Flowering cherry trees: the most beautiful varieties

Prunus incisa ‘Kojo No Mai’, a dwarf contorted Japanese cherry

With a rounded habit, dwarf bush Prunus incisa ‘Kojo No Mai’ flowers from March to May depending on region. Its pale red buds open to reveal pretty pale pink pendulous, bell-shaped flowers. Measuring between 1 and 2 centimetres in diameter, they have five petals and grow solitary or in pairs.

Outside flowering, this dwarf Japanese cherry bears deciduous leaves that change colour with the seasons: yellow-green in spring, mid-green in summer and scarlet in autumn. Its twisted habit and slow growth make it especially suited to cultivation as bonsai, in tubs or in pots.

Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula Rubra': weeping habit

Recognisable above all for its weeping habit, Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula Rubra’ offers flowering from March to April. Its carmine-pink buds give way to single five-petalled dentate flowers of a sumptuous deep pink colour, gathered in small clusters. Deciduous, foliage then appears bright green, turning yellow, orange and red in autumn.

With moderate growth, this flowering cherry can reach 3 to 4 metres in height with a 3-metre spread. Easy to maintain, it is suitable for small gardens, ideally planted alone or at centre of a perennial bed, to best showcase its colours after flowering.

Prunus serrula 'Amber Scots': exceptional bark

Resolutely decorative, Prunus serrula ‘Amber Scots’ – also called ‘Tibetan cherry’ – flowers from April to May. From its buds emerge pretty five-petalled white flowers surrounding golden stamens. All set off by deciduous, slender leaves with prominent veins, ranging from a lovely pale green to deep green. After flowering, their colour turns golden yellow, showcasing its shiny cinnamon-red bark.

Elegant with its naturally upright habit, this prunus is striking in every season. Perfect as a backdrop to beds of perennials and bushes, whether planted alone or overhanging a path, to showcase its beautiful colour all year round.

Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii': deep purple, almost black foliage

A garden classic, Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’ offers a particularly abundant flowering around March and April, depending on the region. Suspended on a short peduncle, its very pale pink flowers open into corollas of five petals, with garnet-red anthers at their centre. Deciduous, its foliage ranges from medium green to matt green before turning red and a deep purplish-maroon through to autumn.

With a broad, graceful outline, this variety of flowering cherry is an ornamental feature in every season, suited to solitary planting to showcase its magnificent colours.

Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’: narrow habit

Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’ has abundant spring flowering between April and May. Its pale pink flowers, 4 centimetres in diameter, are highly fragrant and appear just before the bronze, then green leaves, before shifting between yellow, green and red in autumn.

With a narrow, columnar habit, this variety can reach 7 metres in height and 1 metre in width: it is typically found in small gardens.

Prunus pumila 'Depressa': dwarf flowering cherry with creeping habit

Also called “sand‑creeping cherry”, the Prunus pumila ‘Depressa’ offers a pretty and abundant flowering from April to May: small white‑petalled flowers grouped in clusters, mixed with deciduous leaves 2 to 5 centimetres long, glossy dark green with a bluish‑white underside, turning orange‑red in autumn.

Distinctive feature of this flowering cherry is that it forms a magnificent groundcover as, at ripeness, it will not exceed 25–35 cm in height and will reach 2.5 metres in spread.

Prunus glandulosa ‘Alba Plena’: delicate double flowers

Prunus glandulosa ‘Alba Plena’ is a variety of ornamental cherry with late flowering, occurring mainly in May. Measuring 4 centimetres in diameter, these small flowers stand along last year’s branches, in pairs or solitary. Double, they have a rounded form and a brilliant white colour, set off by ovate mid-green leaves.

Its compact habit, about 1.5 metres in every direction, ensures a small footprint – making it the perfect companion for small gardens.

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See also our article : Which pink-flowering cherry trees to choose for an enchanting garden?