A Trio of Yoshinos

For many years, I have marveled at the stunning clouds of soft pinkish-white blossoms that grace the springtime landscape of the old C. G. Cloud Estate south of the square in downtown McLeansboro. The trees unpretentiously float in a profusion of florets that stand in stark contrast to the delightful smooth gray bark of the trunk and branches. Not a hint of green spoils the effect of the pink drifts.

These awe-inspiring trees are some of the earliest springtime beauties each year. Yoshino cherry trees are best known for their spectacular showing in the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. as they line the Potomac Basin and various landmarks in our national city. A native of Japan, the first Japanese flowering cherries planted in the nation’s capital were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in the early 1900’s. Japanese legend states that each spring a fairy maiden hovers low in the warm sky, awakening the sleeping cherry trees with her delicate breath.

Enthralled with their stunning vase shaped canopy billowing with whitish pink blossoms on bare branches in the earliest of spring, it seemed fitting that a few might adorn our drive into Providence Prairie. When you pull into our entrance, you are sitting slightly on the downside slant of Pleasant Hill. From there, you descend downward toward Minikin Rill and then up before arriving at our home. I thought that a trio of these stunning trees would appear enchanting planted along the south side of the drive. While they won’t reflect in water, the effect will be very lovely of the long avenue. Sitting atop the driveway, by the mailbox, you could look down on the threesome and admire their splendor. As you sweep past them, their effect won’t diminish. When you are leaving home, you’ll first descend the hill over Minikin Rill and be surprised by their loveliness as you view them coming up from below. We’ve endeavored for over twenty years to create a haven of beauty to call home. These captivating trees seemed appropriate to become a part of the fabric of that canvas.

The almond scented flowers each have five petals in groupings of five to six blossoms and mature into small tart fruit. Yoshino cherries are an important food source for many small birds and mammals including robins, cardinals, and waxwings. The mature Yoshino grows to be 30-50 feet with a spread of 25-40 feet. They should slightly nod over the driveway charmingly.

On April 23 the trees arrived. The bare roots were then soaked in a bucket of water for a couple hours while we dug the hole of twice the depth and width of their roots. Everyone pitched in as some hauled well-rotted manure while others carried water and helped to plant. We carefully placed the trees and back filled the amended soil into the hole. Tamping the earth lightly with our hands, we finished the planting process and now await the future pleasure of a few weeks of fairy breath blossoms, followed by glossy ovate leaves above the silvery bark on the summer tree, concluding with a picturesque showing of yellow, orange, and red fall foliage.

~Rhonda