The Easy-To-Grow Tree You'll Want To Plant For Beautiful Blooms & Year-Round Color

When it comes to landscaping, there are many varieties of trees and shrubs that can enhance the curb appeal of your home. There are also many things to consider before choosing the right tree for your front yard. Are you looking for a tree with beautiful blossoms, something that's easy to grow, and looks amazing year-round? The Sargent cherry (Prunis sargentii) tree is the perfect solution, because it fulfills all of these qualities and more.

There are many fast-growing trees you don't want to plant in your yard, but the Sargent cherry isn't one of them. With beautiful pink blossoms in the spring, attractive fruits in the summer, gem-like foliage in the fall, and an amazing mahogany-colored bark — this tree has something to offer year-round. Cherry trees have always been a popular choice for adding colorful, spring blooming foliage to a yard. But the Sargent cherry is a stand-out among low maintenance trees that you will want in your landscaping design.

With beautiful pink blossoms in the spring, glossy green leaves and dark fruit in the summer, gem-like red foliage in the fall, and an amazing mahogany colored bark in the winter — this tree has something to offer year-round. The Sargent cherry tree is not only a beautiful addition to your yard, but it is also a low-maintenance cultivar. Once established, it requires little attention and becomes more drought tolerant as it matures. 

Sargent cherry is also extremely cold tolerant, which makes it great for more northern regions of the United States. The Sargent cherry is also a variety of cherry that is extremely disease resistant, which makes it a perfect choice for anyone that is opposed to using chemical herbicides. These features make it one of the easier and exceptionally low-maintenance varieties of cherry trees to grow, appealing to those gardeners who appreciate minimal on-going care.

Before buying a Sargent cherry, it's a good idea to make sure you can grow one in your gardening zone. You can easily find out which zone you live in by plugging your zip code into the USDA plant hardiness zone map. The Sargent cherry does best in zones 4 through 7. It also needs a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight a day and is tolerant of a variety of soils but does best in rich, well-drained soil.

The Sargent cherry grows at a pretty steady pace of 1 to 2 feet per year and at full maturity reaches 25 to 40 feet in height. It is considered to be a medium-sized tree and makes a beautiful centerpiece for any yard. Due to its canopy being as wide as the tree's height, it is also a wonderful shade tree, perfect for having an afternoon picnic under.

Although the Sargent cherry is a low-maintenance tree, you will still need to prune it once a year to keep it healthy, strong, and productive. There are a lot of common mistakes you can make when pruning your fruit trees, like pruning at the wrong time of year for your specific species. For the Sargent cherry it is recommended that you prune in late winter or early spring. If you regularly prune it after it's established you will end up with beautiful, showy blooms in the spring, and a grand display of color in the fall.