Favorite flowering cherry trees?

Hi all,

My yard/gardens have many good trees. However, there is one glaring need: I don't have any flowering Japanese cherry trees in the spring. I am planning to add two, in two island planting spaces in my patio.

So far, I am leaning towards getting two Prunus x yedoensis 'Akebono'. These are the same variety that grace the Portland waterfront, and I love the fluffy pink flowers so much. They bloom in early April. They might get a little too large for the patio area, but I am hoping I can do some clever pruning.

Currently, one island bed is empty---I had a Japanese maple in each bed (Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku---i.e., red coral bark maple) ]. However, one of the acers succumbed to verticillum---the other might have a mild case, also. I plan to remove the other and replace with Prunus.

Questions: 1) this means my soil is infected with verticillum, so I cannot ever plant another acer in that location......will planting prunus in that soil be safe for the new tree?
2) Your favorite variety of flowering cherry. Pics if you have them. Thank you!!!

Attached is a pic from the internet of the Akebono on the portland waterfront.

With further research, stone fruit Prunus trees are listed as 'susceptible' to verticillum also, so it may not be in my best interests to plant one there......anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I'm wondering if they are more robust, and that the perhaps the 'sango-kaku' are particularly susceptible to it, so that I could perhaps give it a try......hard to give up on the idea once you are set on it. The list of things not susceptible seems considerably shorter---but includes Cornus (dogwood species) and all evergreens. But I really would rather do the akebono. I will place a call to 'Garden World's' horticulturist today to get more information.....

Those cherry trees really are very beautiful. I hope it works out for you to plant them in you planned location.
Edited to add: I came home from work and looked this up also. I had intended to suggest a Redbud (cercis) as another possibility of a small pink flowering tree, but these are apparently also susceptible. I noticed that apples are not susceptible, so maybe one of the pink flowering, small in stature, crabapples would work. I like the idea of a dogwood too. There might be some varieties that are less apt to get verticillium.

This message was edited Mar 18, 2013 9:37 PM

How persistent is verticillium wilt? Could you just wait a couple of years before planting? (Keeping the new shrubs in big containers in the meantime so they'll be growing for you?)

Here's the one I had. I love them too.