Yes, thanks. I've thought the same thing. My main issue is that I already have 5 dogwoods. The dogwoods here bloom so much later than the cherry trees---and they bloom when I have so many other things already going on in the yard. I sent an email to a horticulturist, and I haven't heard back yet. I might place a call instead. Unless the akebono are flagrantly susceptible to the verticillum, I may take a chance on them anyway. Could be an expensive mistake, but I would really love that pop of color in the back yard in early April, about a month before the dogwoods.
Pic shows the view of part of that patio in the fall from the house. I would love some pink there in the spring. The orange leaved tree would be replaced. In the pic to the left of it, you can see a teepee shaped trellis where the other island bed is located and the matching tree already succumbed to verticillum. Despite that orange being so pretty, that tree is actually fighting the infection. (my healthier uninfected same variety trees in the yard 'sango-kaku' had not yet started their fall colors yet in this pic---early fall colors are one of the symptoms of verticillum and the orange leaved tree had started to turn in August actually---not normal).
