Description + Attributes:
Fragrant white spring flowers, shiny reddish-brown bark and edible scarlet fruit make the Nanking cherry a favorite for mass plantings and borders. This is a vigorous, adaptable shrub particularly suited to the cold winters and hot summers of the central and northern plains of the United States and Canada. And the dense branching pattern means the shrub is also well-suited for use as a windbreak filler, hedge or wildlife habitat. The tart, tangy fruit ripen in mid- to late summer and can be eaten fresh or used in pies, jams, and jellies.
- Blooms in early spring, with pinkish buds opening up into pale pink or white flowers that are very fragrant.
- Produces tart and tangy scarlet-colored cherries that can be eaten fresh or used in pies, jams and jellies.
- Ripens July to August.
- Adapts well to cold winters, hot summers and drought.
- Develops a lustrous orange or reddish-brown bark that exfoliates in thin strips of vertical curls with age.
- Is not self-fertile. Two or more shrubs should be planted within 100' of each other to ensure cross-pollination.
- Grows in a rounded shape
- Can be planted 4–5' apart to form a hedge.
- Serves as dwarfing stock for cherry trees.
Tree Type
Broadleaf
Ornamental
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Mature Size
Height 6’-10’
& Width 12’-15’
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Growth Rate
Medium
13”-24”/ year
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Wildlife Value
Provides habitat and fruit that attracts birds.
PREFERENCES
Full Sun
Loamy, sandy, slity loam, well drained, and clay soils
Good Drought Tolerance