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The gardening expert says a cherry blossom can grace your garden with blooms in mild weather between now and March
Cherry blossom in November? You must be joking! Well, in the case of most cherries, yes, but there is one that does manage to put on a good show in mild spells between now and March and that is the aptly named autumn-flowering cherry Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’.
Hard frosts will stop it in its tracks for a while, but when they pass it picks up where it left off and starts to open its buds all over again. Its flowers are not so large as the spring-flowering cherries but, en masse, they are every bit as cheering – more so because they come at a time when most other plants have decided that it’s time for bed.
If you are looking for a light-canopied tree for a small garden, it is a really good choice. However, if you feel it lacks interest in summer, it is a simple matter to train a clematis through its branches (one of the viticella or texensis hybrids, which can be cut down to ground level in winter, is the best choice; that way the tree is untrammelled by the clematis’s disembowelled-mattress appearance in blossom).
Right now, that blossom is carried on bare branches that show it off beautifully against a clear blue sky. The individual flowers may be creamy white or, in my favourite variety ‘Autumnalis Rosea’, a delicate shade of pink, making the whole effect like that of coconut ice.
Plant the tree at the back of a border or in a lawn where spring-flowering bulbs can be planted at its base – dwarf narcissus such as ‘Tete-a-tete’ will create a good spring
show without producing too much foliage to become a nuisance after flowering.
Planted now, in soil that has been enriched with plenty of organic matter, you can sit back and enjoy the autumn cherry’s instant effect. As far as pruning goes you need not worry a jot. Snipping out a few stems in the tree’s youth to ensure it stays shapely and evenly canopied is all that is necessary.
After that, just let it get on and cheer you up each autumn and winter. I can think of few small trees so easy to look after which are so reliable at brightening the seasonal garden. No one should be without one.
The gardening expert said earlier this month that the tree should be planted on the back of a border or in a lawn where bulbs can be planted at its base. He recommends dwarf narcissus such as ‘Tete-a-tete’ which will create a gorgeous display in Spring 2025. Harsh frosts may stop the tree’s flowering for a while, but the ace says it will soon ‘pick up where it left off and start to open its buds all over again’.
