Only to say the same has happened to our flowering cherry this year, and I have read at least one other question on this site reporting the same thing. I would guess this is something to do with the alternation of cold and warm weather and all the rain, and that the trees will recover if and when normal summer weather returns. I will be interested to see what others say.

The same has happened to one of ours, I thought it was dying and was going to cut it down! I think I'll leave it another year! Glad you posted! Thanks

I reckon its the weather for sure, certainly worth waiting till next year to see how it does then.Well, that's assuming the kind of weather we're experiencing is not a permanent change... it's been appalling when you think about, a real challenge for living things to deal with - mild all winter, arctic in February, hot in March, cold and wet in April and most of May, a sudden heatwave where night temperatures were higher than day temperatures the week before, and then a descent back to cold, windy and wet, and now, gales. I'm not surprised plants are suffering...

thanks to everyone for answering, I will wait till next year, lets hope that the weather improves soon so we can all get back in the garden

We had a cherry tree which flowered and then the leaves all went brown and fell off. I left the tree to see what would happen the following year. Nothing did. On examination of the tree the bark was split and blasted from the trunk. My only conclusion is that it died from a canker. I removed the tree. Another thing I have noticed this year is the high death rate of various shrubs. I am concluding that the bad winter, year before last, caused water within the tree to freeze, expand and split the bark thereby interrupting the feeding processes or allowing disease in. The fact that they have only just died could be they have been living on their dwindling resources. Only a theory.

And one that's not too far from reality, cutsandgrazes - that severe winter took its toll and caused a significant amount of damage, and not all of it obvious immediately. Sadly though, there are several new forms of disease and infestation which are beginning to hit plants here, so some of the deaths may well be attributable to those.

Hi everyone, I do know what you mean, I also lost a shrub this year, but my cherry tree leaves did not die they just fall off, it was strange as the leaves looked healthy.all I can do now is wait till next year, thanks again to everyone for replying, much appreciated