With charming, delicate flowers and stunning structures, ornamental cherries are a fantastic addition to most gardens. Bred in Japan and introduced to Britain in the 19th century, these graceful trees are splendidly easy to grow. For the Japanese, the blossom of flowering cherries symbolises the transient nature of life itself and it is ritually revered on a national scale. The practise of ‘Hanami’, or flower viewing, dates back hundreds of years. Discover a variety of beautiful cherry trees with Hillier.
Growing Guide
- Water the pot generously and allow it to drain
- Dig a hole roughly twice the size of the pot. Mix the removed soil with general fertiliser and a bucketful of planting compost
- Remove the tree from the pot and gently tease out any matted roots
- Place the tree in the hole with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil
- Replace as much soil as possible, firming it in well
- To help the tree establish a strong root system and protect it from strong winds, drive a stake beside it and secure it with two strong, flexible ties
- Water thoroughly and ensure that the tree is watered at least once a week during its first growing season
Aftercare
Prune as necessary in summer, removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches. Always consult a professional tree surgeon if large branches are to be removed.
Cherry Tree Varieties
Prunus subhirtella Pendula Rubra Fact file
This compact weeping cherry puts on a splendid display in early spring, when its long, drooping branches are smothered in dark pink blossom. The sweetly fragrant single flowers precede the attractive foliage, which opens bronze, turns green in summer and matures to a fiery autumn medley of ochre and burgundy. Admirably tolerant of pollution, this is a perfect selection for even the smallest space and can look particularly effective in an urban courtyard setting.
| Features | Delightful blossom Excellent foliage colour |
| Hardiness | Hardy and adaptable |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Snow Showers Fact file
Snow Showers is a magnificent cultivar; it has a cascading habit and dark green leaves that take on a vivid orange hue at the end of the year. In spring, this pretty tree is smothered in white blossom.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 3m x 2m after 20 years |
Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea Fact file
This autumn-flowering cherry is a must for any garden, blossoming intermittently from November until March. It is a highly adaptable, spreading tree with attractive, delicate-looking blossoms and an open, manageable habit. The pink semi-double flowers turn white as they age. The spring foliage is a handsome bronze-green and matures to a rich mix of orange and yellow by autumn.
| Features | Enchanting blossom Excellent foliage colour |
| Flowers | Autumn and winter |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis Fact file
Blossoming in flushes from November until March, the autumn-flowering cherry is a must for any garden. It is a highly adaptable, spreading tree with attractive, delicate-looking blossoms and an open, manageable habit. The white semi-double flowers turn pink as they age. The spring foliage is a handsome bronze-green, which matures to a rich mix of orange and yellow by autumn.
| Features | Enchanting blossom Excellent foliage colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Autumn and winter |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Royal Burgundy Fact file
Royal Burgundy is a particularly fine cultivar; it has a compact upright habit and stunning purple leaves that turn bronze as the season progresses. They make a splendid foil for the pretty rose-pink blossom that is borne in spring. The autumn colour is outstanding and the copper-red bark is a delightful bonus.
| Features | Seasonal blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Serrula Fact file
The birch back cherry is primarily grown for its fabulous burnished bark, which is a rich mahogany and peels away in bands as the tree ages. Delightful throughout the year, it is a particularly welcome sight in a winter garden and can be guaranteed to brighten even the greyest day. There is a spring show of small white flowers, although these are often obscured by the tree’s attractive willow-like leaves. This is a splendid choice for any garden.
| Features | Sensationally glossy bark Attractive foliage |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Pandora Fact file
Pandora is a particularly fine specimen; it has an attractively spreading habit and leaves that open bronze-red, turn green through the summer and then mature to a vibrant orange. The abundant spring blossom is a sensational shell pink.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Okame Fact file
Okame is a superb specimen; it has a bushy shrubby habit and handsome leaves that take on a vivid orange hue at the end of the year. From March to May, the fragrant carmine-pink blossom blooms profusely.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Marie Mallet Fact file
Raised in Belgium, this is one of several Prunus varieties hybridised by Jelena and Robert de Belder, who created their celebrated arboretum at Kalmthout in the mid-1950s. Mentored by the famous English plantsman Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram, they introduced many varieties and made a significant contribution to European horticulture. In 1998, Jelena de Belder served as vice president of the Royal Horticultural Society.
| Features | Wonderful blossom Excellent autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 5m after 20 years |
Prunus Kursar Fact file
Kursar is an excellent early-flowering variety; it has a neat, compact habit and dark green leaves that take on a rich, warm hue at the end of the year. The spring blossom is single, deep pink and borne in attractive clusters.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully Hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Kanzan Fact file
Prunus Kanzan is a sensationally attractive tree introduced to British gardens during the early years of the 20th century. It offers superb spring blossom and handsome foliage with lovely spring and autumn colour.
| Features | A mass of double blossom Fine leaf colour throughout the year Easy to grow |
| Flowers | March and April |
| Planting | Grows best in full sun or partial shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 6m x 4m after 20 years |
Prunus avium Plena Fact file
This graceful cherry tree is easy to grow and bursts into flower every spring. Prunus avium Plena is one of the finest examples; it has a large spreading habit and handsome leaves that take on a vivid red hue in autumn. From April on, it is smothered in long-lasting double white blossom.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 8m x 5m after 20 years |
Prunus Kiku-shidare-sakura Fact file
Cheal’s weeping cherry bursts into flower every spring when its attractively drooping branches are covered with a mess of double pink blossom. As summer progresses, the attractive foliage turns a glossy green. Splendidly robust, this tree tolerates a wide range of soils and conditions. This variety is especially effective when planted near water, where it creates some spectacularly pretty reflections.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 2.5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus x hillieri Spire Fact file
Graceful and easy to grow, this gorgeous Japanese Cherry Tree reliably bursts into flower every spring, making a glorious display that looks stunning in any garden. Introduced in the late 1920s, this is a cross between Prunus sargentii and Prunus yedoensis and produces soft pink blooms in April and May. The autumn colour provides late-season interest. Splendidly robust, this selection tolerates a wide range of soils and conditions.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 4m x 2m after 20 years |
Prunus x sargentii Jacqueline Fact file
Raised in the 1990s from a chance seedling at Antwerp’s celebrated Arboretum Kalmthout, this variety was named by head gardener Eddy Avanture in honour of his mother. It makes an arresting sight in spring, when its unusually large, single pink flowers clothe the bare branches well before the foliage develops. It’s also highly regarded for its remarkable autumn colour, when the leaves mature to an attractively fiery golden-red before falling.
| Features | Striking dark pink buds Glorious pink flowers Fine autumn leaf colour |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 7m x 7m after 20 years |
Prunus Fragrant Cloud Fact file
Fragrant Cloud is a particularly fine cultivar of cherry tree. It has a strong upright habit and handsome green-bronze foliage that develops excellent autumn colour. The spring blossom is white, fully double and borne in joyous abundance.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus cerasifera Pissardii Nigra Fact file
This attractive compact Purple-Leaved Plum is an excellent choice for a smaller garden, and it makes a spectacular sight in early spring, when it is covered in a mass of cerise buds that open into fabulous pale pink blossoms. The foliage is dark red when it emerges, and the colour deepens as summer progresses. Very occasionally, this variety will produce small fruits. Often used for screening, this is a particularly easy tree to grow and maintain.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 6m x 4m after 20 years |
Prunus dulcis Fact file
This common almond is one of the loveliest of all the spring-flowering trees. It produces a gorgeous display of single and double blossoms in a beautiful shade of pink, and these are of enormous value to honey bees. In a good season, the tree will go on to produce a crop of delicious almonds that ripen in the autumn. Native to the eastern Mediterranean, almonds are produced commercially in many parts of the world.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 6m x 4m after 20 years |
Prunus Chocolate Ice Fact file
Chocolate Ice is a particularly fine cultivar of cherry tree; it has a compact upright habit and chocolate-brown leaves that turn brown as the season progresses. They make a splendid foil for the white blossom that is borne in spring.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Amanogawa Fact file
Amanogawa is a particularly fine specimen; it has an upright, columnar habit and dark green leaves that take on a vivid orange hue at the end of the year. The spring blossom is semi-double rose-pink and borne in abundance.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 2m after 20 years |
Prunus cerasifera Spring Glow Fact file
Easy to grow and unfailingly graceful, this gorgeous ornamental Plum reliably bursts into flower every spring. It makes a glorious sight: a mass of large, vibrant pink single flowers that are succeeded by handsome bronze-purple foliage that persists well. Splendidly robust, this tree tolerates a wide range of soils and performs best in full sun. With its neat, attractive habit, this is a superb choice for any size garden.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus cerasifera Princess Fact file
Thriving in any soil, this particularly attractive ornamental plum cherry tree has a dainty habit and pale pink springtime blossom. Its glossy brown bark provides the perfect foil to the flowers and the oval, green foliage, and the autumn crop of plums – ideal for jam-making and frit pies – comes as a delicious bonus. Prunus cerasifera is one of the 38 plants used in the preparation of Bach Flower Remedies.
| Features | Glorious spring blossom Attractive foliage |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 3m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus x blireana Fact file
This delightful ornamental produces a mass of pretty, lightly scented, double pink blossoms in spring. The flowers are borne on bare stems, with the handsome foliage emerging later. The young eaves are a rich purple and mature to a dark green through the course of the summer. Perfect for a modest space, this is an excellent specimen that is reliable and easy to look after. It is a particularly good subject for the middle of a lawn.
| Features | Sensational blossom Attractive foliage |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Accolade Fact file
Accolade is a particularly magnificent specimen of a cherry tree; it has a spreading habit and dark green leaves that take on a vivid orange hue at the end of the year. The spring blossom is semi-double rose-pink and borne in abundance.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 5m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus x yedoensis Shidare-yoshino Fact file
These graceful trees are easy to grow. Shidare-yoshino is an outstanding example; it has a compact weeping habit and handsome leaves that take on a warm hue at the end of the year. The spring blossom, with its subtle almond fragrance, is white and borne in clusters.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 3m x 3m after 20 years |
Prunus Tai Haku Fact file
Taihaku is a wonderful specimen of a cherry tree; it has a spreading habit and dark green leaves that take on an orange hue at the end of the year. The spring blossom is large, white and borne in small, pendent clusters.
| Features | Sensational blossom Superb autumn colour |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy |
| Flowers | Spring |
| Planting | Grows in full sun or dappled shade |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Height and Spread | 7m x 5m after 20 years |
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