Complete guide to cherry plum trees

Also known as mirabelle plum and or myrobalan plum, Prunus cerasifera is tough and easy to grow, especially when compared to larger-fruiting plum varieties, such as ‘Victoria’. Cherry plum is fully or partly self-fertile, so there’s no need to plant another tree for pollination. The fruits of cherry plum trees are sweet and juicy, perfect for eating raw, as well as using in jams and baking.

Identifying cherry plum

• Cherry plum flowers are pure white and small, with five petals and prominent stamens, and abundantly borne as a mass of blossom on leafless branches. The flowers open very early in the year, around March or April, but may begin to open as early as February in mild areas
• Cherry plum leaves are oval and mid-green in colour. The first of the year's leaves open as the flowering period comes to an end
• Cherry plum fruits are round and small – much like cherries. They are borne in abundance, usually red in colour but there are yellow-fruiting varieties, too

Cherry plum blossom is commonly mistaken for blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), which also bears masses of small white flowers on bare stems. The flowers of blackthorn and cherry plum are similar, but cherry plum blooms are slightly bigger and the petals are reflexed. However, the easiest way to tell cherry plum apart from blackthorn is that it flowers earlier and generally has spineless stems. The branches of blackthorn have sharp spines, which can be painful to touch.

Size, height and spread

Cherry plum tree forms an upright, rounded head of branches and attains an ultimate height and spread of around 6-8m.

Value to wildlife

The flowers of cherry plum are attractive to bees and other pollinating insects. Ripe fruits are popular with birds and butterflies may feast on any over-ripe fallen fruits in summer. Mature hedges and trees will provide shelter for nesting birds and other wildlife.

How to grow a cherry plum tree

Grow cherry plum in any reasonable soil, either as an individual specimen trees or as a tall flowering hedge. Keep watered during dry spells for the first two years, and prune sparingly in summer.

Where to grow cherry plum

Grow cherry plum in sun or partial shade, in any reasonably fertile, well-drained soil. As the blossom appears very early in the season, avoid planting in cold or low-lying sites where frost is likely to damage the flowers, and which would result in little or no fruit.

How to plant cherry plum

Autumn is the ideal time to plant cherry plum, so the tree can start to establish well before the growing season. Late winter to early spring is the next best time. However, container grown trees can be planted at any time of year, if kept watered.

Dig a planting hole sufficiently wide for the roots to be spread out. Ensure the top of the root ball is at soil level, firm in well, water in and mulch the soil with compost or chipped bark to improve moisture retention and discourage weed growth. Stake the tree with a short stake angled at 45 degrees and secure this to the trunk using a tree tie.

How to care for a cherry plum tree

Keep your cherry plum tree watered during dry spells, watering thoroughly once every few days to encourage deep roots to develop. Keep the ground around the base clear of grass and weeds for at least a one-metre circle to avoid competition for water and nutrients. Ideally, apply an annual mulch of well-rotted compost, 5-8 cm thick, over the tree’s rooting area.

How to prune cherry plum

Plum trees are susceptible to disease, so reduce the risk of infection by pruning as little as possible, and then only during summer when pruning cuts heal quickly. Remove and dispose of any diseased or dead growth which can be a source of further infection.

Pests and diseases

Although cherry plum is tougher and more tolerant of difficult conditions than other types of plum, it's still prone to several diseases including silver leaf and bacterial canker. Growing in the correct conditions minimises risk of infection.

Frosts are likely to damage the blossom, which is borne very early in the season. Avoid this by growing in a sheltered site and away from low-lying areas where cold air gathers.