Cherry Tree – Pruning

Q: I have a ‘Snow Fountain’ weeping cherry tree. I’ve noticed a lot of the limbs reach the ground; some even stretch out on the ground. How should it be pruned?

A: ‘Snow Fountain’ cherry is a beautiful small tree when the drooping branches are covered with white flowers in spring. As you’ve discovered, branch growth doesn’t stop when it hits the ground. For this reason, gardeners have found that planting the tree above a stone wall or beside a water feature gives the limbs more room to cascade down. If you want to shorten them, cut individual branches back to between six and eighteen inches from the ground each winter. Avoid cutting them all at the same distance from the soil. Otherwise the tree will look like a big mushroom.