The following was sent in via email: I would like to use some flowering pink trees in my wedding (april 3) and then plant them at my house in tahoe. would you recommend almond, plum or cherry? Elizabeth
Hey Elizabeth, I assume your wedding will take place in Tahoe? I am not familiar with which trees bloom when there. Perhaps other forum members will help with that. I would like to suggest you consult with the nursery where you intend to make the purchase. Give them time to arrange for the quantity and quality of trees you will need for an event as special as a wedding. That way you will be assured of nice matching specimens in full bloom at the correct time. What a great idea! Each year you will be reminded of your beautiful ceremony when the trees come into bloom. Congratulations.
The Sunset Western Garden Book shows most of Lake Tahoe in Sunset Climate Zone 1, with part of the eastern shore falling under Zone 2. Flowering cherries would probably be most likely to give a bridal effect, plums and crabs being mostly less elegant, sometimes even malodorous in flower. Cherries listed hardy to Zone 2 by Sunset include 'Accolade', Prunus sargentii , 'Shirotae', P. x subhirtella , and P. pendula . None are listed for Zone 1.
I agree with Ron as Flowering Cherries would the best bet. I've attended a wedding in which the alter was flanked by his and her Mt. Fujis (Shirotae). You may want to look into nurseries out of the area as an April 3 wedding date at that elevation will make the time element real tough and limiting for what trees will be in bloom that early at Lake Tahoe. I suggest you look into buying the trees elsewhere and bring them in just for the wedding. You may want to check into nurseries as far away as Sacramento to ensure the trees will be in bloom when you want them to be. Double flowering Peaches are nice also and will be in bloom here and in Sacramento at that time but not then at Lake Tahoe. If you protect the trees from the cold winds and provide the trees with lots of humus when planting them you can grow flowering trees up to a zone 3 Western Garden Book designation. It is probably better to plant a mid-season blooming tree however if you want to stretch the zone envelope at that location. Early flowering trees may have their flowers nipped by the cold but they generally will not be in bloom until the first week of April at the earliest there. Plan on around the second week of April to see early blooms in most years. My Spring bulbs generally do not begin to bloom in a zone 3 until the latter part of the first week of April. Jim
