Prunus x yedoensis Tree

The flowers of Prunus x yedoensis that emerge in March-April are white, sometimes flushed with blush pink and have a delicate, slight bowl shape to them. They form in a cloud of well packed clusters with a subtle, almond-like scent and are also favoured by bees. The Yoshino cherry tree produces small fruits later in the year that are popular with birds, including robins and thrushes.

Bronzed new foliage turns dark-green for summer before adopting fiery, vibrant autumn colours later in the season. With arching slender branches, this wide spreading but relatively small Cherry Blossom tree reaches a height and spread of around 5 x 5 metres in 20 years. Tolerant of pollution, Yoshino cherry will also grow well in most soils except very damp or shallow chalky soil.

The Yoshino Cherry was cultivated for centuries in Yoshino, Japan, before being introduced to Europe and America in 1902 and is now one of the most popular flowering cherry trees worldwide. It is also a great choice for wildlife and has been recognised by the RHS as being an excellent pollinator.

AKA Yoshino Cherry tree, Tokyo Cherry tree, Japanese Flowering Cherry

• Common name: Yoshino Cherry tree
• Latin name: Prunus x yedoensis
• Height and spread in 20 years: 5 x 5 metres
• Environmental benefits: Good for pollinators, food for birds
• Seasons of interest: Spring, Autumn
• Flowers: White/blush bowl shaped flowers in spring
• Foliage: Bronze new leaves mature to green, turning fiery colours in autumn
• Soil: Suited to all but wet or chalky soils

Planting Advice for Prunus x yedoensis Trees

Our pot grown Yoshino Cherry trees can be planted at any time of the year. Choosing a location away from strong winds protects the blossom display. Start by removing weeds and grass within a metre of your desired planting hole. Dig a square hole as deep as your root mass and approximately 1.5x as wide. To help the tree establish more effectively, sprinkle root grow in the hole.

Remove the pot, gently loosen the roots and place into the planting hole. Mix 50% of the original soil with 50% compost, fill in the hole and firm around gently. Avoid banking the soil up around the collar of the tree. We recommend planting Yoshino Cherry trees (except multi-stem forms) with a stake and tie kit to ensure the roots are well anchored - instructions are in the planting guide.

After Care Advice for Prunus x yedoensis Trees

When planting Cherry Blossom trees in spring or summer, water well for the first few months. Increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. When planting in autumn, you may only need to water a little. See Irrigation kits.

Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons. If your area is prone to rabbits, use a rabbit guard.

Pruning Advice for Prunus x yedoensis Trees

Although it is possible to leave your Yoshino Cherry tree to its own devices, if you prune it for the first few years it will create a more balanced branch framework. Prune after flowering i.e. after the petals have dropped but before the new shoot growth appears.

After two to three years, you will only need to remove any damaged or unwanted branches. The formative pruning previously carried out will have led to a healthier tree less likely to need this though.

Delivery Costs

1 small tree (most under 1.5 metres in height) : £9.95 + vat

1 medium tree (most 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £11.95 + vat

2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £14.95 + vat

1-4 trees delivered by pallet to kerbside (inc. mature Japanese Maples): 24.95 + vat

Mature trees, pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode not quantity. Starts from £48 + vat.

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process. Please note, we are unable to deliver outside of Mainland UK.

Delivery Timescales

All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 3 weeks of placing the order, unless stated otherwise. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is left via the checkout.

For pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height), we group orders together by geographic area for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers about the delivery date.

Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is on the product/basket page. Orders are despatched once all trees are ready.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

To collect trees, please book an appointment. Delivery charges will be refunded.

The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. Below are definitions of terms:

Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branches of the crown). Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height:

Standard  either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard  10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard  12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height