1.) Yoshinos grow fast. Not "rapid" but fast for a small ornamental. 3' a year is probably pretty typical. They are also easy to grow and tolerate being moved better than a lot of trees. But it's really best if you can plant where it's going to live permanently.

2.) IME, it's hard to keep trees alive and/or happy in a container for that long. In a nursery or garden center there are employees watering a few times a day, fertilizing the potting soil and pruning roots and graduating the tree to larger containers when necessary. But for a home gardener this is a mammoth pain in the butt and not worth the time or money for such a readily available and fast growing tree.

3.) I don't often see yoshinos that large but it's not a recommended practice to trim to maintain such a drastically smaller size. It doesn't really make sense when there are so many showy flowering shrubs in that size ranger that would be more suitable.

iforgotitsonevermind,

Thanks so much for your reply. Can you please suggest some flowering shrubs in the range that I'm looking for? Would like to get a fast growing one for privacy. Thanks.

Are you after a hedge row, or just blocking the view of one thing, like a neighbor's house?

Do you need an evergreen to provide a screen during winter, too, or is a deciduous tree like the cherry alright?

How far from your house? Describe your yard; what part of the country do you live in? Any idea what your soil is like? Heavy clay, sandy, wet, moist, dry, alkaline or acidic, that sort of thing.

Richard.

Maybe what you want is something like Prunus tomentosa or P. x cistena.

house 1st timer,

I'm afraid I can't. Shrubs really aren't my forte and I'm not familiar with what shrubs will do well in zone 5. If you can't get an answer here, ask in the shrubs forum.

Richard,

I'm looking for a flowering shrubs, not hedge or evergreens as I have a bunch in my yard already. I want something that will fast to cover area of 6-7 T and 8-9 W to block views from neighbors. The place I want to plant it is about 30 ft from my house. Soil is mostly clay.

iforgotitsonevermind,

no prob. Thanks.

bboy,

Thanks, I will look it up.

I think I will return this yoshino even though I would really like to grow it. I think I would exchange it for rose of sharon shrub.

Is it sunny or shady or somewhere in between?

Usually when someone wants to block views from their neighbor, they want the view blocked year-round and not just 6 or so months of the year. Are you sure you don't want an evergreen? Just because it's evergreen doesn't mean it has to be a cone shaped pointy piney looking thing.

6-7 T and 8-9 W

what about lilac? forsythia ... mock orange ... all the big old shrubs ... honeysuckle ...

why are you thinking tree???

a pic would sure help us 'see' the situation

but whatever you get... nothing is going to get to 6 or 7 feet very fast .. unless you buy it that big.. just about everything is going to take a couple years to get going ...

ken

I returned the cherry tree and planted a shrub at the area.

Thanks everyone for your great feedback!