Nanking cherry
Prunus tomentosa
A bush cherry for cold, dry ground, loaded with small sweet-tart fruit.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 7
Light: full sun
Size: about 8 ft tall, 8 ft wide
Harvest: June to July
From: N. China and Korea
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife.
Native to: East Asia, Central Asian steppe. Hardy in zones 2 to 7.
The story
Nanking cherry grows wild in the hills of north China, Korea and Mongolia, where it has been eaten and grown as a hedge for 2,000 years; it reached American gardens in 1882 and became the prairie bush cherry of Dust Bowl shelterbelts.
Planting
Full sun, any drained soil, even dry; very hardy. Plant two for pollination, 6 feet apart; a bushy shrub to 8 feet with early pink bloom.
Growing
Water the first year, then little. Prune out old wood every few years. Very easy.
Harvest and use
Small bright red cherries ripen in early summer; sweet-tart, soft, and fine fresh, in pies, or as jelly. The birds know it.
What to watch for
Birds, and brown rot in wet years.
See if Nanking cherry fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home