Prunus 'Shirotae'
In April a beautiful, gnarled tree bursts into flower on Seven Acres, thickly covered in fragrant white blossom. This elderly-looking specimen is Prunus 'Shirotae', and is underplanted with indigo-blue grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum). We have planted two younger trees on the edge of Seven Acres near the Pinetum entrance.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Cherry ‘Shirotae’
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Height & spread
- Up to 6m (20ft) tall and 8m (25ft) wide
- Form
- Deciduous tree
- Soil
- Any moist, but well-drained and moderately fertile soil.
- Aspect
- Open position in full sun.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
Prunus
This is a genus of more than 200 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. It was first introduced into Britain by a naval officer in the early twentieth century. These plants are prized for their appetizing fruits, beautiful spring blossom and autumn colour. Included in this group are the almond, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach and plum trees. Some Prunus are cultivated purely for ornamental interest, as not all of them produce edible fruit.
Prunus is found mainly in woodland and thickets spread through northern temperate regions and the mountains of South East Asia. They also grow in coastal sands, rocky places and cliffs.
The ornamental cherry that we know today has been bred from wild varieties to produce larger and greater blossoms for a more sensational display. Flowering cherries can be spring- or winter-flowering trees producing single or double, white, pink or red blooms with five petals. Flowers, which are saucer, bowl- or cup-shaped are borne on upright or weeping stems and are generally followed by fleshy fruits. Cherry blossom time is one of the most beautiful times of the year.
Some Prunus are grown for their distinctive shiny bark such as P. maackii and P. serrula.
Prunus 'Shirotae'
This is a spreading, deciduous tree with slightly arching branches and dark green leaves up to 12cm long, pale green when young, and orange and red in autumn. In mid-spring it bears clusters of softly fragrant, cup-shaped or semi-double pure white flowers up to 2cm across.
It was introduced to Britain around 1900, and is sometimes known as the Mount Fuji cherry. It was awarded the AGM in 1993.
Cultivation
- Grow in any well-drained, moisture retentive soil
- Prefers an open position in full sun
- Pruning is rarely necessary, but when unavoidable is best done in late summer to minimise the risk of silver leaf infection
- Bullfinches, caterpillars, leaf-mining moths and aphids may be a problem
- Susceptible to bacterial canker, blossom wilt, honey fungus, silver leaf
Propagation
- Cherries can be propagated by budding onto seedling stocks in the nursery in summer or grafted in early spring and then sold for planting stock as one- or two-year-old trees
- Sow seed of species in containers outdoors in autumn. Cultivars will not come true from seed collected from trees
- Root softwood cuttings of deciduous species in early summer with bottom heat
AGM
The RHS Woody Plant Committee awarded Prunus 'Shirotae' an Award of Garden Merit and described it as a:
'Small, spreading deciduous tree with a spreading, flat crown and fresh green young foliage contrasting with fragrant, pure white, semi-double flowers 5cm wide.'