Kwanzan Cherry Trees - Macro Study

Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama, has a stand of cherry trees beside their Fine Art Building that literally stops traffic every spring.

These ornamental cherry trees are what I believe to be Kwanzan cherry trees.

Extraordinarily showy, its bundles of huge double pink blossoms last longer than those of other flowering ornamental cherry trees, such as the Yoshino.

The Kwanzan is a vase-shaped tree with a rounded crown that spreads as it ages, making it taller than wide at maturity.

My understanding is that these trees are fruitless cultivars.

I read this morning that both Kwanzan and Yoshino cherry trees are planted in Washington D. C. and Macon, Georgia for their annual Cherry Blossom Festivals.

I feel certain they must be planted and celebrated in other cities and towns across America in similar festivals.

I'm celebrating them today with my own personal virtual Cherry Blossom Festival!

Unlike other ornamental cherry trees, the leaves of the Kwanzan cherry begin to grow while the tree is still in bloom, which creates a gorgeous study of complementary colors.

Exquisite. There wasn't a bad shot in the bunch.

"In full bloom, an ornamental cherry tree branch extends out over a moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. The flowering cherry tree, or sakura, is one of the most exalted flowering plants in Japan, where the blossoms’ short but beautiful blooming time is a symbol for the evanescence of human life." (Unknown)

Are you enjoying Spring as much as I am?