Prunus x incam ‘Okame’ (Taiwan Cherry)

One of the most popular garden cherries, Prunus x incam ‘Okame’ (Taiwan Cherry) is a small deciduous tree of upright and vase-shaped habit when young, becoming more rounded with age. Blooming in early-mid spring, a profusion of mildly fragrant, 5-petaled, rich carmine-pink flowers with red calyces smother the bare branches and create a terrific floral display. The foliage of finely textured, ovate, dark green leaves, turns bronzy red to bright orange in the fall and provides an extended period of color. A striking presence in the landscape, Okame cherry demonstrates excellent heat and cold tolerance. It makes a handsome specimen tree or can be used in groupings of three to five. Hybridized by Collingwood Ingram of England, using Prunus incisa and P. campanulata

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 15-25 ft. tall (4-8 m) and 15-20 ft. wide (4-6 m).
• Performs best in full sun in moist, moderately fertile, well-drained soils.
• Perfect choice as a single specimen plant.
• Susceptible to caterpillars, leaf-mining moths, bullfinches, silver leaf, bacterial canker and blossom wilt.
• Prune in midsummer if silver leaf is an issue
• Propagate by chip budding or grafting, although softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat can be successful