Prunus serrula Tibetica - Tibetan Cherry / Birch Bark Cherry
A small deciduous tree with wonderful mahogany red bark, Prunus serrula Tibetica is an almost unique choice for a specimen tree. It is not really a Tibetan Cherry at all, hailing instead from Szechwan province in Western China, and is often called Birch Bark Cherry because of the way that its old bark strips away to reveal shiny new layers. The narrow, oval leaves do not create very thick shade, so you can plant quite a range of shade tolerant plants around it. The small white flowers aren't especially visible when they come out in April as the leaves will cover them, though they do attract bees. The flowers mature into red fruit, which we do not recommend eating; you probably won't get a great deal of them in a British summer anyway. The leaves turn a clean yellow in autumn and fall away to reveal the tree's skin in all its glory - in the right light, it really does seem to be sculpted from polished copper or bronze but with a richer tone than either. Prunus serrula Tibetica was brought to Britain at the turn of the last century by the intrepid Mr Ernest Wilson, who we have to thank for some 2000 Chinese plants that are now regular features of British gardens.
Prunus serrula Tibetica is not a very big tree and is an excellent choice for a small garden where space and light are limited. The sheer beauty of the bark means that Tibetan Cherry deserves to be the centre of attention.
Planing and Caring for Tibetan Cherry
Birch Bark Cherry will give you the best display if it is planted where it can grow well - fertile, well drained soil and full sun. The faster it grows, the more often it will shed its old, less bright skin and allow you to feast your eyes on its fresh red bark. Cherry trees have quite invasive roots in the sense that they are good at attacking pipes and foundations so we recommend that you do not plant Prunus Tibetica near your house or a wall. Top tip for getting the best from the bark: never give into the temptation to peel away the bark yourself - this will actually slow down the tree's shedding cycle and there is a risk of infection. Instead, when the tree starts looking a bit dull, give it a scrub with a non-metallic brush and warm soapy water, or you could use a pressure hose on a gentle setting. This will brighten up the older bark without affecting the tree. Prunus serrula Tibetica will grow to about 10 metres, 30 feet.
If you are unclear about the way standard trees are sized, take a look at our Guide to Standard Tree Sizing or you can go back to our main standard trees page.
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