Frank P Matthews Trees has announced that Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ has been shortlisted for the prestigious RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year Award 2026.
This exceptional ornamental cherry will be showcased at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 within the Blue Diamond Garden Centres exhibit in the Great Pavilion, where it will be featured exclusively as part of an ambitious and immersive planting scheme.
First discovered in Sumaura Park in Kobe, Japan in 1990, this exceptional flowering cherry has been carefully nurtured and brought to market by Frank P Matthews Trees. Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ stands out for its extraordinary, multi-tonal blossom display. Its densely double, lantern-like flowers with up to 30 petals each, emerge in soft green and creamy white, gradually transitioning through blush tones before deepening to rich pink as they mature.
The tree offers more than just spring interest with bronze young foliage which matures to fresh green, vibrant autumn colour, fragrant blooms, it performs reliably across most UK conditions, thriving in a wide range of soils.
" We’re absolutely thrilled to see Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2026. It’s such a special flowering cherry, with multiple colours on one tree, and it represents years of dedication to bringing truly exceptional varieties to market. We’re incredibly proud to see it recognised on this stage.”
The Plant of the Year award celebrates the most exciting and innovative new plants launched at the show, judged on their uniqueness, impact, and appeal to gardeners. Being shortlisted highlights the exceptional nature of this variety and its potential to become a future garden favourite. The tree will be proudly displayed on the Blue Diamond stand during the show, highlighting the variety’s significance as a valuable and distinctive ornamental tree for British gardens.
Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ has already proven its impact within the horticultural world. It won Best in Show at the HTA National Plant Show where judges praised it as a “remarkable breakthrough in blossom colour,” highlighting its unique progression of tones within a single bloom.
Now, its shortlisting for RHS Chelsea’s Plant of the Year 2026 places it among the most exciting new plant introductions in the UK.
For more information on Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ visit: https://www.frankpmatthews.com/news/a-rare-beauty-in-bloom-prunus-japanese-lantern/
Find the Prunus Prunus ‘Sumaura Fugenzo’ JAPANESE LANTERN™ on display at The Blue Diamond Stand in the Great Pavillion and the New Products Area at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show 19-23 May 2026
