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Trees

Prunus serrulata (d)

Japanese cherry

A spreading, deciduous tree to 12m with smooth, chestnut-brown bark. Dark green, lance-shaped leaves up to 12cm long are bronze-tinted in spring and turn yellow or red in autumn. Produces semi-double, white or pink, cup-shaped flowers 3cm across in profusion in mid- to late spring, followed by small, very dark red to black, inedible fruit

Other common names

oriental cherry

Synonyms

Prunus serrulata 'Alboplena'

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Ultimate height

8–12 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Spreading branched
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers outdoors in autumn; or by softwood cuttings, with bottom heat, in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden

Pruning

Pruning group 1, ideally in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf infection

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus. High Risk Host for Xylella fastidiosa

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