Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Western sandcherry
(
Prunus besseyi
) is native to the Central Plains states,
Upper Midwest, Great Lakes states, Arkansas, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Man-
itoba, and Ontario. The plants are spreading, multistemmed shrubs about 3
to 8 feet tall. The tart fruits are yellow, purple, or black cherries about
⁄
2
inch
1
in diameter. The plants are hardy to −30°F (−34°C) and perform best on well-
drained soils in areas with 12 to 24 inches of annual precipitation. They are
susceptible to root rot on heavier soils, as well as fungal and bacterial dis-
eases. Some attempts have been made to use western sandcherries as dwarf-
ing plum rootstocks, although the results have generally been poor. Several
Cherry-plum hybrids
are not to be confused with cherry plum (
Prunus cer-
asifera
), which is also called myrobalan plum and is discussed in the plum
section. Cherry-plum hybrids are hybrids between western sandcherry and
other species. Many of these interspecific hybrids have been introduced in
South Dakota and are very cold-hardy. Suggested varieties are listed in
table
Nanking cherry
(
Prunus tomentosa
) is native to northwestern China and
has long been cultivated for its flowers and fruits. It was first introduced to
North America in 1892. The plants are erect to somewhat spreading, mul-
tistemmed shrubs that typically grow 6 to 10 feet tall. Most often used as an
ornamental in North America, Nanking cherry bears an abundance of white
flowers and tart, red fruits
⁄
4
to
⁄
2
inch in diameter. The plants are very
1
1
cold-hardy (rated to Zone 2) and perform best on well-drained loam soils.
Because Nanking cherries are typically sold as seedlings, there is substantial
variability between plants. Some plants are extremely susceptible to brown
blight and other diseases, and the crop is best grown organically in areas
with warm, dry summers.
Dwarf sour cherry hybrids
are crosses between domestic tart cherries
(
Prunus cerasus
) and European dwarf cherries (
Prunus fruticosa
). European
dwarf cherries are native to northern Europe and Mongolia. Other names for
