About the Trees

When you’re walking through Macon’s streets and catch a subtly sweet, almond-like scent in the air, you’ve likely found a Yoshino cherry tree. These iconic trees have been rooted in Macon's history since 1949, when William A. Fickling Sr. first fell in love and introduced them to the city.

With delicate white and blush petals, Yoshinos have become a defining symbol of Macon in bloom. Fallen cherry blossom petals represent a refusal to be disposed of in Japanese culture. That sense of resilience mirrors Macon’s own enduring and ever-growing culture.

Helen Taft cherry trees are adorned with pale pink blossoms that feel delicate, refined and retain their iconic color all season long. Named in honor of First Lady Helen Taft, who helped introduce cherry trees to Washington, D.C., this variety carries a legacy of beauty and tradition.

These blossoms appear in gentle clusters of single petals — but their large petals provide a full, soft appearance that brightens streets and green spaces. Helen Taft cherries are resilient and have a resistance to heat and disease. They are perfect for quiet moments of elegance among Macon’s more vibrant blooms.

Okame cherry trees make a bold entrance into spring with vivid carmine-pink blossoms that stand out against the early-season landscape. These five-petaled flowers are one of the first varieties to bloom, bringing energy and brightness to Macon before the peak of cherry blossom season arrives.

Their small, cup-shaped flowers are bountiful, creating a striking display of color. Okame cherry trees are complemented by a rich, reddish-brown bark that completes their perfect color palette. Their compactness and vibrancy play an essential role in building the layered, ever-changing palette that defines Macon in bloom.

Kanzon trees bring the drama every season with large, deep-pink petals. These small trees make up for their size with ruffled double flowers. These cloud-like blossoms thrive in sun, which means they bloom later than the other trees and keep the season pink for longer.

Their unique texture and saturated color make them a stand-out tree. Kanzon trees bring a romantic presence to the city along with a sweet scent that is just faint enough to make you want to smell more.

Redbud trees offer a slice of southern charm with rosy, magenta-pink pea-like flowers and heart-shaped leaves. They produce flat, bean-like seed pods that provide an early food source for pollinators and contribute to Macon's ecosystem.

They often have multiples trunks, creating a wildly beautiful, rounded canopy. Redbud blossoms cling to the branches and trunks, which envelopes the tree in color and sets them apart.

As one of the last native trees to bloom in the South, Grancy Graybeard trees bring a distinctly Southern softness with gracefully draping white petals. These wispy flowers meet the more vibrant trees with timeless elegance.

Bringing wonder and a fairytale-esque scene to Macon streets, Grancy Graybeard trees attract butterflies and other friendly fliers. Their dreaminess is accompanied by a delicious mixture of vanilla, honeysuckle and lilac.

Serviceberry trees have five-petaled flowers that form in the shape of a star and almost shimmer in the light. As the Spring pushes forward, these trees begin to offer small, edible berries that taste similarly to blueberries in early Summer.

Their green foliage warms into a rich tones of red-orange after bloom and continues to bless Macon with beauty as seasons change, giving them the secondary nickname, "Autumn Brilliance."