No blooms on Kwanzan Cherry

I purchased a Kwanzan Cherry tree last spring from Lowes. It had a couple of blooms last spring, but not very many. This year the tree has not bloomed at all. The tree already has lots of leaves, but no blooms. I have seen several other Kwanzan trees in the Raleigh area that are already blooming, and I have read that Kwanzans bloom from mid to late April. Is it possible for my Kwanzan Cherry to still bloom this year? Do Kwanzan Cherries normally get their leaves before the bloom? If the tree isn't blooming, what might the problem be?

Thanks,
Heather K.


Anne's response

Heather,
Kwanzan cherries bloom early in the spring then develop their leaves. It is not unusual for a newly planted tree not to bloom the year after it is planted. It has used its energy to produce a root system. Also, plants were under stree during the heat and drought last summer. If the tree had very few blooms when you purchased the plant it may be very young or it be a plant that with a genetic trait of sparse blooms.