Family Rosaceae
Originating from China.
- Deciduous small tree with feather-shaped grey-green leaves flare scarlet in autumn.
- Creamy-white blooms in spring followed by unique carmine pink berries.
- Easy to grow and hardy, it thrives in any non-alkaline soil in full sun.
Hupeh Rowan in Your Garden
The Pink Pagoda Tree’s airy crown, ablaze with red autumn colours and decked with carmine pink berries, is an unforgettable sight. This elegant, deciduous small tree produces flat white heads of pollinator-attracting flowers in spring, preceding the berries. It is known also by its less romantic Latin name, Sorbus pseudohupehensis.
A hardy species suitable for all UK gardens reaches 6m high and wide in 10–20 years. Its crown of grey-green, smooth, and rounded feather-shaped leaves makes a cool and refined summer-long display, before its autumn fireworks.
Easy to grow in non-alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade, it’s ideal for small gardens or as a specimen. In a near 12-month display, its pink Pagoda rowan berries turn to ivory white, persisting until late winter like elegant chandeliers. From North Norfolk’s woodland gardens to Suffolk barn courtyards, its year-round display is worthy of a star-of-the-show position.
Growing Tips for your Sorbus pseudohupehensis, the Pink Pagoda Hupeh Rowan
- Soil and Sun: Plant in non-alkaline, well-drained soil; full sun produces the best flowering and fruits.
- Planting: Set at any time of year, plunging its root ball for 20 minutes to drench before planting. Provide extra watering for summer planting to establish roots.
- Watering: Regularly in its first season, moderate thereafter. Tolerates dry spells once fully established.
- Pruning: None required, but can be trained to any habit by trimming in winter.
Many plants fail to live up to their exotic titles. However, the Pink Pagoda’s rowan berries, delicate habit, jade-green leaves, and flowers are worthy of its beautiful name. Its open and airy frame does not grow into a large imposing specimen. Light pruning easily shapes it to make the perfect small garden tree, a must for any garden.
Planting Ideas for Hupeh Rowan
Celebrate spring’s spectacular blossoms and autumn’s arsenal of kaleidoscopic colours. Plant Prunus ‘Spring Glow’, subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’, and ‘Amanogowa’ to accompany the Pink Pagoda’s flowers and its autumnal incendiary display. Exceptional blooming Pterostyrax corymbosa makes a larger-growing addition, whereas Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’ forms a smaller front-of-border companion. All have an exuberantly pyrotechnical flourish to end the season.
Through the bleak winter months, the Pink Pagoda’s rowan berries can shine out if planted against an evergreen backdrop. Pyracanthas ‘Red Column’ and ‘Soleil d’Or’, and Ilex perado, all provide accompanying striking berry displays. Their evergreen foliage also shows off the Sorbus’ ivory fruits.
