Royal Burgundy Cherry Blossom Trees

• Common name: Royal Burgundy Cherry
• Latin name: Prunus 'Royal Burgundy'
• Sold as: Bareroot standards, 6/8 and 8/10cm girth, and pot-grown trees in 10 litre pots
• Leaves: Reddish-black, coppery red when young, orange and scarlet in autumn
• Flowers: Double and pink, in clusters, in mid-spring
• Mature size: 8 to 11m tall, usually 6 to 8m
• Time to full size: 20 to 50 years
• Habit: Narrowly upright at first, spreading with age
• Position: Full sun, for the best leaf colour
• Soil: Any moderately fertile, well-drained soil, chalk and clay included
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS Award of Garden Merit: Yes (2012)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

Royal Burgundy is the purple-leaved Japanese Cherry: a vigorous tree, narrowly upright when young, with reddish-black leaves that turn orange and scarlet in autumn and clusters of double pink flowers in mid-spring. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Royal Burgundy Cherry Blossom Trees

Royal Burgundy is a medium-sized ornamental cherry tree, grown for its purple leaves and fiery hot embers Autumn colour.

It's very upright and narrow when young, and can be trained to grow straight up to 11-12 metres, but around 6-8 metres is more typical, because the tree spreads more with age.

Growing Royal Burgundy Cherry

We recommend planting in full sun, which ensures the best foliage colour. Any well drained soil is fine. If your soil is poor, mulch extra well every year.

How Standard Trees are Measured:
All our large trees are graded by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level. They aren't measured by their height. So, a 6/8 standard has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8 centimetres, and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10 centimetres. In any variety, an 8/10 is taller than a 6/8 but the heights between different varieties can vary hugely. So standard trees are roughly 2.5 to 4.5 metres tall.

Planting Companions

Royal Burgundy is a sport of Kanzan, with the same double pink flower on a purple-leaved tree, so the two make a pair. For two dark leaves and two seasons of pink, plant it with the Purple-Leaved Cherry Plum, which flowers first. Among the Crab Apples, Royalty and Profusion carry purple leaves too. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Flowering Cherries?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Royal Burgundy Cherry comes bareroot, lifted while dormant, or pot-grown for planting in any month. Bareroot trees are guaranteed for 12 months, and so is a potted tree delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does Royal Burgundy grow?

8 to 11 metres tall, usually 6 to 8 metres. It is narrowly upright at first and spreads as it ages.

Does Royal Burgundy hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Yes. It was given the award in 2012.

What colour are the leaves?

Reddish-black through summer. They open a deep coppery red and turn orange and scarlet in autumn. Full sun gives the best colour.

What soil does it need?

Any moderately fertile soil with decent drainage, in full sun. It grows in chalk, clay, sand and loam, acid or alkaline.

When should you prune an ornamental Cherry?

It needs little pruning. If you must cut, do it in midsummer, which lowers the risk of silver leaf disease.

How is Royal Burgundy related to Kanzan?

It is an American sport of Kanzan: the same double pink flower, on a tree with purple leaves.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot trees are delivered from November to April, while they are dormant. Pot-grown trees can be delivered and planted in any month when you find them in stock.