Strange tree... graft?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by meldi, Apr 23, 2006.

  1. meldi

    meldi Member

    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Milford, MI, USA
    Hi everyone, please excuse my ignorance. I'm not much of a gardener.

    We moved into our house 4 years ago. There was a new little tree planted in our yard right before we moved in. This is the first spring that it's flowered.

    It's a small, ornamental tree. The bark is gray. The branches are growing bent over and have small pink blossoms. There is one branch that is growing straight up. This branch is thicker but the bark is the same. The kicker of it is, that this branch is covered with totally different white blossoms and big leaves. It's really quite funny.

    What's going on with this tree? Anyone know? Thanks for the help!
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Prunus pendula grafted onto P. avium. Prune the rootstock sprout off where it emerges from the trunk.
     
  3. meldi

    meldi Member

    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Milford, MI, USA
    Thanks. Do I have to cut it off? Or can I leave it? Why would anyone do that to the tree in the first place?
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Grafted for ease of propagation and production. The sweet cherry rootstock will grow up and form a taller tree over the top of the weeping cherry if you don't manage the sprouting. Eventually the weeping cherry will be crowded out. Better to keep the rootstock sprouts cut off, since the weeping cherry is what was paid for and planted originally.
     

Share This Page