First Blush^® Cherry

https://www.jfschmidt.com/

https://www.jfschmidt.com/

https://www.jfschmidt.com/

https://www.jfschmidt.com/

Common Name: First Blush® Cherry

Bright, double pink flowers smother the slender branches of this narrowly upright cherry in early spring. Its fully double flowers attract human admirers along with hummingbirds and other pollinators. Bloom time for this hybrid of Prunus campanulata is earlier than most cherries, but a little later than the well-known Okame Cherry, to which it is related. The breathtaking floral display gives way to petite, dark green, finely textured, disease resistant leaves that turn bright orange to orange red in autumn. Fall color is late and long-lasting. Its upright, narrow oval shape is well-suited for planting in small gardens and courtyards and is narrow enough for street use. A breakthrough in ornamental cherry breeding, this hybrid selection of Prunus campanulata is the first with large, fully double blooms in a species that typically has single blossoms. Blooms earlier than most cherries, but after the species. Its upright, symmetrical, and narrowly oval form is unique among flowering cherries, making it a good choice for street use and for planting in restricted spaces. Hybridized by Keith Warren of the J. Frank Schmidt plant breeding program.