Flowering cherry

[coccinelle]

I have a flowering cherry which is really beautiful when in flower. At the moment there are some branches flowering pale pink single blossom which are growing from the bottom of the trunk. I presume my (late) husband pruned these back at this is the first time this has happened. If I leave these branches will they weaken the tree, a bit like rose suckers? It just seems such a pity as it looks so pretty at the moment.

[FredPuli43]

Don't think so, unless it's shooting from below the graft, the nobbly bit at the base of the trunk where the desired tree shoot was grafted on to the stock tree, in which case the new growth should be cut off to stop the tree reverting to the stock tree. If the new flowers are different in form from the regular flowers, or different in colour, that's certainly what's happening.
If not, it may be doing this because it has suffered in the winter; I have eucalpyts which are shoting in this manner, mostly from the trunk, because of that.

[coccinelle]

No, these are definitely different flowers. Exactly like the prunus trees which are in flower at the moment. Oh, well, will have to saw them off. Thank you for your answer and info.