Prunus cerasifera - cherry plum/myrobalan

Hi everyone

I got three cherry plums bare root this spring. I snipped the main stems to stop it forming a trunk. They are all very healthy.

My question is this.

I've been looking for something I can use as tall screening along my 6ft fence to give some higher privacy from surrounding houses etc. I was looking at small upright trees which might give some cover while not getting a wide crown. (any suggestions?)

It suddenly occurred to me that my cherry plums might do the trick? Given that they can be cut into hedging and will tolerate clipping back at a range of heights I could plant them along the fence and let them go, just clipping back the width at 'human' level and letting it froth over at the top. By pruning that middle stem have I already limited it's height to stop it becoming a monster tree?

 

Victoria, I would suggest they would make an iodeal screen, as you have taken out the growing tip you have turned them into shrubs rather than trees.

 

Thanks Dai.

Do you have any idea what kind of height I could expect, if I left the height untouched?

Just wondering if I'd need to maintain the height or if I could just let it go?

 

Left on their own Prunus Cerasifera can apparently reach 15 metres

 

As trees, I agree Sam, but as these have been "stopped " I would say 4 metres, max.

 

That's just about perfect.

One more sneaky question..?! How close would you plant this to a house? Chalk ground.

I'd intend to trim it from time to time to keep some order but let it get to 3/4 metres.

Also saw a nice one today - prunus cerasifera 'spring glow' which looks lovely, and a more compact variety.

 

I have ordered the cerasifera 'spring glow' as it is nicely advanced over the ones I already have. It is a purple leaved variety, and I do intend to clip it and keep it as a large shrub, as already discussed.

The trouble is that it is no good to us for privacy if it planted too far up the garden. The nursery recommend 2 metres away from house, I think the space I have in mind is 2 1/2 metres away, will that cause any problem to the house, if it is clipped to 3 1/2 metres height and relatively narrow at base?