Family Rosaceae.
Originating from Japan.
- A slender upright form, great for small spaces and architectural structure.
- Soft, pale pink, fragrant flowers and incendiary autumn colours amaze.
- Easy to grow and compact, ideal for small gardens.
The Columnar-Flowering Japanese Cherry in Your Garden
A scented spire of soft pink blooms heralds spring, forming a lush, leafy column for summer. In autumn, it becomes a hot beacon of red, amber and yellow, marking the end of its season’s display. Enjoy this special variety’s Japanese ‘heavenly blossom clouds’ in the smallest garden, or its architectural presence in expansive planting schemes.
Hardy in all UK gardens, it typically reaches 4–8m high but only 1–2.5m wide over 20–50 years. Although it can broaden with age, easy, light pruning after flowering can maintain its slender habit. Additionally, its ascending branches make a striking silhouette in winter, adding year-round interest to Norfolk’s townhouse patios. Planted at intervals in Suffolk’s country gardens, it makes a dramatic, structural accent.
This old Japanese variety’s semi-double flowers are borne on upright stems, reinforcing its ascending habit. Opening from dark pink buds, they have a sweet almond/freesia scent that is irresistible to gardeners and pollinators alike. Their ethereal colour appears white in strong sunlight, yet up close, in soft light, its pink hues are intense
Growing Tips for Your Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree, Prunus ‘Amanogawa’
- Soil and sun: any soil that is not heavy and wet in winter, in full sun or part shade. Light, humus-rich soil is ideal, and full sun yields the best blooms.
- Planting: at any time of year. Never plant a dry plant! Plunge the pot or stand in water for 20 minutes to drench the root ball before planting. Do not add soil improvers to the hole.
- Watering: moderate: will tolerate dry spells once established. Water regularly in its first summer while rooting out
Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ is a revered flowering cherry; its Japanese cultivar name means ‘River of the Sky’. First recorded in 1830 and introduced to the UK in the 1900’s, it has become a favourite in gardens worldwide. Its delicate blooms belie its undemanding, robust nature, making it a go-to columnar, flowering Japanese cherry variety.
Planting Suggestions for your River of the Sky flowering cherry.
Structured yet serene, sentry-like and slender, this exceptional variety adds a soft quality to assemblages of upright forms. Frame paths, garden gates, patios, and arbours with their exclamation-like habit. Alongside Acer ‘Twombly’s Red Sentinel’, Frangular ‘Ron Williams’, Liquidambar ‘Slender Silhouette’ and Pinus nigra ‘Richard’, it adds a blossoming column.
Celebrate spring with a heady medley of perfumed, pollinator-attracting heavenly blossom. Revel in an eye-level, seating side accompaniment to the traditional overhead clouds of flowers. Plant ‘Amanogawa’ alongside Prunus ‘Kiku-shidre-zakura’, the Weeping Oriental Cherry and Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’, the dwarf cherry. Add Cercis varieties ‘Carolina Sweetheart’ and ‘Ruby Falls’ for dramatic colour.
