Japanese Blossom Cherry Prunus Kojo-No-Mai
Prunus Kojo No Mai is the best spring flowering cherry bush that you could wish to grow. And it’s really got several characteristics that that mean that that is the case beyond any measure.
First of all, the flowers are delightful. It wakes up in spring, so before the foliage has even started to grow, the buds burst open and you get these gorgeous, soft pink, saucer shaped blooms that act as an absolute magnet to all of the early season pollinators as they wake up. So it really does get the garden going very, very early.
So I’ve got one in my gardener planted about five years ago, it’s between two and three foot tall now, still beautifully symmetrical like the one we can see in front of us here, but just sized up a bit. And it flowers from early March through to around about the mid-April period every single year. And that’s in Lincolnshire so that’s about the middle of the country. So if you’re further north, might be a bit later if you’re further south, might be a bit earlier, but it is an absolute belter really does get the garden going.
But because it’s got this compact habit, you can grow it in almost any modern garden. You can even grow it in a pot on your patio if you wish. And it’s gonna love it in a pot, actually. Just keep it well watered during the summer months and it’ll reward you year after year after year. But it is a plant for all seasons because not only does it come into that beautiful blossom in the springtime, then the foliage looks just like we can see here.
So we are filming this in midsummer. It’s around about, uh, you know, August time now. This is how it’s gonna look then, but as you get closer to the autumn, as you would expect with so many uh, cherry trees, the foliage brings on that absolutely gorgeous, uh, burnished, bronzed orangey foliage colour in the autumn. So it does give you an extra dimension then as well.
How to plant Flowering Cherry – Prunus Kojo No Mai
Choose a location with well-draining soil and full to partial sunlight. Flowering Cherries thrive in slightly acidic soils and benefit from protection against strong winds.
Before planting, amend the soil with organic matter like compost to improve fertility and drainage. This will encourage healthy root development.
The best time to plant Kojo No Mai is in early spring or late fall, when the tree is dormant. Avoid planting during extreme heat or cold.
Dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Loosen the soil in the hole to help roots establish more easily.
Remove the tree from its container and gently loosen the roots. Place the tree in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding ground. Fill the hole with soil and water thoroughly.
