Prunus 'Spire'

The ornamental cherry 'Spire' is a slow-growing small deciduous tree, which initially grows narrow, almost columnar and whose trunk ends at the beginning of the crown. The dense branches of Prunus hillier Spire that grow upright form a narrow-conical crown. The tree shines wit wonderful colour effects in summer and autumn. It is a very appealing winter hardy cherry which demands little space for thriving.

The leaves of Prunus Spire appear alternate on the branches, are ovate pointed and double-sawn at the edge. The autumn colour of the foliage is absolutely worth mentioning. The young transparent leaves emerge as green and turn crimson to fiery red in autumn. It does bear fruits but they are inconspicuous and without ornamental value. The clusters of pink flowers are often visited by bees during lunchtime.

Prunus Spire prefers fresh, nutrient-rich, moderately moist soils that are neutral to strongly alkaline (or calcareous). However, it can also thrive on normal garden soils. In fact, this tree can survive on barren sandy ground. It does like warmth, so find a full sunny spot for it.

It is absolutely frost hardy and once planted, it hardly needs any further care. A regular pruning is not necessary. You can see how undemanding and a low maintenance tree it is.

Prunus Spire can be very slow-growing, taking more than 30 years to reach its full height. It is often planted in inner-city areas or small gardens since it occupies lesser space. Use it in single planting or group planting in public gardens, parks, residential areas, clear landscape, etc.