Spider wrote in
:

Perhaps I should be looking at a different type of 15ft high
semi-weeping tree altogether. I've been looking at dogwoods, and
salix, and the aforementions bottlebrush. I also have a tamarisk
sapling that is already 3ft tall. I wonder if that will end up being
the winning candidate! I'm right on the South Coast, but my soil is
far from "well-drained"; it is seriously clayey.

Al



If you want a cherry tree that won't attract bees, you're better off
looking at a double-flowering form. However, with this type, you will
not get fruit. In double-flowerers the reproductive organs (stamen,
etc) are mostly developed into the extra petals you see, therefore
bees aren't interested and there is no fertilisation, so the plant
cannot reproduce. This also means that the flowering season is
extended because the flowers do 'go over' as fertilised flowers do
prior to forming fruit.


Many thanks for this info, which I wasn't aware of. That's helpful, because
a prolific-flowering cherry doeas appeal to me - especially if bees aren;t
interested in it. The presence of the extra blossom more or less mitigates
the lack of fruit, for my purposes.

Can anyone suggest a particular variety to look for, that is semi-weeping,
or wide-spreading, and grows to a maximum of about 16 ft? (preferaby not a
grafted type, because I think those look unnatural, and I gather are also
more prone to disease).

Al