Q: I want to plant a flowering cherry tree on February 24th in honor of a friend that died. Do you think I can get away with planting a tree at that time of year?

A: You have good choices in cherry trees: ‘Hally Jolivette’ cherry has pink buds and light pink flowers, which usually open in February. It was named for Dr. Hally Jolivette. She was a botanist and was the first woman to receive a Ph.D from Stanford University in the field of botany. ‘Yoshino’ cherry blooms in March/April with a great white cloud of flowers. ‘Kwansan’ blooms a couple of weeks later, full of double pink blooms. If you are careful to soak the root ball weekly during the first year, I feel sure you’ll have a long lasting memorial to your friend.