Western sand cherry
Prunus besseyi
Drought-proof little cherry; parent of many hardy bush plums.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 6
Light: full sun
Size: about 5 ft tall, 5 ft wide
Harvest: July to August
From: Great Plains
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: Great Plains & Texas, Rockies & Great Basin, Midwest & Great Lakes, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 6.
The story
Western sand cherry grows on the dry plains from Manitoba to Kansas, where Lakota, Cheyenne and Pawnee people dried the small black cherries and pounded them into cakes; it survives cold, wind and drought that kill orchard cherries and was bred into the hardy cherry-plums of the prairies.
Planting
Full sun, sandy or gravelly drained soil; it is very hardy and drought-proof. Plant two for pollination; it stays under 6 feet.
Growing
Water the first summer, then nothing. It is short-lived, 10 to 15 years, so let seedlings come on. Prune only dead wood.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens black in late summer; sweet to astringent depending on the bush. Jam, jelly, wine and dried fruit.
What to watch for
Brown rot in wet years, and black knot.
See if Western sand cherry fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
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