Ukon Ornamental Cherry, Large Trees

Prunus Ukon Standard Trees

Prunus Ukon Cherry is one of the only yellow flowering cherry blossom trees. The flowers are creamy white with a faint yellow tint, sometimes tinged pink. Ukon cherries are not tall, but they are spreading, with a canopy up to 10 metres across. The buds are pink and open into its famous semi-double flowers of gentle, creamy yellow. The blossom appears at the same time as the young leaves, which are bronze, turning through green in summer to a glorious dark red in autumn. Ukon cherries look best when they are planted in front of a green backdrop: a yew hedge is perfect. They can reach a height of about 6-8 metres.

Browse our variety of flowering cherry trees, or our full range of garden trees.

Did You Know? 

Ukon means "yellowish" in Japanese, and it is the yellow flowers which make Ukon cherries so remarkable, as a cherry tree with yellow flowers has long been sought after by gardeners. It was introduced to Britain in 1905 and holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

How Standard Trees are Measured:
All our standards,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 - 4.5 metres tall.

Notes on planting Prunus Ukon Cherry trees:
Ukon Cherry trees prefer fertile, moist soil with good drainage. They like heavy clay, as long as the site doesn't become waterlogged in winter. They are good to grow on chalky soil.
Although they are tolerant of shade, we really recommend them for full sun. Cherry trees in the shade tend to become spindly and won't flower very well.
We don't recommend them for exposed, windy sites, where they will be blown out of shape by the wind.
Although your trees are hardy, late spring frosts can ruin their flower display. Avoid planting cherry blossom trees in frost pockets or North facing sites in colder areas.

Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the site where you plant a tree several months in advance. Kill the weeds first: for tough weeds like nettles, brambles and ground elder, you will usually need a weed-killer to get rid of them. When you dig the soil over, remove stones and other rubbish and mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.

Watch our video on how to plant a tree for full instructions.
Remember to water establishing trees during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Tree Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass.
You can buy a tree planting pack with a wooden stake & rubber tie to support the tree and a mulch mat with pegs to protect the soil around the base of your tree from weeds and drying out.
We suggest that you use mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of all newly planted large trees: if your soil quality is poor, we strongly recommend it.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser.

After you plant a tree, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.

Mature Ukon trees will benefit from a periodic tidying up. Remove straggly or poorly flowering side branches.
If your trees do need pruning, it is necessary to do this in summer to avoid the risk of silver leaf disease.

Special notes on caring for Ukon Cherry trees:
Prunus Ukon is an ornamental tree that will perform best when it receives a yearly mulch of well-rotted manure or compost to help keep the soil around it fertile.
Remember to check the stake and tie supporting your trees a few times a year. Tighten the tie if it becomes loose and loosen it as the tree grows. Make sure that the tree's trunk isn't rubbing against the stake.

Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.