Prunus sargentii - Sargent's Cherry

The Prunus sargentii, also known as the 'Sargent Cherry', is a moderately growing tree that can be planted in a way that allows it to be admired from a window in all seasons: with a beautifully spreading habit, its crown is adorned in early spring with a multitude of soft pink flowers, and offers vibrant colors in autumn. Its single flowers bloom abundantly before the foliage appears. It is a highly ornamental and easy-to-grow Prunus. Give it a sunny exposure and an ordinary, but well-drained and not too dry soil.

The Prunus sargentii  'Sargent Cherry' from the large family of Rosaceae, is a very hardy (-25°C (-13 °F)) flowering cherry species native to Japan, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. In Japan, it is called the 'Great Mountain Cherry' or Ezo Mountain Cherry. It grows rapidly and develops one or several trunks topped with a wide spreading crown, supported by numerous elegantly upright branches reaching towards the sky. At maturity, it will reach an average height of 8-9 m, with almost the same spread at the top of the canopy. In March or April depending on the region, before the foliage appears, a multitude of pink floral buds appear on the previous year's branches, grouped in small clusters. They open up into small cups with a diameter of 3-4cm, with pastel pink petals and yellow stamens, highly visited by bees. The flowers give way to small fruits called drupes, very dark and shiny red, highly sought after by birds. The deciduous foliage is composed of entire leaves, arranged alternately, lanceolate, 4 to 7 cm (1.6 to 2.8 in) long, finely toothed along the edges. They are tinged with red in spring, green in summer, and turn orange and bright red in autumn.

The 'Sargent Cherry' is suitable for medium-sized gardens and large gardens, where it will be particularly showcased as a standalone specimen or as the centerpiece of a perennial border with flowering plants taking over from spring to summer. You can also plant it in a mixed border or in a large informal hedge. The perfectly hardy Prunus sargentii can be grown in many regions, but it dislikes compact and clay soils as well as dry conditions. For example, it can be associated with other tall summer-flowering shrubs, spring or autumn-flowering shrubs, simultaneous or staggered, such as flowering dogwoods, Japanese quinces, honeysuckles, ornamental apple trees, flowering peaches, Chinese almond trees, hawthorns, etc.