Prunus rufa - Himalayan cherry

Prunus rufa, or Himalayan Cherry, is a small tree, rare in cultivation, valued for its shiny, reddish-brown amber coloured bark with rings, that peels off in flakes. It is during winter that its presence is most appreciated in the garden, when foliage and flowers are scarce. Unusually, its young branches are covered in a rusty fuzz. Its pale pink spring flowers are quite discreet, and its deciduous foliage is fairly ordinary. A hardy and easy-to-grow collector's plant in any well-drained soil.

Native to the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, specifically Nepal and Myanmar, Prunus rufa belongs to the Rosaceae family. In nature, it grows up to an altitude of 3,925 metres. It was introduced to Kew around 1897. This moderately growing tree typically reaches a height of 8 to 10 metres and spreads over a width of 4 to 6 metres. It often produces multiple trunks or a single trunk, branching very low, which allows you to admire its original bark. Its bark is smooth and shiny, a dark reddish-brown with amber highlights, and is dotted with prominent lenticels and slightly flakes with age. Its branches have an elegant and slightly rounded habit. Its young branches are densely covered in reddish-brown fuzz. Its deciduous foliage develops in spring, usually after flowering, and falls in autumn. It consists of narrowly ovate, finely toothed leaves measuring 5 to 10 cm in length. Each tooth is tipped with an oval gland. It flowers in late April or early May with small pale pink flowers, 1.3 cm in diameter, hanging in pairs or more. They bloom on the previous year's branches. Each flower is composed of five petals surrounding prominent yellow stamens. It is a nectar-rich and honey-producing flowering. Although Prunus rufa produces fruits in the form of small fleshy red drupes, they are rarely used in cooking, but they add an additional decorative touch to the tree in summer.

Perhaps more curious than truly decorative, Prunus rufa is particularly interesting in winter when it reveals its astonishing bark. This easy to grow, Himalayan cherry has great hardiness and tolerates drought well. It is often grown in coppices and is mainly used as a standalone specimen. At its base, you can plant Japanese Forest Grass, Black Ophiopogon, or Siberian Bugloss (Brunneras).