Flowering cherries belong to the genus Prunus which also encompasses the fruiting Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) and the Morello cherry (Prunus cerasus).  The genus Prunus is large and includes several related plants including both fruiting and ornamental, Plums, Apricots, Peaches, Almonds, Bird Cherries and Laurels.

​

As gardeners we are familiar with the large flowered often double, white or shades of pink cultivars that have derived from Japan. There are many species of flowering cherry distributed in the northern hemisphere especially in Asia, China and Japan having the most species. The Japanese have been selecting different forms which have naturally occurred or are the result of hybrids between the species, since the ninth century and the flowering cherry has become their National tree. In Japan the cherry is known as Sakura and the many forms of garden cherry are known as Sato-sakura (meaning village cherry), these are hybrids derived mainly from Prunus jamasakura, Prunus sargentii, Prunus speciosa and Prunus leveilleana and because with most of them it is difficult to assign the actual parentage, they fall into what is known as the Sato-sakura group. My National collection has around 120 cultivars of this group with many more existing in Japan.

​

There also plenty of selections of the smaller flowered species and hybrids between them which have their own charm and together with the Sato-zakura above over four hundred different cherries can be seen at Witch Hazel Nursery. They are one of the glories of spring and fairly weather resistant, creating a glorious floral effect, especially when underplanted with daffodils. There is a cherry to suit every garden, even the small ones you find new builds. 

​

CULTIVATION

​

Nurseries propagate flowering cherries by budding or grafting onto a rootstock called Prunus 'Colt', this influences the cultivar in reducing tree size by a quarter compared to the rootstock, seedling Prunus avium, the wild cherry seen planted along motorways, which has been used in the past. Another beneficial effect is earlier and more profuse flowering, which means gardeners can purchase container grown trees in Garden Centres when in flower and of their choice.

​

They are tolerant of nearly all soil types as long as the drainage is good, so clay soils need to be improved with organic matter. Areas that remain wet must be avoided and there are plenty of other plants which will grow in this situation. Flowering will be much better if they can be in the open, in shady woodland conditions it will be much less and twig blight is a problem.

​

Young plants that have just been planted can have the shoots pruned backed by half for the first couple of years to encourage a good bushy head. This can be carried out in the winter but any pruning on older plants, whether cutting out dead wood or reducing the size of the size of the tree, should be carried out in early to mid summer. This is because larger cuts in the winter time are prone to the spores of Silver Leaf Disease attacking the tree.

​

Observing these points one should be able to enjoy them for many years even though they are short lived compared to other trees. It is the abundant flowering which gradually over time weakens the tree and forty to fifty years is good life span. If one has removed an old dead tree plant something else close to where the original was and any new cherry well away from.