When Do Cherry Trees Bloom? Facts & FAQs

Unlike other trees that bloom at specific times each year, cherry trees bloom according to the weather. Usually, they start blooming from early March to early April.

Once cherry trees bloom, they keep blooming for about a month. However, this can be dependent on the temperature, as well. Still, not all blossoms will stay bloomed during this period and each flower lasts for about a week or two.

Usually, all cherry trees will bloom within the same month. For this reason, it is known as “cherry blossom season.”

Our best suggestion is to start looking for blossoms in early March but don’t be surprised if you don’t see them until early April.

When Do Cherry Trees Bear Fruit?

While cherry trees bloom in early spring, it takes a couple of months for their fruits to develop. Again, this is very dependent on the weather. In warmer areas, the trees may bloom early and be ready for harvest in early May. However, the average is closer to June.

Cooler areas may not have a harvest until July. Several late-bearing cherry trees may not be ready to harvest until closer to July, even in warmer areas.

In other words, it depends on the weather in your area. Usually, it is about 2 weeks from when the tree bloomed, though this can vary depending on the variety.

Do Cherry Trees Bloom Twice a Year?

Not usually. Most cherry trees only bloom in the spring and produce fruit one time. However, some varieties do yield flowers twice a year. Often, these are called Autumn Cherry trees, as they also produce flowers in Autumn.

However, even these trees do vary quite a bit. Their blooming schedule will depend closely on your local weather. Furthermore, these trees cannot grow in all areas. Early frosts in the fall can kill the later blooms, rendering them one-time-bloomers.

Why is My Cherry Tree Not Flowering?

There are several reasons why your cherry tree may not be blooming. Cherry trees are a bit sensitive. Therefore, you have to consider many factors when caring for them. If one variable is off, it may not bloom at all.

Before you worry about your tree not blooming, though, we recommend checking the calendar. While many people believe that all cherry trees bloom in March, this is not necessarily true. Depending on your local weather, some trees may not bloom until April. Therefore, you may have to wait longer.

If your tree still doesn’t bloom, several things could be wrong with it. The tree may not have received enough water, which is vital for blooming. If you had a drought the previous year, it is possible that the tree didn’t receive enough water to bloom this year. (This is not a problem with a quick fix. Once the tree decides not to bloom, you can’t make it bloom by watering it more.)

Other times, it isn’t uncommon for homeowners to over-prune their trees. Cherry trees usually develop the start of their blossoms the year before. Therefore, if you prune them in the fall or winter, you may unknowingly cut off the buds.

Soil deficiencies can also cause cherry trees not to bloom. However, this is most common with newer cherry trees. If your tree usually blooms every year, it probably isn’t the soil unless there has been a significant change in the last year.

How Do I Know If My Cherry Tree Will Produce Fruit?

Cherry trees will not produce fruit until they mature. Like most trees, this does take a few years. If you have a sapling, it likely won’t produce fruit for some years to come. Sour cherry trees usually mature after 3–5 years. However, sweet cherry trees take about 4–7 years.

Your local conditions have a significant effect on when a tree matures. The tree may mature sooner if your area is warm with rich soil. Cooler areas usually result in slower-growing trees. Therefore, you may have to wait longer.

There is no way to tell when your cherry tree will mature. However, when your tree begins to blossom freely, it will likely produce fruit. There is no way to tell years ahead of time when this may be, unfortunately.

Do Cherry Blossoms Turn into Cherries?

Yes. All cherry trees produce cherry blossoms that then turn into cherries. However, not all of these cherries are the variety you can usually purchase at the store—usually, edible cherries from specific species.

With that said, all cherry blossoms will turn into some fruit. Usually, these are small, unpalatable fruits, though. The average cherry tree grown for its blossoms will not produce delicious fruits. You have to purchase a tree designed to produce fruits specifically.

Do Cherry Trees Flower Before Leaves Grow?

Yes. Cherry trees usually flower before leaves grow. That’s one reason why their flowers are so well-known and stunning—there aren’t any leaves for them to hide behind. However, this is not true for all varieties. Sometimes, you can find cherry trees that begin to grow little leaves while they are blooming.

You’ll notice the buds of the leaves before they appear. Therefore, you’ll have to bit of forewarning before the leaves appear.

Do Cherry Blossoms Bloom in Autumn?

Not usually. Most cherry trees only bloom in early spring and then produce fruit. However, some varieties bloom twice a year—once in the spring and the fall. Often, these trees are highly sought after since they produce more blooms than other trees.

However, there are a lot of factors that go into when a tree will bloom. The local temperature and weather are critical. These trees may only bloom once a year in some areas due to the temperature. If your area is cooler, these trees may be unable to grow.

As you’d expect, these trees are not designed for their fruit. Instead, they are ornamental trees that work well in landscaping.

Conclusion

Cherry blossom trees often bloom from early March to early April. It depends on your local weather. Warmer places will see these trees bloom sooner, while cooler places will bloom later. Your best bet is to watch for blooms in early spring and remember when they occur in your area.

Usually, trees will bloom at about the same time each year in a particular area. However, the weather for that year can move this date. It will never be exact.

Once trees start blooming, all the cherry trees in the area will bloom within a month. Blooms themselves last for a week or two each, but not all blooms open simultaneously. Therefore, you usually get about a month of blooms before the trees run out.

Featured Image Credit: Fotokostic, Shutterstock