Tibetan Cherry Blossom Trees

• Common name: Tibetan Cherry, Birch Bark Cherry
• Latin name: Prunus serrula
• Grown for: Shining, coppery-brown bark that peels to show fresh layers
• Sold as: Bareroot 200/250cm tree and standards of 6/8cm and 8/10cm girth. Pot-grown at 150/175cm in a 10 litre pot
• Mature size: About 10m tall, in the 8 to 12m band, and wider than 8m, over 20 to 50 years
• Flowers: White, bowl-shaped, 2cm across, in small clusters as the leaves emerge in spring
• Leaves: Narrow, turning yellow in autumn
• Shape: Round-headed
• Best soil and site: Any moderately fertile soil that drains, chalk and clay included. Full sun
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS Plants for Pollinators: Yes
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

The Tibetan Cherry is grown for its bark: shining, coppery-brown and peeling, at its best in winter when the narrow leaves have turned yellow and fallen. It is a round-headed tree of about 10 metres for any well-drained soil in full sun, with small white flowers in spring.

Tibetan Cherry Blossom Trees

The Tibetan Cherry is a small deciduous tree with wonderfully unusual mahogany red bark that deserves to be the centre of attention. It's also called Birch Bark Cherry because of the way that its old bark strips away to reveal shiny new layers, similar to the paper bark birch.
It has narrow, oval leaves similar to a willow that do not create thick shade, so you can plant quite a range of bulbs and plants around it. The small white flowers aren't showy, and in hot summers they mature into decorative, bitter red fruit for the birds. The leaves turn a clear yellow in autumn and fall away to reveal the tree's bark in all its glory: in the right light, it seems to be sculpted from polished copper or bronze, but with a richer cinnamon tone than either.

Prunus serrula isn't a very big tree and is an excellent choice for a small garden where space and light are limited. It'll grow to about 10 metres.

Browse our variety of cherry blossom trees or our range of ornamental trees.

Delivery season: Tibetan Cherry trees are delivered bareroot from late autumn to early spring, November to April.
Choosing a size: Small trees are cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving of less than ideal aftercare, so they're best for a big planting project. If instant impact is your priority, or if you are only buying a few plants for use in a place where it's convenient to water them well in their first year, then you may as well use bigger ones. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Growing Tibetan Cherry Trees

Suitable for any fertile, well drained soil, we recommend planting in full sun. The faster it grows, the more often it'll shed its old skin and allow you to feast your eyes on its fresh red bark.

Top tip for getting the best from the bark: never give in to the temptation to peel away the bark yourself. This will 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 large 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.

History & Trivia

It 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. It's not really Tibetan, hailing from Szechwan/Sichuan province in Western China, although that area was the Eastern border of the Tibetan empire for a few decades in the late 700s AD.

Oddly, in our opinion, it does not have an RHS Award of Garden Merit, although two of its cultivars do.

Standard trees are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level: their trunk's waist measurement. Unlike sapling trees and hedge plants, standards aren't measured by their height, which will vary quite a bit both between and within species.
So, a 6/8cm standard tree has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8cm and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10cm around. This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
On average, standard trees are 2-3.5 metres tall when they arrive, but we cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

Planting Companions

Sargent's Cherry is the natural partner: one Cherry grown for its bark, the other for its autumn colour, and neither for its blossom. For more winter bark, look at the Birches, and for more autumn colour, the Maples. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Tibetan 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 a Tibetan Cherry grow?

The RHS describes it as a round-headed tree about 10 metres tall, in its 8 to 12 metre band, with a spread of more than 8 metres, reached over 20 to 50 years.

How do you keep the bark shining?

Do not peel it. When the trunk looks dull, scrub it with a large, non-metallic brush and warm soapy water. That lifts the grime and leaves the shedding cycle alone.

Does the Tibetan Cherry have blossom?

Yes, but it is not why you plant one. The flowers are white, bowl-shaped and 2cm across, in small clusters as the leaves emerge. The RHS still lists it for pollinators.

Where should you plant a Tibetan Cherry?

In full sun, in any moderately fertile soil that drains. Put it where you pass it in winter, because that is when the leaves are down and the bark is at its best.

Can you plant under a Tibetan Cherry?

Yes. The narrow, willow-like leaves do not cast thick shade, so bulbs and low plants grow well beneath it and do not hide the trunk.

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.