Prunus Frilly Frock

Prunus Frilly Frock is a variety of Japanese Flowering Cherry with many attributes. Its relatively narrow weeping habit and compact size allow for it to be cultivated in small gardens, and even in containers. It is adorned with beautiful white flowers from April onwards, as the young foliage emerges. This foliage, variegated with yellow, is decorative throughout the growing season and offers a festival of colours in autumn, turning orange and red before falling to the ground. This small, hardy tree grows in full sun, in most ordinary soils, and requires virtually no maintenance.

Prunus incisa, a Japanese Flowering Cherry with smaller dimensions than other species, is a very hardy tree belonging to the large Rosaceae family, which includes nearly 5000 wild, ornamental, and fruit species. In its natural habitat, this tree grows wild on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. The cultivar 'Frilly Frock' is credited to the British breeder Frank P Matthews, who was particularly attracted to its small weeping habit. This miniature tree, with branches arching towards the ground, develops a narrow dome of 2m to 2.50m in height and 1.50m to 1.80m in width only. It develops very dense foliage that covers the branches from top to bottom, giving it an attractive architectural appearance in the garden. The elongated elliptical leaves with pointed tips are finely toothed and measure an average of 4 to 6 cm in length. They are a tender green when the plant buds, and display a superb yellow variegation. The central part of the leaf is a medium green, with slightly irregular contours, while a light yellow margin extends around the entire edge, creating a superb contrast.
From April, more or less at the same time as the leaves appear, a multitude of pink buds appear and open into small white flowers with a very slight pink hue. Carried on long peduncles and arranged on a red calyx that pleasantly contrasts with the white corolla, these small flowers, 2 to 3 cm in diameter, also have a weeping habit and sway lazily in the breeze. This flowering attracts pollinating insects that allow the flowers to transform into small reddish cherries, sought after by birds but not edible for humans.
The deciduous foliage takes on beautiful red-orange colourations in autumn, with the green turning crimson and the yellow margin becoming a pinkish orange, creating a beautiful spectacle at the onset of winter.
Very hardy and resistant to temperatures as low as -20°C, this small tree doesn't mind the cold, although its early flowering may suffer from late frosts. It should be planted in a sunny location, sheltered from cold winter winds, in preferably moist, neutral to moderately alkaline soil (it also tolerates slightly acidic soils). It is ornamental from April to October and its compact size allows for container cultivation to enhance a terrace.

With its graceful weeping habit, this small tree will find its place even in the most demanding gardens. Decorative throughout the growing season, its silhouette is also interesting in winter, after the leaves have fallen. It can be planted as a solitary specimen on a lawn or integrated into a diverse flower or foliage bed. Physocarpus opulifolius Little Devil, a low shrub with beautifully cut purple foliage, will create a strong contrast with the yellow variegation of the Prunus, while its white flowering will take over from the Prunus. Another compact shrub, Caryopteris Grand Bleu, with narrow silver-grey foliage, will bring a new shade to your scene, and its dark blue spikes from August to October will greatly extend the flowering period. And to enjoy it in winter as well, nothing beats a Hellebore ericsmithii, a perennial ground cover with persistent dark green foliage that will reward you with beautiful single white-pink flowers from January to April...