Cherry (Prunus) Sunburst Patio Gisela 5®

Sunburst packs a big harvest into a small tree. This Canadian-bred sweet cherry is self-fertile, so a single tree will fruit on its own, and it produces heavy, dependable crops of large, sweet cherries in mid to late July. The fruit is rosy red at first and ripens to a deep, almost black red, with soft, juicy flesh and a rich flavour, perfect for eating straight from the tree. White blossom in spring, a favourite with bees, and warm orange-red autumn colour make it a handsome tree across the seasons. It's also a good pollinator for other cherries, including self-sterile varieties such as Penny.

Grown on dwarfing Gisela 5 rootstock, this tree stays compact at around 2–2.5m and begins fruiting young, which makes it ideal for a large container on a patio, balcony or courtyard, as well as for small gardens and fruit cages. Its size also makes picking and netting against birds easy. In a pot, use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3 in a container of at least 50cm, feed in spring, and water regularly and evenly through dry spells. Sunburst resists splitting better than many cherries, and steady watering helps keep the fruit in top condition. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot, and 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.