora) that are right across the fence. The white blooms of all three trees make a pleasing sight.
Also, I’m looking forward to the Yoshino Cherry’s small fruits (about 0.3″) that are supposed to be highly attractive to birds. Maybe we’ll be visited by Cedar Waxwings. But then the Robins and Cardinals are particularly fond of the Serviceberries that ripen in June.
I wonder if the Yoshino Cherry has anything to say to its wilder North American cousins the Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana ‘Schubertii’), which are within hailing distance over on our side of the fence. Is the cultural gap too wide, or does a distant common ancestry provide some basis for a relationship?
Before closing, I must acknowledge the other woody plant blooming in our garden right now: the Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum). Planted right by the sidewalk, this shrub is entrancing dog walkers and strolling families alike with its incredible fragrance. Nudging it into a less awkward shape is an ongoing challenge, but one that is more than justified by the fabulous scent.
gardeninacity 
Be glad they didn’t plant a Bradford Pear.
I am!
All beautiful blossoming trees! You’re lucky to have a neighbour that cares about their gaden. Amelia
Yes. Actually the neighbors who bought this tree just moved to California, but the couple who bought the house seem enthusiastic about gardening, though they are novices.
How lovely to have the grouping of white. Better the cherry than your neighbor planting three fast growing maples along your southern lot line–thus blocking the sun from a third of your yard. I had never heard of the Rubus odoratus but I’ll definitely look into it.
I miss my Yoshino cherry. It was destroyed in an ice storm years ago and I have never seen any for sale here since. Lucky you.
At least it wasn’t Rose of Sharon which you would be digging out of your beds every spring. It is always tricky trying to “educate” our neighbors to our way of thinking. But we must try.
Agreed, but I don’t like to push too hard. And this wasn’t a bad choice.
I couldn’t find your clove current on the USDA map, and finally discovered that it’s listed as Ribes aureum var. villosum, and Ribes odoratum is a synonym. It’s native in Texas, but barely. It shows up in the Panhandle, which is a good indication that it likes a colder climate. It might be in a dozen counties here; it’s more widespread in in Oklahoma, and it appears common in the middle-to-upper midwest.
Ah, phooey. Closing tags on a Friday afternoon is apparently beyond me!
Yes, sorry I got the botanical name wrong.
As often as names change, none of us bats 100 — least of all me. I come across some of these tidbits just because I know so little, and go digging from time to time to see what I can learn, or to see if the plants you have will grow down here.
A beautiful borrowed view.
I wouldn’t mind having that hanging over our fence. It is a beauty.
What a beautiful froth of white. Hope the birds love those cherries.
Ditto. I’ll be watching.
‘Yoshino’ sounds like something spectacular, . . . although it happens to be my brother in law’s middle name.
Don’t hold that against it!
Of course not. It was his grandmothers name too, and she is rad!
A lovely sight and I would give space to all of them… wind exposure is a constant here though, so I am still considering the options. I have never seen that Ribes here, but have recently planted a yellow one called Ribes aureum which is supposed to smell nice. Do the insects like your Clove currant too?
Yes, seems to be popular with the long-tongued bees.
It would be hard not to plant a tree that looks like that! It’s a beauty. And I lean toward the theory of the common ancestry and a botanical friendship.
Looking and smelling good in your neighborhood this weekend!
It’s great to have neighbors who plant like you! That’s a gorgeous blooming tree, as is your Clove Current.
My former neighbor had a Yaupon holly which seeded two volunteers who now grow happily in my garden. Thanks, indeed, neighbor!
Yay for free trees!
It’s a beauty! The white flowers evoke the fresh renewal of spring. And as Johnvic8 said, it’s not a Bradford Pear..
My neighbor asked me for suggestions for replacements for their olive trees (olive trees grow far far too big for where they had been planted by the previous owner) and I suggested one of my very very favorites, Podocarpus ‘Monmal’, and they planted three right where I can see them once they grow a little more. What a deal!
(They moved the olive trees to their back slope where there is plenty of room. They did not go to waste.).
Impressed that they actually purchased your recommendation!
It’s a beautiful tree! I’m surprised you don’t already have cedar waxwings. They love the serviceberries here and can strip a tree in no time.
I’ve only ever seen a single Cedar Waxwing in the garden here.
Enjoy your neighbour’s tree… much better then the eucalyptus tree our neighbour planted that grew so big, so quickly, it started to move and crack the footpath and then the road… what a relief when it was finally cut down!
I didn’t know Eucalyptus could be a nuisance – aren’t they native in Australia?
Yes Eucalyptus are native to Australia, but grow very large and have strong root systems, so not suitable for most suburban gardens… or suburban streets.
What a lovely tree! It’s so funny how we gardeners are so much more invested in what our neighbours plant vs. non-gardeners. My neighbour planted what looks like some sort of willow type shrub/tree a few feet away from a new perennial bed I’m working on – eeek! Knowing willows invasive root tendencies, it’s had me a bit anxious about how it’s going to impact my perennial bed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it won’t become a big issue.
Oy, that sounds ominous. But maybe it only looks like a willow.
Those are incredibly dense blooms on that cherry. We have a black tartarian here, a big cherry, and many natural hybrids of those and wild cherries here. The wild cherries make pretty good eating.
Really? Do the cultivated species cross with natives like chokecherry?
Unless you pointed it out, I would have said all three trees (Amelanchiers and Cherry) were the same. You just now need to convince them to grow a clematis up it. Any tree standing still for long enough should get a climber thrown up it. Our ornamental cherry (the inherited one) is in full flower and it looks incredible.
What a lovely tree and how timely that they all bloom together! xxx