You probably do not notice the problems while distracted by the profuse bloom. That is just swell. It is gratifying that the trees that I work with are appealing to those who see them. Since I work with them, I notice their problems. I would have posted just close up pictures of the flowering cherries and flowering crabapples, but because they are blooming at different times this year, I got only these three.
1. The shade of the big redwood trees is a bit too dark for this flowering cherry tree. It is always this sparse. What is worse is that the upper layer of bloom is suspended on a single horizontal limb that extends from the right, out the backside, back in toward the center and off to the left as it is seen here in the picture. What looks like supporting limbs is actually trunks of birch trees in the background. I would prefer to cut the awkward limb off, but you can see how flat topped the remaining portion of the tree would be without it.
2. This is the main reason the tree remains. These double white flowers are the whitest of the trees here.
3. My absence at a previous work day at the Presbyterian Church was the problem with this ‘Prairie Fire’ flowering crabapple. I had worked with this tree for a few years to thin out the thicket growth, and repair structural damage. Then, because I was not there, someone else pruned it indiscriminately with hedge shears and loppers! What a mess! It is best that you can not see the damage within the canopy. I don’t know why this was done. The tree only needed minor trimming for clearance above parked cars. After bloom, I will start the process of structural repair all over again.
4. These rosy pink flowers make it all worth it though.
5. This flowering cherry actually looks better than I expected it to this year. I pruned out so much necrosis last years that I figured that the tree was deteriorating. I expected a bit more new necrosis to develop this years. As you can see, that did not happen so much. I am not disappointed. Actually, I am impressed that there is no necrosis worth noticing. The worst problem with the tree right now is that it is disfigured by the unexplained necrosis. Well, that will not prevent us from appreciating the bloom.
6. This is the bloom close up. It is very similar to the other two old cherry trees that I will be cutting down this year. I wrote an article, and perhaps others, about them earlier. https://tonytomeo.com/2019/03/31/the-end-of-the-cherry-blossom-festival/
This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate:
https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/
What a great point about the beautiful flowers distracting most of us from the structural problems and disease underneath that only the expert eye can see. I’m sure there’s some sort of metaphor for life in there.
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If there is, we should probably ignore it. I mean, it is better to appreciate the beauty of bloom than to be concerned about structural problems.
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We become so accustomed to our standard Bradford pears, redbud, and flowering hawthorne we forget the number of other flowering trees that some enjoy. Despite the flaws, these are lovely.
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Bradford pear is not reliable for bloom here, and because it has had such problems with fireblight for the past many years, it is quite unpopular now. Hawthorne never was popular. Redbud is only becoming popular now. Such flowering trees just are not as popular here as they are elsewhere. Even though flowering cherries do not do as well here as they do in other regions, and flowering crabapple takes quite a bit of pruning, I would prefer them to be more popular than they are.
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They are beautiful, even if in some ways they might be struggling. I especially like the very pink blossom.
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That is what I like to hear. I have been getting compliments on the two flowering cherries since they started bloom. I certainly do not want to tell those who appreciate them about the problems.
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Such pretty blossoms certainly deflect the eye from any bad pruning.
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Those blossom pictures are quite something! Lovely.
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Thank you. If I could put more time into this, I would find more pictures that are more interesting than pretty.
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Again, that is what I like to hear. As an arborist, it is not easy to see the trees like everyone else does.
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The blossoms definitely make up for any structural damage!
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That seems to be the consensus. I probably should not have said so much about the problems.
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Bacterial Canker has been hitting cherries here for years, especially in the damper south west. There are far fewer here than there used to be, though I was in the south east (UK) at the weekend and was reminded of how lovely they can be. Yours look to be in the “could be a great deal worse” category.
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The two historic flowering cherry trees that I will be cutting down this year have been afflicted with bacterial canker for decades. It does necessarily kill right away like it does in rainier climates. Those two trees are dying of old age while waiting to die from the bacterial canker. Other trees have it, but I barely notice it.
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Beautiful blossom. Having just purchased a cherry tree I was scampering off to look up necrosis. There’s always something! But in the meantime I’ll just enjoy the beautiful blossom you have shared with us
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Oh, that is a dreadful word to look up. As you now know, it just refers to dead stuff.
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So gorgeous!!!
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Yes, they are, for those of us who are not looking for the problems.
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