Japanese Flowering Cherries: A 100-Year-Long Love Affair

Japanese flowering cherries are one of the great highlights of spring and among the most beloved flowering trees. The Polly Hill Arboretum is pleased to welcome Tony Aiello, Director of Horticulture and Curator of the Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennysylvania, to give a lecture on these special trees. These trees have long been a captivating presence in Japan and throughout the U.S. since their introduction over 100 years ago. Tony will detail the introduction of flowering cherries into various locations in the eastern U.S. He has been using the Morris Arboretum’s cherry collection as a model for preserving its horticultural heritage and at the same time providing best practices of veteran tree care. He has also been working with other botanic gardens in the northeast to identify, propagate, and share rare varieties of flowering cherries.