Tree Information

Specialities

Tolerances

Wet Soil: Low

Dry Soil: Medium

Lime: Medium

For thousands of years, the radiant, pure white blossoms of this native cherry have brought vitality to our countryside. These distinctive flowers grace our hedgerows, parks and urban spaces throughout the UK. Not only are they a visual delight, but their sweet fragrance also acts as a beckoning call to numerous bees, offering an excellent initial source of nectar whilst facilitating the crucial pollination process.

In spring, the leaves unfurl a vibrant, healthy green that carries a bronzed effect. The adaptability of these leaves to varying sunlight conditions is noteworthy, growing larger in shady areas to capture maximum light, and smaller but thicker in direct sun to concentrate and enhance photosynthesis. A unique identifier is the presence of two distinct red nodes at the base of the leaves petiole. As autumn approaches, leaves transform into mellow shades of butter and crimson red before falling.

Along the branches, deep dark cherry fruits, approximately 2cm in diameter develop. Slightly more tart than sweer cherries, these fruits are perfect for culinary creations such as jams, marmalades, and cherry pie crumbles. Notably, they also contain the natural sleep hormone melatonin. This cherry variety serves as an ideal addition to green verges within housing developments and pubic open spaces, bringing seasonal charm to these environments.

Hillier also grows the ‘Plena‘ cultivar, the French variety from the 1700’s. ‘Plena’ boasts an abundance of double blossoms that gracefully weigh down the branches, creating arches of creamy wonder.

Visit our Useful Resources for in-depth guides

Discover guides to help you with specifying your trees, caring for your trees and understanding the weights and dimensions of trees.

Useful Resources

Size

Medium

11m high x 6m wide after 25 years

Environment

Well suited for public open spaces and estate green verges.

Canopy

Begins as broadly columnar, eventually becoming more irregular shaped.

Foliage

Leaves unfold in spring a vibrant healthy green tinged with bronze. These adapt to the specific locations available to sunlight. In shady areas, the leaves will grow larger to intercept as much light as possible. In direct sun, the leaves will grow smaller, but thicker to concentrate the light stimulating photosynthesis. Come autumn, leaves become mellow shades of butter and crimson reds before falling.

Flowers

The flowers open in spring a pure white, with 5 cup shaped petals. They occur in a mass of clusters along the branches consisting of 2 or 6 flowers. Both male and female flowers are produced, so only one tree is required to develop the edible fruit.

Fruit

Cherries appear molten orange in May, gradually ripening to succulent red-purple in July.

Resilience

Establishes well in all moist, well-drained soils. It enjoys full exposure to sun and thrives within alkaline soils.

Wildlife

Fruits are a favourite amongst birds and wildlife.

Available As:

Semi-Mature, Multi-stem

Make an Enquiry

Enquire below and speak to one of our expert team. For trades only, for general public enquiries click here.

    If you have a tree list, a quote request, or any other documentation to help us support your project, please upload and share with us here.

    We will not pass your details to any other third parties.

    You can find out more information in our Privacy Policy and Terms Conditions

    Find Trees For Your Project

    View Our Trees

    Speak to a Member of Our Sales Team

    Make an Enquiry