Plant · P-015

Sour Cherry

Prunus cerasus

A small, cold-hardy deciduous fruit tree grown for its tart, bright-red cherries used in pies, preserves and drying, blooming with white flowers in spring on wood that is self-fertile and needs no second tree for pollination. Considerably more cold-tolerant than sweet cherry, it grows best in full sun on moist, well-drained ground. Its shallow, freely suckering roots throw up new shoots around the base and its fruit self-sows readily where birds scatter the pits, so both need managing to keep it from thicketing.