Prunus avium 'Colney' (F)
cherry 'Colney'
A late-season, sweet cherry producing white spring blossom, then a good crop of large fruit with shiny, black skins and very sweet and juicy, very dark red flesh and good resistance to splitting. It is self-sterile and requires a compatible pollination partner
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Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | White | Green | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Green | Black | ||
Autumn | Red Orange | |||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy, 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
The ideal position for sweet cherries is deep, fertile, well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. Cherries are best suited to fan-training so they can be netted against bird damage and the early blossom protected from frosts, though they can also be grown as small, open trees. See sweet cherry cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by chip budding or grafting on clonal rootstock for fruit. Named cultivars will not come true from seed
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Edible fruit
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Train fan-trained trees in spring. Prune established fans, and carry out routine pruning on established cherry trees, when harvesting the fruits in summer
Pests
May be susceptible to bird damage, cherry blackfly and other aphids, leaf-mining moths, pear and cherry slugworm, winter moth and other caterpillars. Spotted-wing drosophila, a fruit fly, is likely to become an increasing problem
Diseases
May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus
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