- Common name: ornamental cherry
- Botanical name: Prunus
- Family: Amygdaloideae within Rosaceae (rose)
- Type: Deciduous tree
- Flowering season: Spring
- Planting season: November to March
- Height: 2-18m (6-59ft)
- Spread: 2-12m (6-39ft)
- Aspect: Sheltered sun
- Hardiness: H6
- Difficulty: Easy to average
In spring, the ornamental cherry trees on our streets and in our gardens morph into clouds of white and pink. Clinging to the branches, the fleecy blossom gives the season a much-needed voluptuousness and provides bees with a bounty of nectar. Most of these trees are Japanese, and, this spring, the National Trust is inviting people to enjoy them at gardens across the country during Blossom Week (24 to 30 April), in emulation of the Japanese tradition of blossom viewing. Known as hanami, it is a huge festival in Japan, when families and friends gather to eat picnics under the flowering cherries.
The main tree revered during hanami is the pale pink Prunus x yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino', mainly because it only blooms for one week, symbolising the sanctity of living in the moment. In the recent past, it was held in such lofty esteem that many other Japanese hybrids enjoyed between the 17th and 19th centuries were not protected and therefore died out or became lost. Thankfully, some of these trees had been introduced to the UK in the 19th century and could therefore be returned to their country of origin. The main person responsible for this was Collingwood Ingram (nicknamed Cherry Ingram), an ornithologist who developed an obsession for flowering cherries after moving to a house in Kent that had some growing in the garden. Over the years he made several trips to Japan to study cherries and reintroduce missing varieties.
One of his best rescues was 'Tai-haku' – commonly known as the great white cherry, it is a wonderful spreading tree with large white flowers. Ingram found it growing in a garden in East Sussex, looking very sorry for itself, but he recognised its 'rarity and remarkable beauty'. He took some cuttings of the plant, which had been imported from Japan in 1899, to graft for his own garden, where it thrived. Upon learning that it had been lost in Japan, he returned it to its motherland. The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland has a group planting of 329 'Tai-haku' trees, which are a joyous white multitude in April and May.
The enormous blooms of 'Tai-haku' are single, which Ingram preferred to many of the double forms, sometimes regarding the latter as 'blowsy'. He reserved particular venom for the pink double 'Kanzan' – a tree widely planted by councils and gardeners in Britain – referring to it as 'obscene'. The long roadside plantings of 'Kanzan' in the home counties were, to his eyes, 'an inexcusable violation of the native scene'.
Today, most garden designers would probably agree with Ingram; not only because the large rosette blooms of 'Kanzan' are a rather garish shade of pink (somewhere between salmon and bubblegum), but because the modern way is to plant single-flowered forms. Single or semi-double blossom allows bees to access the nectar and has a more natural look that suits the contemporary garden. But no matter their shape, when the flowers unfurl on a cherry's open-armed branches, it suddenly seems that there is a fluffy white angel standing in the middle of the garden, and, once the flowers are spent, the confetti petals swirl through the air, like snow in spring.
Which cherries to grow for blossom
A contemporary choice for a sizeable garden, the great white cherry, 'Tai-haku', produces a mass of single white flowers that can reach 6 centimetres. 'For quality and size, it stands supreme,' said Ingram. The great white grows into a cloud shape, spreading at the crown, but not weeping. Slighter smaller, 'Gyoikō' is a good choice for a modern, medium-sized garden, bearing unusual green and cream semi-double flowers amongst green-bronze leaves.
A more traditional-looking cherry for a large garden, 'Shirotae' is a gorgeous spreading tree with white fragrant semi-double blooms. If you prefer double flowers – and the white forms always look good – the double form of our native cherry, Prunus avium 'Plena' (double gean), is a delight. It grows into a pyramidal shape that can reach 12 metres wide and high.
When venturing towards pink blossom, the colour is important. Too deep a pink, especially in combination with claret foliage, can whisk you back to the 70s. 'Shizuka' is a very tentative step towards the pink spectrum, having fragrant semi-double white flowers that mature to shell pink. It is fastigiate when young, before growing into a vase shape, and it boasts impressive hardiness, being one of the Matsumae cherries, which were raised in the cool climate of northern Japan.
The spreading tree 'Shōgetsu' is another subtle toe dip in pink waters, having white double blossom from pink buds. Getting a little braver, the Matsumae cultivar 'Beni-tamanishiki' has double blush blooms from carmine-red buds and is a great choice for a small garden, reaching 3 metres. But if you're not frightened of pink, P. x incam 'Okamé' (a rounded tree) and 'Kursar' (a spreading tree), which were both raised by Ingram, bear rich carmine-rose single flowers early in March, sometimes February, greeting early spring with a bang of colour.
Being compact, both 'Okamé' and 'Kursar' could be grown in a container. But, if their colour is too much, opt for P. incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' (a shrubby Fuji cherry with single blush-white blossom) or 'The Bride', which has white blossom with red centres from pink buds and always looks beautiful. Two in pots, either side of a doorway, is a lovely welcome in spring.
Some ornamental cherries (including the 11 mentioned above) have impressive fiery leaf colour in autumn, morphing to a blaze of orange and crimson that lifts the grey mood of October.
How to plant a cherry tree
Choose a sheltered, sunny, open site, and ensure there are no pipes or cables in the soil, as cherry roots are shallow. Humus-rich soil that isn't too wet in winter is preferable – to achieve this, dig in plenty of organic matter (such as peat-free compost) before planting, especially on heavy soil, such as clay.
Compact cherries are super in well-drained containers. Place pieces of broken pot or stones in the base, plant with a loam-based John Innes compost, and place in sheltered sun.
How to grow cherry trees
Having shallow roots, cherries need watering regularly until established. Mulching around the tree every spring with organic matter (such as peat-free compost) will help to boost moisture and drainage; trees grown in pots can be given liquid food in February or March.
Pruning is rarely necessary. However, crossing branches will need to be dispatched on young trees, dead or diseased branches will sometimes require removing on established trees, and a struggling mature tree could be treated to a strong haircut to give it a second wind. The best time to prune is summer, in order to prevent silver leaf disease and bacterial canker.
Cherry pests and diseases
Diseases that can affect cherry trees include bacterial canker, silver leaf, cherry leaf scorch, cherry leaf spot, and blossom wilt, and pests fond of cherries include moth caterpillars and cherry blackfly. Bullfinches can also be a problem – so much so that in the past, parishes that had a lot of fruit trees would pay a reward for killing them! They will pluck off buds in early spring, but these beautiful birds are shy, so it's easy to deter them with something noisy, such as windchimes (if you can bear them) or anything that rustles (such as plastic bags tied to the tree whilst it's in bud). There's also the option of growing a sacrificial fruit tree (such as a plum) nearby, in the hope that they will work their way through that and leave your cherry in peace.
How long do cherry trees live for?
The RHS advises that most ornamental cherry varieties only live for around 50 to 80 years. However, some trees in Japan have reached an incredible age. One example is the wonderful Jindai-Zakura temple tree in Hokuto, estimated to be around 2,000 years old. It's assumed to be a Prunus itosakura (Edo-higan, the wild spring cherry), which can live a long time. Blooming before its leaves unfurl, it was the first known cultivated cherry in Japan and one of Ingram's favourite species. Edo-higan is one of the parent trees of 'Somei-yoshino' and the winter-flowering cherry (P. x subhirtella) 'Autumnalis', which is popular in Britain for its habit of blooming in winter and spring.
