Yoshino cherries in Minneapolis? - Ask Extension
Hello - We recently moved back to Southwest Minneapolis after living on the east coast for the past 6 years. We're interested in a flowering tree for ...
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Yoshino cherries in Minneapolis? #869777
Asked May 23, 2024, 12:36 PM EDT
Hello - We recently moved back to Southwest Minneapolis after living on the east coast for the past 6 years. We're interested in a flowering tree for the front yard (full sun). We loved the flowering cherries out east and recently learned that we are Zone 5. My understanding is Yoshino cherries tolerate hardiness zones 5-8. However, I don't see any of these trees planted in our surrounding area and wonder if we're still too cold. Thanks for your input!
Ben
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hi,
Thanks for your question.
Earlier this year the USDA released an updated plant hardiness zone map reflecting the past 20 years of temperature data. The new map can be searched by zip code, which better captures microclimates and the heat island effect in the Twin Cities, for example.
Many parts of the Twin Cities that were previously designated zone 4 are now zoned 5a. There's no guarantee that plants hardy to zone 5 will succeed in our climate, but if you're willing to accept some amount of risk you could definitely try growing the Yoshino cherry.
Good luck!
