Okame

Okame is small ornamental cherry tree, featuring a mass of pretty shell-pink single flowers. It is one of the earliest to come into flower, in late February or early March.

In autumn the leaves take on strong autumn tints.

The tree grows with an upright habit, spreading somewhat as it matures. It remains small, and is likely to reach a mature height of 2.5m or so.

Okame is unusual amongst the flowering cherries in that it often produces a crop of small dark cherries - not palatable for humans, but useful for birds.

Okame flowering cherry trees for sale

• 12-year pot-grown tree £70.00
  In a 12L pot
  Medium size (2.5m-3.5m after 10 years)
  

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• 2Top-worked pot-grown tree £85.00
  In a 12L pot
  Small size (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
  (Serrula 1m)

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History

Okame was developed by the English flowering cherry enthusiast Captain Collingwood Ingram (known to his friends as "Cherry" Ingram).  It is a hybrid of Prunus incisa (the Fuji cherry) and Prunus campanulata (the Formosan cherry). It inherits the former's compact proportions, hardiness and excellent autumn leaf colours, and the attractive early-flowering shell pink blossom of the latter.

Okame characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• AwardsRHS AGM (current) - 1993
• Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAutumn foliage colour
• Growth habitUpright-spreading / Vase
• Height after 10 years2.5m-3.5m / 8ft-12ft
• SunlightPrefers full sun
• PruningLight prune
• Growth rateFast
• Flower colourPink
• Flower formSingle flower (5-8 petals)
• Flowering monthFebruaryMarch
• Leaf colourGreen
• Leaf colour - autumnMultiple tints
• Leaf/Flower sequenceLeaves appear first
• Fruit colourRed / Black
• Fruit sizeVery small
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Annual cycleDeciduous

Similar varieties

• 
  Prunus
  Frilly Frock
  A small weeping ornamental cherry tree, ideal for small gardens.
• 
  Prunus incisa
  Kojo-no-mai
  An excellent small compact blossom tree, featuring a mass of small white flowers, and good autumn colours.
• 
  Prunus incisa
  Mikinori
  Mikinori is a classic early-flowering Fuji cherry tree, with red autumn leaf colours.
• 
  Prunus incisa
  Oshidori Princesse
  A small ornamental cherry with double white flowers, and autumn leaf colours.
• Prunus incisa
  Praecox
  A small and hardy winter-flowering cherry, ideal for winter colour and small gardens.
• 
  Prunus incisa x speciosa
  Snow Goose
  A small upright flowering cherry tree with particularly large single white flowers.

What will it look like?

Illustrative examples of 12L pot-grown trees of this variety as supplied. Approximate girth: 6/8cm. We try to keep all pot-grown trees down to about 1.5m as supplied, but some may be larger. Trees should reach their mature height after about 10 or more years.

Prunus Okame flowering cherry tree

Prunus Okame top worked serrula flowering cherry

How to choose a flowering cherry tree

We list more than 70 different flowering cherry trees. Choosing can be difficult! Our article explaining the different characteristics of flowering cherries might help narrow down the selection.