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Fruit EdibleTrees

Prunus avium 'Hedelfingen' (C/D)

A hardy and reliable heritage variety of sweet cherry up to 6m in height, with a neat habit, thought to have originated back in the 18th or 19th century. The green foliage turns to orange and red in autumn. White flowers appear in spring, following by dark red to black fruit in July with skins that resist splitting. Not self-fertile, pollination group 3

Synonyms

Prunus avium 'Hedelfingen Riesenkirsche'

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
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

Grow in moderately fertile soil in full sun. Cherries are best suited to fan-training so they can be netted against bird damage and protected from frosts. See sweet cherry cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting on clonal rootstock for fruit

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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 cherry blackfly, pear and cherry slugworm and winter moth caterpillar. The fruit can be damaged by spotted wing drosophila and birds

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus

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