About
A late cropping, acid cherry producing good yields of dark red to black fruit, ideal for cooking and jam-making, in late summer.
About the 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
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, North-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Trees
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moderately fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. Cherries are best suited to fan-training so they can be netted against bird damage and protected from frosts though they can also be grown as small, open trees. See acid cherry cultivation
PruningTrain fan-trained trees in spring. Prune established fans and carry out routine pruning on established cherry trees when harvesting the fruits in summer. See pruning acid cherries
PropagationPropagate by chip budding or grafting on clonal rootstock for fruit. Named cultivars will not come true from seed
Pest resistanceProtect trees from birds that can damage buds and eat fruit. May suffer from 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
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus