Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea' (Cherry)

Common name: Autumn Cherry 'Autumnalis Rosea' / Winter-flowering Cherry

Description: Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea' is one of the most cherished and eagerly anticipated of all winter-flowering trees for the British garden, offering a quite remarkable and morale-lifting display of delicate blossom during the very months when colour and cheer in the garden are most needed and least expected. From late autumn onwards, and continuing intermittently throughout winter and into early spring, the bare or semi-bare branches are repeatedly adorned with clusters of small, semi-double flowers in a soft and pretty blush-pink — a warmer and more rose-tinted tone than the white-flowered 'Autumnalis' — that open during mild spells and provide a succession of gentle, uplifting colour over an exceptionally long period that no other flowering tree can match for duration. The display is at its most generous during mild winter weather, with the blossom particularly luminous and beautiful on bright winter days when low sunshine catches the pale pink flowers against a clear sky. A flush of fresh green leaves follows in spring, providing pleasant summer shade and a clean, undemanding presence through the growing season before the foliage takes on warm amber and yellow tones in autumn, just as the first winter buds begin to swell once more. 'Autumnalis Rosea' develops into an elegant, vase-shaped, spreading tree of moderate size that is well suited to gardens of most sizes, and is equally effective as a lawn specimen, in a mixed border, or planted where it can be viewed from a window or frequently used pathway during the winter months.

Other benefits: exceptionally long flowering season from late autumn through to early spring; invaluable winter garden colour during the bleakest months; attractive warm autumn foliage tints; elegant vase-shaped habit; suitable for gardens of most sizes

Wildlife attraction: early bumblebees, honeybees, and other pollinators foraging during mild winter spells

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 5m x 4m

Position: full sun to partial shade; best sited where it can be viewed and appreciated from indoors or from a frequently used path during winter; sheltered from the most exposed and wind-swept positions

Soil pH: adaptable; performs well in neutral to slightly alkaline soils; pH 6.0–7.5

Moisture: moderate watering when establishing; tolerates periods of drought once established; prefers fertile, well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging

Winter hardiness: fully hardy to approximately -20°C; blossom may be damaged by the hardest frosts but the tree itself is completely reliable throughout the UK