When to plant and prune Snowy Mespilus
Snowy Mespilus flowers from early April to late April and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Snowy Mespilus is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| East Anglia | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Northern England | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late December | early April to late April | mid November to late February |
Growing notes
Genuine three-season value in a small garden: white blossom with bronze young leaves in April, dark berries that birds strip in summer, then reliable orange-red autumn colour. Often sold as a multi-stemmed shrub-tree, which suits a town plot better than a standard.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 350 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 500 cm
- Eventual spread
- 400 cm
- Hardiness
- H7
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 90 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
No feeding in the first year; on poor soil apply a balanced granular feed over the root area in spring.
Pruning group
Minimal formative pruning only, while dormant in winter
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to early March. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- berries taken quickly by birds
- poor autumn colour on very alkaline soil
- honey fungus
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for snowy mespilus.