Cheals Double Pink Weeping Cherry

Cheal's Double Pink Weeping Cherry (Prunus serrulata 'Cheal's Weeping') is the small tree you plant where spring is allowed to show off. Grafted onto a clear trunk, it holds a neat umbrella of weeping branches to about 3.5m tall and 3m wide, and in early spring every one of them is crowded with double rose pink blossom. The rest of the year it wears fresh green foliage that turns bronze and orange in autumn.

Why you'll love it

• A blossom display that stops traffic. Fully double flowers open along the whole length of each weeping branch, and bees and butterflies work them all through flowering.
• A shape no pruning can fake. The weeping habit is built in by the graft, so the tree forms its umbrella silhouette on its own and keeps it for life.
• Sized for real gardens. At about 3.5m tall and 3m wide it fits front yards, courtyards and the strip beside a driveway without ever threatening the house.
• Autumn colour as a second act. The foliage colours bronze and orange before dropping, a second season of interest.
• Roots that behave. The root system is non-invasive, safe to plant near paths and paving.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give it pride of place: centred in a lawn, beside a gate, or where the kitchen window looks out. One specimen carries a small garden's spring.

Small gardens and courtyards. The fixed mature size and tidy footprint suit tight spaces where a full sized cherry would overwhelm.

Pots and containers. It grows happily long term in a wide container of 500mm or more.

Growing Cheal's Double Pink Weeping Cherry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering. This cherry is frost hardy and at its best in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean climates, where a proper winter chill sets up the spring display. It is not a tree for the tropics or subtropics, where mild winters mean sparse blossom. Shelter it from strong hot winds.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil with good drainage. Work compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak once or twice a week through the first two summers, then water during extended dry spells. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Very little. Tidy the skirt after flowering if branches reach the ground, and remove any upright shoots that appear on the trunk below the graft as soon as you see them.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell this tree in 400mm and 500mm pots, both grafted with the weeping head already formed, so the shape you are buying is visible on day one. It is deciduous, so a tree delivered in the cooler months may arrive bare, which is normal. Expect it to settle for a few weeks, then establish through its first spring flush.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse our full range of flowering trees
• Compare the single flowered Weeping Cherry
• More plants for cool climate gardens
• How to prepare a bed before planting

Common questions

How tall does it grow?

About 3.5m tall and 3m wide at maturity. The graft sets the height of the crown, so the tree spreads and weeps rather than climbing, which keeps it useful in small spaces.

Will it flower in Brisbane or further north?

Flowering depends on winter chill, so we recommend it for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens. In the subtropics the display is usually thin.

Is it safe around pets?

No. Like all ornamental cherries, the foliage and seed are toxic to cats and dogs, so keep prunings raked up and choose a different tree if your dog chews plants.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, it suits container growing well. Use a stable pot of at least 500mm with free draining mix, water deeply through summer, and refresh the top of the mix each winter.