When do cherry blossom trees lose their leaves

Autumn Cherry trees are stunning and unique, offering up small clusters of flowers not once but twice a year. After an early spring bloom, where deep pink buds open up to pale pink-white flowers in large clusters, these trees give an encore in fall, when many other trees are losing their leaves.

Autumn Cherry trees’ foliage shifts with the changing of the seasons, giving them a new gorgeous visual interest year-round. You can bring the National Cherry Blossom Festival to your own backyard with this lovely, fast-growing, and unique tree.

Autumn Cherry Trees at a Glance

• Blooms twice a year
• Blooms earlier in spring than most cherry trees
• Attracts songbirds
• Fast-growing
• Cold-hardy

Appearance

The Autumn Cherry tree has delicate, broad upright branches. It grows at a fast rate of two feet or more per year until maturity, reaching 20-35 feet in height and 20-25 feet wide. Its lustrous, serrated, oblong-ovate leaves transition from green in the spring to gold, bronze, and red in autumn.

Its famous semi-double blossoms start as deep-pink buds, which become pale pink as they open, then become nearly white as they open fully. In the spring, the Autumn Cherry tree yields small, black, fruit-like berries that attract songbirds and other wildlife.

Hardiness Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones indicate the best regions to grow various types of plants based on average temperatures throughout the year. Out of 11 total, Autumn Cherry trees grow best in Zones 5-8, thriving across most of the country.

Planting

Start by choosing a location that receives full sunlight—at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day—to partial shade. Clear away any weeds and debris, then dig a hole that is the same depth as the root ball but twice as wide, leaving a mound of soil in the hole’s center.

Place the tree on top of the soil mound and then spread the roots. You want the tree’s crown to be roughly an inch above the surrounding soil level. Backfill the hole about ⅔ of the way, then water the tree. After, fill the hole with soil so that the roots are covered but the crown is not. Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch over the tree’s root zone.

You should plant Autumn Cherry trees at least 35 feet apart, if you plan to plant several.

Growing Conditions

Autumn Cherry trees are low-maintenance and extremely rewarding. Set them up for success, and you’ll enjoy a beautiful range of foliage colors year-round and soft clusters of blossoms twice per year.

Sun and shade

Autumn Cherry trees thrive in full sunlight but can tolerate partial shade. They grow best with at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day.

Soil

These trees are adaptable and can tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moist, acidic, well-drained loam or clay soils.

Watering

The correct level of moisture is key when you first start growing your Autumn Cherry tree. If the soil is soggy, your tree’s leaves will yellow and fall off. Once your tree is established, you don’t need to water more than once every seven to 10 days, giving your tree about half an inch of water each time.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing your Autumn Cherry tree isn’t necessary unless your branches are experiencing slow growth—less than eight inches per year. Using fertilizer won’t enhance the number of berries your tree grows but can boost its foliage and branch growth. Balanced fertilizer, with an NPK value of 10-10-10, works best. Apply it in early spring.

Pruning

If you want to prune your Autumn Cherry tree, wait until after its bloom encore in the fall. This way, your tree will have time to heal before the following spring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Autumn Cherry trees lose their leaves in Autumn?

Autumn Cherry trees’ leaves turn bronze, gold, and red in fall.

What do they look like in the fall?

In the fall, Autumn Cherry leaves retain their rounded canopy, but their oblong, semi-ovate leaves turn to shades of bronze, gold, and red. They bloom once again, with semi-double, 10-petal blooms that are pale pink-white opening in large clusters.

Do they bloom more than once?

They are unusual among cherry trees in that they bloom more than once.

Do you eat cherries from Autumn Cherry Trees?

Autumn Cherry trees produce small, black, bitter berry-like fruits that songbirds like to eat but people do not.

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When do they bloom?

The largest factor in determining the timing of the cherry blossoms is geographical location. Generally, the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.

On Japan's southern, subtropical islands of Okinawa, cherry blossoms open as early as January, while on the northern island of Hokkaido, they bloom as late as May. In most major cities in between, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place around late March or early April.

Furthermore, the timing of the blossoms differs from year to year depending on the weather. If the weather during the weeks preceding the cherry blossom season is mild, blossoms will open early. If it is cold, blossoms will open later. From year to year, the start of the blooming season typically varies by plus/minus one week, but larger deviations are also possible.

How long do they bloom?

The cherry blossom season is relatively short. Full bloom (mankai) is usually reached within about one week after the opening of the first blossoms (kaika). Another week later, the blooming peak is over and the blossoms are falling from the trees. Strong wind and rain can cut the blooming season even shorter.

Cherry blossom forecasts

Every year, weather services and the media, including japan-guide.com, closely follow the so called "cherry blossom front" as it slowly moves northward. Note that the front generally indicates the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) rather than the arrival of full bloom (mankai).

Of course, not every tree in a city opens on the same day, as trees in shadowy places, for example, can bloom several days later than trees in sunny places. For this reason, a representative sample tree is selected to define the date of kaika (the opening of the first blossoms) for a whole city. In Tokyo, the sample tree is located at Yasukuni Shrine.

Average blooming dates

The table below lists the average dates on which cherry trees open their first blossoms and reach full bloom for selected cities. Remember that the timings can vary a lot from year to year.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agancy - dates refer to Somei Yoshino cherry trees.

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