Prunus Kiku-shidare-zakura Half Standard
Price range: £45.00 through £130.00
Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Cheal’s Weeping Cherry, Weeping Japanese Cherry
- Botanical Name: Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’
- Plant Type: Deciduous ornamental tree
- Form: Half-standard (clear stem with rounded weeping crown)
- Mature Height: 2.5–3.5m (half-standard form; can be kept smaller with pruning)
- Mature Spread: 2–3m
- Flowering Period: April
- Flower Colour: Double, deep pink, chrysanthemum-like blooms
- Foliage: Bronze when young, turning mid-green, then yellow/orange in autumn
- Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy throughout UK & Ireland)
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile
- Aspect: Full sun to light shade
- Maintenance: Low to moderate (annual pruning to maintain form)
Description
Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’, known as Cheal’s Weeping Cherry, is a show-stopping ornamental tree, prized for its elegant, cascading habit and spectacular spring blossom. Grown here in half-standard form, it features a clear stem topped with a rounded, weeping crown—perfect for adding height, movement, and a sense of occasion to borders, lawns, or as a focal point in smaller gardens.
In April, the tree is transformed by masses of double, deep pink flowers, each one resembling a tiny chrysanthemum, densely clustered along the gracefully arching branches. The effect is both romantic and exuberant, creating a true highlight for the garden year after year. As the flowers fade, the bronze-tinged new leaves emerge, maturing to a fresh green through summer and turning golden-yellow and orange in autumn.
Cheal’s Weeping Cherry is compact, reliable, and easy to grow, thriving in most Irish and UK gardens. Its half-standard form makes it ideal for underplanting with bulbs or low perennials, and the clear stem allows for easy maintenance and mowing beneath. It’s a wonderful feature tree for both classic and contemporary designs.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Space trees 2–3m apart for half-standards. Plant container-grown or bare-root trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid waterlogged areas and frost pockets. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Space trees 2–3m apart for half-standards. Plant container-grown or bare-root trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid waterlogged areas and frost pockets. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Soil Preparation:
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Pruning & Care:
Minimal pruning is needed—remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches in late summer after flowering. Maintain the weeping shape by trimming back long or wayward shoots if needed.
Minimal pruning is needed—remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches in late summer after flowering. Maintain the weeping shape by trimming back long or wayward shoots if needed.
Pests & Problems:
Generally reliable and disease resistant. Watch for aphids, caterpillars, and cherry leaf spot. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Generally reliable and disease resistant. Watch for aphids, caterpillars, and cherry leaf spot. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Design Notes:
Perfect as a specimen tree in lawns, borders, or courtyard gardens. Underplant with spring bulbs, primulas, or low-growing perennials for a layered effect.
Perfect as a specimen tree in lawns, borders, or courtyard gardens. Underplant with spring bulbs, primulas, or low-growing perennials for a layered effect.
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