Prunus cerasifera

Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii', known as the 'Pissardii' flowering cherry or Pissard plum, is a variety cultivated for its abundant early flowering in March-April with small single flowers forming bright light pink cups with crimson red stamens, covering its slender bare branches with dark brown-black bark. It forms a small tree with a nicely rounded habit, and its deciduous foliage turns reddish-purple before becoming dark purple, remaining decorative until autumn. Its wine-red fruits adorn the tree in summer and are edible. Like many other ornamental cherry trees, it prefers sunny exposures and deep, moist, rich, and well-drained soils. Hardy, it is an exceptional species even when isolated in more sophisticated gardens, but it is also suitable for alignment, informal hedges, or at the back of a more informal border.

Prunus cerasifera is native to Asia Minor and the Caucasus but has naturalised in gardens and parks throughout Europe. All these small trees belong to the large rose family. It is a vigorous and robust tree that is often used as a rootstock for many plum or cherry varieties. This wild species is the origin of a multitude of ornamental cultivars with purple foliage and varying shades of pink flowers.

The 'Pissardi' variety is an old selection dating back to 1880, resulting from a mutation of the myrobalan plum that was discovered in Iran and later imported to France. It is a deciduous tree with moderate growth, reaching an average height of 7m (23ft) and a width of 5m (16ft). Vigorous, it also tends to sucker and regrow from its stump. It develops one or several covered trunks and a wide, open, and spreading crown. Flowering takes place in March-April, earlier or later depending on the region. The single flowers, hanging from short peduncles, are light pink, turning towards white as they fade, enhanced by a crimson red heart and numerous stamens. They open into 5-petaled corollas, 2.5cm (1in) in diameter. The fragrant and nectar-rich flowers are followed by the formation of small round wine-red fruits that are sought after by birds. The deciduous foliage consists of alternate, broadly ovate, elliptical leaves, 2 to 7cm (1 to 3in) long, with dentate margins. The lamina is a shiny medium green colour on the upper side and a dull green on the lower side, with small hairs under the veins.

Its graceful and ample line, defined by flexible branches, makes this flowering cherry suitable for specimen cultivation. Dazzling from the first beautiful days of spring, requiring very little maintenance, this small tree is suitable for medium-sized gardens or large gardens, where it will be particularly highlighted as the centerpiece of a perennial border, transitioning from spring to summer. Perfectly hardy, it can be grown in many regions but dislikes compact and clay soils or dry situations. For example, it can be associated with other flowering cherries, ornamental apple trees, flowering peach trees, Chinese flowering almond, hawthorns, Japanese apricot (Prunus mume)... A carpet of blue hyacinths, liverworts, or blue grape hyacinths would be a beautiful addition at its base.