Amanogawa

Prunus 'Amanogawa'

Sato-zakura Group

[Syn: ‘Erecta’; Prunus serrulata f. erecta Miyoshi; Prunus lannesiana f. erecta Wilson.]

Trees have a fastigiate habit and can grow up to 6m tall but may be only a few metres wide making it an ideal tree for planting in rows, as seen in the photograph, or in small gardens.

The flowers, which are semi double, a delicate shade of pale pink and fragrant too, are produced in upright clusters of 4-5 flowers, each with 6 - 15 petals c.20 mm dia, slightly red calyx. Flowers in late April and has a sweet scent. The leaves are dark green but turn orange and red in the autumn.

As it grows, there is a tendency for the outer branches to be pulled outwards, either by their own weight or by weight of snow in the winter, thus compromising the shape. This can be corrected by judicious pruning or by tying in the outer branches.

RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993, reconfirmed 2012.

Location

• One on the entrance road by the Nursery; Square N5; Tag 4155. Planted in 2002.
• A row of 5 outside Dorothy Hodgkin Building to commemorate 25 years of educational partnership with Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.
• One in the Memorial Garden, square K11, tag 4335.