Cherry (Prunus) Penny Colt

Penny extends the cherry season well into summer. This outstanding British-bred variety was raised at East Malling Research in Kent and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Its white spring blossom, loved by bees, is followed in August, long after most cherries have finished, by heavy crops of exceptionally large fruit that ripen from dark red to almost black. The cherries have firm, juicy flesh and a rich, sweet flavour, and they resist splitting in wet weather, a real advantage in our damp British summers.

Penny is not self-fertile, so it needs another cherry nearby to crop. Self-fertile varieties such as Lapins or Stella make ideal partners and act as reliable pollinators. Grown on Colt rootstock, Penny makes a sturdy, semi-vigorous tree of around 4m, which annual pruning keeps to a more manageable size. It is also well suited to fan-training against a sunny wall, which makes netting against birds straightforward. Plant in full sun in a sheltered spot, in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Prune in summer after harvest rather than in winter, to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Fully hardy (RHS H6). The fruit is delicious, but the stones and leaves shouldn't be eaten, so keep those out of reach of children and pets.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.