deep pink.. tiny flowers.. attached to branches.. try redbud

see link

wayyyy .. wayyy earlier than cherry

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Probably non-native cherry such as 'Okame'. Blooming now all over the place in Atlanta. Redbud hasn't even started.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:331306}}

This post was edited by esh_ga on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 18:20

do you guys grow the eastern redbud i do??? does it matter with flowering time????

Cercis canadensis???

cant wait for the OP to tell us who is right.. lol ..

ken

Idk Ken, knuttle strikes me as the kind of arbor enthusiast that would know what a redbud is.

Some kind of quince was my first thought. They flower about the same time as forsythia around here, before ornamental cherries (at least the ones people plant around here w/ yoshino and okame the most common) and redbuds. Obviously, they are among our earliest flowering shrubs locally besides witchhazel.

It would be interesting to know if the plant in question is seen blooming in the wild or solely in landscaped areas.

John

"Early February" and pink flowers says Flowering Apricot to me. You can't miss the fragrance which is outstanding. Search Prunus mume and compare with this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bernheim's Flowering Apricot

The ones that are bushes appear to be older as they frequently are seen in old home sites.

That part sounds like flowering quince.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:331307}}

some sort of cherry i believe. redbuds definitely don't bloom here until after bradford pears, and the bradford pears are no where near blooming.

there are several non-native cherries blooming in my neighborhood. They have been blooming on an office since december. they tend to readily break dormancy throughout the winter

This post was edited by jqpublic on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 0:08

The more prevalent winter cherry in the US is 'Autumnalis Rosea'. Less showy 'Autumalis' is not seen much over here. And yes, these are two distinctly different varieties, with their own characteristics.

knuttle, I am now living in your same general area and the Prunus mume trees are in glorious, peak bloom this week. Have you noted the interesting, bonsai-type shapes that the mature trees form? A choice tree best highlighted as a specimen in the landscape but also often seen planted in straight rows by developers to accent property lines. Cuttings root easily. Really the perfect small tree for the average suburban yard in Zones 7-9.

For those of you suggesting Prunus mume instead of Prunus 'Okame' (which is a hybrid not related to Prunus mume), how do you distinguish the difference between the two from a distance? Is it habit/shape? Color of flower?

'Okame' is denser and produces red calyces which give it a rusty appearance in flower, when seen from some distance. Japanese apricot has an open habit with long, straight shoots.

Do you know how hard it is to get you, your camera and the tree all in the same area at the same time? Here are pictures of the tree that I was talking about. It has been in bloom for at least two weeks now.

As someone surmised I am an armature gardener and know of redbud, Quince, etc. In fact we got a hybrid orange quince last year at the NC garden show at the arboretum. We are trying to get a lot of flowering bushes and trees in the yard. You can only have so many azaleas and camellias.

nandina: Has the tree Prunus mume been in the are long enough that it has become "feral" in some abandon home sites and old business? Western Johnston Co NC. Do you know any nurseries in the area that care them

Noticed the pink showing on some 'flowering cherries' - I have no idea what species or variety - on my way to work this morning. Not yet in bloom, but not far off from it.
Redbuds/callery pears nowhere near showing any color

nandina: Wife's question.

You said they root easily. Do you root them in soil or water.

As if we need more plants rooting around our house, I don't know how many gardenias we have.

Love pink blooms in spring! If your looking for a beautiful Pink flowering tree look up Kwanzan Flowering Cherry. I have 2 beautiful Kwanzan Cherry trees in our front yard and I love them! They are so beautiful and loaded with blooms in spring. The fall color is pretty as well, Kind of multi colored. Even the bark is beautiful.

well.. its not redbud..

but the deep red bark might have to lead you to cherry i think ... but i am guessing ...

prunus for sure ...

but i cant name it ...

too bad it wasnt de-suckered.. historically ... and i wont even mention the mulch volcano..

and yes.. i have tried taking pix at speed.. lol ...

ken

I think that it is Okame cherry (Prunus x okame).

Your pictures are "dead ringers" for this tree.

Here is a link with photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Okame Cherry Pics

knuttle...Some interesting reading if you do a search for...who introduced Prunus mume. Will give you answers re when it was introduced into this country.

Root using softwood cuttings and rooting hormone. I have not tried rooting it in water but certainly an easy experiment to undertake. Must admit that I am a lazy propagator and mostly use the method I have posted a few times. Do a search on the Propagation Forum for "Toothpick Technique".

Yep.
I concur with Tn Tree Man.
It's an Okame cherry

They're just about week or two from blooming here in MD.

Notice the red calyces I mentioned previously. There are other P. campanulata hybrids around, with similar general appearance but 'Okame' is the prevalent one.

I solved the problem of identification. This morning we were on our way to the store and passed the trees we want. They are in what I believe is an old house site. We bought some rooting hormone and on our way back we stopped and took cuttings. So we decided to go with nandina: "identification" and root the cuttings.

Thanks for all of the help.

Might not be the right time for cuttings. Prunus usu. mid-summer.

We considered that but decided the trees will always be there if these do not root. If they root we are ahead.

Not likely to root now.

No need to expend the energy until they are ready to go. Your hormone won't go bad in 3-4 months.

I think that the OP probably had Okame Cherry.
This is 'First Lady' taken today at the National Arboretum.
One of FL's parents is Okame. However FL has not been released long enough to be OP's tree.
{{gwi:331309}}