Plant care & info

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Prunus (pr-OO-nus)

Common Name: Flowering Cherry, Plum, Peach, Almond, Apricot, Nectarine, and Laurel

Over 400 species of trees and shrubs from temperate northern climates world-wide.

Flowers are usually white, sometimes pink, and often have 5 petals. Those with more petals are called ‘double’. Some flowers, like those on laurels, are held in spikes or vertical clusters. Many are sweetly fragrant. Fruit is fleshy and single seeded. Leaves are sometimes evergreen, but most are deciduous. Some Prunus that lose their leaves have peachy-orange fall color, but most have insignificant fall interest.

Shrubs are usually large, growing above 6’ tall. Trees vary by species. The smallest dwarf peach trees mature at just 3’ tall, and the largest cherries and laurels are 40’ and taller.

Excellent soil drainage is imperative when growing any type of Prunus. Excellent soil drainage means creating a situation where water flows through the soil, allowing roots a nice drink. If soil becomes water-logged, roots cannot breathe and they will rot. If water runs across the top of the soil without sinking in, like on a slope, roots cannot access enough water.

Improve soil by blending compost into a wide planting area. Pumice can also be added to sites that are very dense. You can also make a bed for particularly testy plants.

Plums, cherries, and laurels are among the more tolerant species of our heavy clay soils here in the PNW. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds are among the more difficult species to grow in our climate. Peaches and nectarines thrive east of the Cascades, where rain is less plentiful, soil is more alkaline, and naturally better draining.

To grow peaches and other difficult species successfully west of the Cascades, create an environment that is drier during winter months. Growing in containers, under a south-facing eve for example, will allow for enough sun and will limit moisture while providing good soil drainage and a neutral pH.

For more information on growing fruit trees, follow this link to Portland Nursery’s fruit trees page.

Full sun, with at least 6 hours per day—preferably during the warmest part of the day.

Problems are touched-on briefly in the culture section of this page. There are many other concerns though.

Certain fruits, like cherries, may need to be protected from birds, critters like raccoons, and insects that appreciate tasty fruit just as much as you do.

All Prunus are prone to fungal problems. Some, like shot-hole Fungus, cause cosmetic damage, while others cause damage to the fruit and leaves which may ultimately cause the death of the tree.

Many trees sold for pretty spring flowers develop fruit in summer. Often, the fruit drops onto sidewalks and lawns making a sticky mess.

While Prunus includes many fruiting options for our edible gardens, we’ll be focusing on ornamental flowering cherries and plums here.

EXPLORE MORE FLOWERING CHERRIES & PLUMS

Flowering Cherries

Prunus emarginata: Bitter Cherry
Native to the Northwest, bitter cherry produces white flowers with notched petals in late winter, and the red, bitter berries in summer are good for wildlife. Dark green leaves are lighter underneath. Bitter cherry is considered a small tree or large shrub, reaching 7-50’ tall depending on their culture. Roots are very wide-spreading, often forming suckers far from the original tree. In their natural habitat, they often form thickets. Sun, part shade, or shade. Zone 4.

Prunus padus: European Birdcherry
Native to Europe, northern Asia, Korea, and Japan. Clusters of white flowers bloom in April after other flowering cherries have finished blooming. Green leaves turn yellow to bronze before falling in autumn. Its cluster of small, black, wrinkled fruit are loved by birds, but prove too bitter for humans. Prone to aphid problems. Grows upright with a round canopy, reaching 30-40’. Sun. Zone 3.

Prunus serrula: Birchbark or Tibetan Cherry
Excellent, shiny, red-brown bark peels in big strips, providing winter interest. Flowers are white and sparse and leaves are green. Forms and upright, pyramidal shape. Prone to canker and borer problems. Grows 20-30’ tall. Zone 6.

Prunus serrulata: Japanese Flowering Cherry
This is the species that commonly comes to mind when folks consider flowering cherries. It’s been in cultivation for hundreds of years and many variations are available.

Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’
Produces fragrant, pale pink, single to semi-double flowers. Grows in a very narrow, columnar shape, reaching 20’ tall and 4-5’ wide.

Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’
Deep pink, heavily-petaled flowers usually bloom in early April. New leaves are bronze, turning green in summer and peachy gold in autumn. The growth is upright and vase-shaped, with a broad canopy—reaching 30-40’ tall and wide.

Prunus serrulata ‘Mount Fuji’
Pink flower buds open to white, fragrant, semi-double flowers—much earlier than ‘Kwanzan’. New leaves are bronze, turning green in summer. The shape is upright with a wide horizontal branching pattern, reaching 15-20’ tall and 20-25’ wide.

Prunus serrulata ‘Shirofugen’
Pink buds open to white double flowers that age to pink. Grows into an upright vase-shape with a horizontal branching pattern, creating a flat-topped wide crown. 25’ tall and 30’ wide.

Prunus subhirtella: Higan or Weeping Cherry
An early blooming species that has both upright and weeping varieties.

Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’
Pale pink, semi-double flowers open sporadically during the warmer spells of winter, usually finishing by early March. Slender, twiggy branches create an open woodland look. It has an upright growth, reaching 20-40’ tall and 15-30’ wide.

Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula or ‘Pendula Double’
Pink, lightly fragrant, single or double flowers emerge in March. Weeping branches are usually grafted to a 4 or 6’ trunk, growing out and down to the ground, with gradual mounding adding height. In 10 years, trees are about 12-15’ tall and 10-12’ wide. In time, branches will form some upright growth and trees can reach 30’ tall and 40’ wide. Prone to shot-hole fungus.

Prunus x yedoensis: Yoshino Cherry
In Japan, Yoshino cherries are called ‘The National Flower’. In 1912, the mayor of Tokyo gifted 900 Yoshinos to the USA, which were planted in Washington D.C. Clusters of small flowers are pale pink in bud and white when open. Flowers open before green leaves fill-in. Leaves turn a lovely yellow and peach in autumn before falling. Young trees grow very fast and develop thick trunks quickly. Trees mature around 40-50’ tall.

Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’
Akebono Cherries are planted around Oregon’s capital building in Salem and along the Tom McCall Waterfront Park Waterfront Park in Portland. Their flowers and shape are very similar to Yoshino, but their form is smaller, making it a more manageable city tree. It matures around 25’ tall and 25’ wide.

Flowering Plums

One of the first trees to bloom in spring. Green-leaved forms exist, but the most ornamental forms have dark purple leaves. Most forms develop edible fruit, but they are usually left for birds and can be messy. Many cultivated varieties exist, differing mostly in their overall shape. All types are subject to problems with shot-hole fungus in the leaves and serious aphid problems. Without treatment, an aphid infestation will cause considerable dropping of sticky aphid dew on whatever is beneath the tree. All are best in full sun and hardy to Zone 5.

Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’: Thundercloud Plum
Pale pink flowers appear in late winter or early spring before the dark purple leaves fill up branches. Sometimes, leaves turn red or orange before dropping in autumn. Fruit is purple and edible, but this is not a variety typically grown for its fruit. Grows 20’ tall and 20’ wide. Sun. Zone 5.

Prunus x blireana: Blireana Plum
A hybrid between Prunus cerasifera and Prunus mume. Double pink flowers appear in early spring. Leaves and fruits are purple. Grows 20’ tall and 20’ wide.

Prunus x cistena: Purple-leaf Sand Cherry
Flowers and leaves are the same as tree-form plums, but this is a shrub form. It grows in an upright, dense, multi-stemmed shape that reaches 6-10’. Sun. Zone 3.

Prunus mume: Flowering Apricot
Fragrant flowers appear on bare branches during winter, with colors ranging from white to dark pink, and in single or double form. Leaves are green and, at times, glowing yellow fruit develops in summer. Fruit has a sour or bitter flavor, so it is not typically eaten fresh off of the tree.

Flowering plums have a long tradition of cultivation in China and Japan, and are important in Chinese culture. Grows into a small tree, reaching 15-20’ tall. Sun. Zone 6.

Prunus mume ‘Matsubara Red’
Dark pink, fragrant flowers can appear as early as January and as late as March, depending on weather. Green leaves will follow. Grows 20-25′ tall. Sun. Zone 6.