Higan cherry

Higan cherry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree 5–6 m high and about 5 m wide, with an open, somewhat fan-shaped crown and fine twigs.

Leaves

Narrowly oval, 5–8 cm, sharply toothed; yellow to orange in autumn.

Flowers

Small, 1.5–2 cm, white to soft pink, single or semi-double, in small clusters on the bare branches.

Flowering time

In ‘Autumnalis’ from November to April, in flushes during mild weather, with the richest display in March–April.

Bark

Grey-brown bark with the horizontal markings typical of cherries.

Flowering: November–April · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: July–August

Why grow it?

• Blossom in winter, when almost nothing else is in flower.
• On mild winter days, a welcome source of nectar for bumblebees and early bees.
• Flowers in flushes: after every cold snap new buds open as soon as the weather turns mild.
• A fine, graceful outline that is attractive even when bare.
• Yellow to orange autumn colour.
• Stays small enough for an ordinary garden.

Higan cherry: where does it grow best?

• Sun or light partial shade; it flowers more freely in sun.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moist but not wet; avoid soil that stays wet in winter.
• Keep at least 5 m from other trees and 3 m from a house wall.
• Choose a spot you can see from a window, ideally against a dark background, so the white flowers stand out.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

6 m tall, 5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Snowdrops: They flower in February beneath the winter blossom.
• Winter heath: Pink or white flowers at the same time, as a low edging.
• Lenten rose: A winter-flowering plant for the foot of the tree, in light shade.
• Crocuses: A purple and yellow carpet in February–March.
• Witch hazel: Another winter-flowering shrub, with fragrant yellow or orange flowers.

Higan cherry: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

1. Plant from October to December or in March–April, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom.
3. Drive a stake into the hole, on the side of the prevailing wind.
4. Set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot; the graft union stays above ground.
5. Backfill, firm the soil, fix the trunk to the stake with a tree tie and water generously.
6. Mulch in a circle around the trunk, but not against it.

Care

Watering

For the first two years, water generously every week in dry spells. An established tree looks after itself.

Feeding

A little compost under the crown in March is enough.

Mulching

Keep a circle around the trunk free of grass and mulch it every spring.

Suckers

Cut off rootstock shoots at the base or on the trunk straight away.

Stake

Remove stake and tie after 2–3 years.

Tip: Plant it where you can see it from the house, against a dark background such as an evergreen hedge: the small white flowers then show up best in winter.

Higan cherry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July–August.

When: Only in summer, in July–August, in dry weather. The wounds then heal quickly and the risk of silver leaf is lowest.

How:

• Limit yourself to dead, diseased, damaged or crossing branches.
• Always cut a branch just outside the swollen collar at its base, without leaving a stub.
• Remove rootstock shoots at the base.
• Hard pruning is not needed and mainly produces lots of water shoots.

Caution: Never prune cherries in autumn, winter or early spring: silver leaf and bacterial canker enter through the wounds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Grafting

In nurseries it is grafted onto a cherry rootstock. Grafting it yourself is a job for experienced gardeners.

Softwood cuttings

In June: cuttings of 10 cm in moist cutting compost under plastic. It does not always work, but it is worth a try.

Higan cherry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: the tree itself needs no protection.
• In hard frost the open flowers are lost, but new buds open in the next mild spell.
• Do not prune in winter, even though that is when you see its shape best.

Diseases and pests

• Silver leaf: A silvery-grey sheen on the leaves, followed by dying branches. In summer, cut out affected branches well into healthy wood.
• Bacterial canker: Small round holes in the leaves, sunken patches on the branches and oozing gum. Prune only in summer and cut out diseased branches.
• Frosted flowers: Brown flowers after a frosty night. Nothing to be done: new buds open in mild weather.
• Aphids: Curled leaves on young shoots in spring. Ladybirds and tits usually clear them up.

Through the year

• January: Flowers in mild weather.
• February: Flowers in mild weather. Do not prune.
• March: Flowering. Planting. Spread compost.
• April: Generous final flush. Planting.
• May: Leaves unfold. Watch for aphids.
• July: Prune in dry weather: dead and crossing branches.
• August: Finish pruning. Water young trees in dry spells.
• October: Yellow to orange autumn colour. Planting.
• November: First winter flowers in mild weather. Planting.
• December: Winter flowers. Planting.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Higan is the Japanese week around the spring equinox. The name higan cherry refers to the tree flowering around that time in Japan.
• In frost only the open flowers are lost; the closed buds wait for milder weather, so the tree flowers in flushes all winter.
• ‘Autumnalis’ means ‘of autumn’, because the first flowers can open as early as November.