Mystery tree

[bluepinecones]

Thanks for all the input. I did knock on the door at that house to ask about the tree, no one home yesterday or today. I spent most of the day trying to solve this; no "for sure" luck but am now leaning toward some type of flowering cherry. Searched several nursery sites on web; no matching photos. I drove out to one of the nearby peach orchards; blooms not quite the same and the only colors I found were pale pinks. Went to three local parks and thru numerous residential areas - not another tree anywhere with those bright red snowball blooms. Surely it cannot be the only one in town!
We have lots of red buds in full bloom

This I believe is a crabapple

This is commonly referred to as a tulip tree, think it is a type of early magnolia

And finally, tho it is the wrong color, blooms are closest match. It is a flowering cherry tree


Will post some photos of one of the parks on another thread.

[snowball]

just a thought of some other place that you can get help
hopefully this is ok www.gardenweb.com it's a web site that has lots of forums for lots of different gardening questions and belive that it has a mystery plant one... good luck
sheila

[Cedar518]

flowering crabs come in different shades. the one you pictured that is pink is like ours here at the library. My MIL had one of the darker ones at her home.

[soisew]

It does resemble a flowering crab apple and even the color of an Eastern Redbud however I believe it is a flowering cherry, probably a Kwansa or Yoshino. The cherry will sometimes come out quite pink then fade to light pink or near white. The blossom does look like little puffy balls. I was a garden center nursery specialist at Lowe's for a few years in the south but that's been quite a few years but as memory serves me...that's my assumption. Those two variest of cherry are common at nursery's but there are other varieties too like the fruiting black cherries that I beleive have darker blooms.

[Nasoosie]

It's a pretty tree that will some day bear fruit!

And that's my guess!!

[AlmostThere]

Wow, with the owners not being home it thickened the plot!! Can't wait for them to give us the final answer as that's the only way we will know for certain.

[WickedLady]

How about an ornamental plum?

[Getupngo]

I think it's a Redbud. I have one in my yard.

[bluepinecones]

Hadn't thought about the plum; will look into that as well. Did check out the suggested web site; Kwansa Cherry appears to be a good candidate (blooms match except for color), but so far have still not located anything with that brilliant red color - it is not a deep pink.
I plan to go back up by that house tomorrow. If no one home this time, may leave them a note about the tree and my phone number. Hopefully that won't freak them out and someone will respond.

[bluepinecones]

Tree owner left message while I was out of town over past weekend: it is a CHERRY tree tho she was not sure which kind of cherry. Mystery somewhat solved.

[Carolinagal]

Sure glad I tuned into this mystery, when the mystery seems to have been solved !!! Sure is a pretty tree, glad you showed us the picture of it, I'd like to have one.
Nice of the lady to leave you a message.

Carol

[soisew]

Yup, that's what I thought it was. I guess those years in the Lowe's Garden Center weren't all forgotten.

[bluepinecones]

Yes, that garden center experience payed off, soiew. Think you and sparkle were the only ones to suggest cherry tree