Prunus Accolade is a Deciduous Tree in the Rosaceae family. Academic records describe a mature height of about 610-760 cm and a spread of 455-760 cm. The crown begins Upright and vase-shaped, then becomes Round and Spreading, with an open, airy framework of slender branches whose tips may droop. Smooth reddish-Brown bark carries conspicuous horizontal lenticels.
Simple Ovate leaves are Alternate and finely Serrate, reaching about 14 cm long. New leaves emerge Bronze-Brown, become dark Green in summer, and turn Yellow, Orange, and Red in fall. Deep Pink buds open before the leaves into lightly fragrant, soft Pink Semi-double flowers. Each flower is about 3-4 cm wide, has approximately 12-15 petals, and appears in a drooping Raceme of two to four flowers. University records place flowering from April through June according to local climate. The cultivar is usually fruitless, and occasional small ornamental drupes are not a consumer fruit crop.
Grow in Full sun in moderately fertile Chalk, Clay, Loam, or Sand with Acid, Neutral, or Alkaline pH. Keep the soil Moist but Well Drained; the tree tolerates occasional dry periods but not prolonged dry soil or waterlogging. Allow about 600 cm between trees. Use little routine pruning, but prune in midsummer when needed to reduce silver-leaf risk. Propagate by chip budding, grafting, or softwood cuttings with bottom heat in early summer. The soft Pink flowers support early pollinators, while the broad crown, colored fall foliage, and patterned bark provide three-season landscape interest.
