Spring has sprung from the pretty cherry plum

Prunus cerasifera Myrobalan cherry plum

On a recent photo finding walk through an atmospheric but slightly depressing cemetery, we were all very excited to come across this beautiful white flowering blossom tree. Being February, just a few weeks after a very chilly snap and a dumping of snow, it was the last thing I had expected; I thought that only very small but determined snowdrops and the first brave leaf tips of daffodils would show themselves between the gravestones at his time of year, so to see a mass of sweet smelling delicate flowers on this graceful tree was a delight.

That was not the only surprise this tree had to offer. As we looked up through our viewfinders, we saw the bright green feathers of three parrots munching away on the flowers. Parrots. In London! Apparently these are actually Parakeets, thought to have escaped from captivity in the UK in the 1960s, which now survive in huge flocks around the south of England; but I have never had such a good view. This tree was only about 6 meters in height, and photographer Paolo Zanelli got a great photo of them with his zoom lens.



After a bit of research I am almost sure that this blossom is that of the Cherry Plum or Myrobalan Prunus cerasifera , which turns out to have quite a few useful traits for both garden and landscape design projects. As well as being one of the first flowering trees of the year, producing blossom from about mid-February, it can be grown as either a hedge or a tree with an average height of about 6 to 8 meters, developing a shaggy canopy which is good for screening. It is not particularly fussy about the type of soil it is planted in, growing on most well drained soils, and a particular feature that I find exciting is its small sweet-tasting edible fruits, which ripen between August and mid-September and are said to taste a bit like greengages. The RHS has also recommended this species as an excellent attractant and nectar source for bees and other beneficial insects, which is something we should all be mindful of when designing outdoor spaces.

There is a slightly smaller and neater ornamental cultivar, Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ or Black Cherry plum, which has been specifically selected for its blackish purple leaves and twigs, which contrast beautifully with its raspberry pink coloured buds and faintly pink tinged blossoms, making this species even more versatile and tempting for the designer. I am sure I will find a good excuse to plant a few of these, and cheer up a cold February corner, very soon. As long as the client doesn’t mind the odd flock of parakeets descending for a snack every now and then.