Weeping Higan Cherry 'Pendula': The Classic Cascading Spring Cloud

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• Family:	Rosaceae (ro-ZAY-see-ee) (Info)
  Genus:	Prunus (PROO-nus) (Info)
  Species:	subhirtella (sub-HIR-tel-uh) (Info)
  Cultivar:	Pendula
  Synonym:	Prunus subhirtella var. pendula

Overview

The Weeping Higan Cherry 'Pendula' (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula', syn. P. subhirtella var. pendula) is the **quintessential weeping flowering cherry**—a graceful, cascading small tree that becomes a **living fountain of pink blossoms in early spring**. A centuries-old Japanese garden treasure, it remains the gold standard for weeping cherries.

Form & The Weeping Habit

It grows **15–25 feet tall and wide** (often wider than tall) with **long, slender, pendulous branches that sweep to the ground**. The habit is **naturally weeping** (not grafted high on a standard). The bark is smooth, gray-brown, with prominent horizontal lenticels.

Flowers & Bloom Sequence

**Early spring (March–April, before leaves)**, the bare branches are **cloaked in masses of single (occasionally semi-double), pale pink to white, 1/2–3/4 inch flowers** in clusters of 2–5. The effect is a **soft, ethereal pink cloud**—delicate, romantic, and iconic. Fall color is yellow to bronze.

Culture, Longevity & Advantages

**USDA Zones 5–8.** **Full sun; moist, well-drained, fertile soil.** **Longer-lived and more disease-resistant** than the famous 'Yoshino' or 'Kwanzan' cherries—often surviving 50–100+ years. Less prone to borers, cankers, and brown rot. Prune only to remove dead/crossing branches after bloom (weepers bloom on old wood). A **timeless, graceful, durable specimen** for lawns, pondsides, and Asian-style gardens—the weeping cherry by which others are measured.