This early flowering cherry can be seen beside the South Walk.
A small tree, Prunus x incam ‘Okame’, or the Taiwan cherry, bears single, carmine-pink flowers in late winter and early spring. The flowers are typical of the rose family, having five petals, but in this cultivar the red calyces provide welcome contrast. The narrow, toothed leaves provide autumnal interest, taking on orange and red hues. This is a popular selection, growing to only 4m in height and spread; providing a valuable source of nectar for bees; growing in most soils except shallow chalk; and being tolerant of pollution, making it a good choice as a street tree. ‘Okame’ was raised from a cross of P. incisa and P. campanulata by Captain Collingwood Ingram, the renowned twentieth century cherry expert, in his quest to produce a hybrid with the hardiness of P. incisa and the colouring of P. campanulata.