How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Nanking Cherry Bushes

Nanking cherries have a long history of use in food, medicine, and ornamental gardening. They’re a member of the rose family of plants and the same genus as cherries, plums, and apricots. 

These cold-hardy shrubs produce small, white to pink flowers in the spring. In the summer, dark red edible stone fruits (drupes) appear en masse. They stay on bushes until late in the season, making them some of the earliest and latest fruits you’ll harvest. 

If you live in the coldest regions of the U.S. and have trouble growing fruit, this remarkably resilient shrub will be a great choice. Let’s dive in to learn how to plant and care for nanking cherry bushes in your area. 

What Is It?

In the frigid gardens of Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, and northern China, few species of fruit trees can survive. Nanking cherries, however, thrive in these frigid zones. This is where some of the planet’s driest and coldest air masses move east. For fruit trees to come from here, they have to be resilient. 

The first trees arrived in the U.S. in 1882. The horticulture writers of the Yearbook of Agriculture 1937 praised their future in US agriculture. Because of their small and sweet drupes, farmers were interested in their potential as a major fruit crop. 

Today, few farmers grow nanking cherries, and even fewer market their fruit. The drupes have a short shelf life once they’re harvested. Still, for gardeners who grow them, they’re an exciting fruit that makes incredible jams, pies, juices, and wines. 

Characteristics

Nanking cherry bushes (Prunus tomentosa) are deciduous shrubs and members of the rose family. They’re part of the Prunus genus which includes popular stone fruits such as cherries, plums, and almonds. 

They go by several names, including Manchu cherry, mountain cherry, and Mongolian cherry. They’re one of the toughest stone fruits you can grow. They’ll handle droughts, severe cold, wind, and rain with ease. 

These striking bushes grow to 10 feet high. They produce an abundance of white to pink flowers in the spring, followed by dense green foliage and edible red drupes. The flowers attract beneficial pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees. They make gorgeous alternatives to Yoshino cherry trees for enjoying a ‘hanami’ party at home. 

Native Area

These stunning shrubs originated in the cold plains of northeast Asia. In these semi-arid regions, long winters plunge temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) for months. Nanking cherries adapted to this cold, dry climate by developing a long taproot and downy fuzz on their foliage.   

People spread them to Japan, Russia, and Korea. They became popular in gardens across the region because of their edible fruit and ornamental flowers. Today, they are grown throughout northern Asia, Russia, Northern Europe, and Canada. 

Planting

These shrubs grow easily from seed. Many gardeners harvest their seeds from the drupes by washing, drying them, and cold-stratifying them for over 100 days. 

They can grow in large containers, 100-gallon BPA-free grow bags, or directly sown into the ground. You can plant them in the spring after cold stratification or in the fall. Fall-sown seeds will naturally stratify and germinate in the spring. 

Nanking cherries need cross-pollination to produce fruit. You should plant two within 100 feet of one another for proper fruit set. They’re somewhat hard to find in the US. Some suppliers and nurseries sell bare root plants as well as seeds. Occasionally, you may find starters in containers. 

Transplanting

These shrubs can handle transplanting well. If you’re not in zones 2 through 7, these bushes will have trouble surviving. They can’t handle long periods of hot temperatures and high humidity. 

Make sure you have two or more shrubs to produce fruit. Find a site with a neutral soil pH and over 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. 

Besides these basic requirements, these flowering shrubs don’t need special care. Transplant them in fall, late winter, or early spring before they start producing foliage. Grow them near other stone fruits if you want to cross-pollinate between species. 

Growing from Seed

Order seeds from a reputable source online or at a nursery. Check that they aren’t damaged or chipped. Look at their packing date and avoid planting seeds over a year old. 

Seeds will need cold stratification to germinate. After harvesting, clean them well and dry them for a few days in a cold, dry spot. Afterward, cold-stratify them outside in the cold or in your refrigerator for 100 days. Keep them in a mixture of vermiculite, sand, and potting mix. 

Plant your seeds directly into the soil in the fall to cold stratify them. Store-bought seeds that have already gone through cold stratification can go into the ground in early spring. Plant them to a depth of ¾ inches and space them out more than 15 feet if you’re growing them for flowers and fruit. If you’re growing them as hedges, plant them closer together, between 1 to 2 feet. 

How to Grow

Nanking cherries are incredibly easy to grow. Once they germinate, they’re simple to maintain and don’t require much in terms of pruning or fertilization. They have long taproots that let them survive long periods of droughts. 

The only thing they can’t handle is heat. High temperatures and humidity will stress them over time. Ideally, they need to grow in zones 7 or under. This limits them to high-altitude zones and northern latitudes in the US. 

Light

Grow these flowering shrubs in areas with over 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. They can grow in partial shade but won’t be as productive. 

Plants growing in full sun will put on plenty of growth and abundant flowers in spring. The more light they get the fuller their blooms. Plants grown in full sun will produce sweeter fruit with high concentrations of sugars and tannins. 

Water

As seedlings and young plants, give them plenty of water without over-saturating their soil. As they grow, they’ll develop their long taproot. Once they mature, they can survive long periods of droughts. 

Be careful not to overwater your shrubs. They are susceptible to root rot and are not suited to overly moist soils. 

In desert climates that receive less than 10 inches of rain a year, you may have to water them occasionally. Otherwise, you won’t have to worry about watering mature trees. 

Soil

These hardy shrubs prefer well-drained, loamy soil with a neutral pH of between 5.0 and 7.5. Use a soil testing kit to see if your soil is within this range. Some soil amendments will raise or lower the soil’s pH if needed. 

Nanking cherries will adapt to most soil types as long as they drain well. Soggy soils with high amounts of water-retaining clay and organic material are not ideal. 

Temperature and Humidity

These shrubs are some of the most cold-hardy plants you can grow. They’ll survive in areas with a USDA hardiness zone of 2. These regions include much of Alaska and northern Canada. Temperatures for zone 2 zones can reach below -50°F (-46°C) during the winter. 

Mature shrubs can handle a little humidity and short periods of afternoon heat. However, long and intense heat will eventually kill them. Gardeners in Florida, Hawaii, California, and the coastal South will not be able to grow them. 

They’ll thrive in the Great Planes, in places such as the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Utah. You can also grow them in New England and the Midwest as long as the soil is well-draining. Generally, the lower the humidity, the better. 

Fertilizing

These plants are experts at surviving in poor soils. They generally perform better away from nutrient-dense soil. 

Consider feeding young plants with organic compost in spring. Although this isn’t needed, it may help boost the plants’ energy before flowering. 

Maintenance

One of the best things about growing Nanking cherries is their adaptability and low maintenance behavior. Once they’re established, you won’t have to worry about their needs. 

Monitor their soil for oversaturation. If you see them growing in soggy soil, you may have to relocate them to better-draining locations. While these aren’t invasive plants, they naturalize easily in the landscape. This may require regular thinning to prevent their spread.

Propagation

It’s easy to propagate these plants by seed and cuttings. They can handle a lot of stress. If you live near other trees, try growing your own trees by collecting seeds or taking cuttings. 

Cuttings

Find soft and flexible stems from several trees. Because they need cross pollination to flower and fruit, choose cuttings from as many individuals as possible. 

Select the stems in spring or fall and cut them at 45° angles about 12 inches from the tip. Make sure there are at least four leaf nodes. Take off the leaves near the bottom of the cuttings and dip the cut ends in a rooting hormone. 

Plant your cuttings up to 2 inches deep in loamy potting soil. Water them well and repeat when the soil gets dry. Place your cuttings in an area that gets plenty of direct sun. Within a couple of months, you’ll be able to plant them outside or in a larger container. 

Harvesting and Storage

After your plants bloom in spring, the pollinated flowers will turn into small drupes. They’ll ripen over summer, turning soft and bright to dark red. 

Once they’re ripe, harvest them immediately or leave them on the tree to develop even more delicious sugars. You’ll have to eat them within a few days or preserve them in jams or in the freezer. 

Nanking cherries taste similar to tart cherries. The longer you leave them on their branches, the sweeter they’ll be. Besides jams, pies, and juices, they make outstanding wine. You’ll need a lot of cherries, and you’ll have better success if you let them ripen until fall. 

Common Problems

Other than sensitivity to long, hot temperatures and high humidity, these plants are tough as nails. They have very few issues growing in most regions of the northern US. 

If you have a healthy ecosystem full of natural predators like birds, spiders, and wasps, your trees will likely be pest-free. As always, keep an eye on your plants for diseases, especially after periods of heavy rain and humidity. 

Pests

These hardy shrubs are relatively pest-free. However, they can still be infested by common pests that infest stone fruits. 

Western Cherry Fruit Fly

This common pest will its eggs in the ripening fruit. You’ll notice white maggots developing inside the fruit. Check your harvest for infestations and throw away infected fruit. You can treat your tree with spinosad if you’ve had issues with these flies before. Spray every week as soon as cherries start to ripen, and do so out of direct sunlight while pollinators are not active.

Black Cherry Aphid

Black cherry aphids will sometimes infest the plants’ leaves. You may notice sooty mold growing on the honeydew secretions. Treat large infections with organic neem oil after spraying them with a high-pressure water hose. Again, apply pesticides outside the high activity periods of pollinators and beneficial insects.

Spider Mite

Spider mites are small insects that feed on the inside of leaves. You’ll notice the very thin webs between leaves and plant tissue in severe infestations. If the infestations are high, try treating them with insecticidal soap once a week until they go away. 

Shothole Borer

The shothole borer is a pest of plants in the Prunus genus and bores into the layers of wood below the bark. Adults then lay eggs in the cambium, causing girdling and eventually death if their numbers are high enough or the tree is weak enough.

Prevent their spread by pruning away old and diseased branches, removing garden debris at the end of the season, and monitoring your tree for infestations. There is no pesticide that effectively controls the borer.

Diseases

Nanking cherries are usually disease free. Monitor your palnts for signs of root rot that can infect the roots of plants growing in soggy soil. There’s no cure for root rot. The only way to prevent it is by growing your shrubs in well-draining soil away from previously infected areas. 

Coryneum blight is a disease that may infect the leaves. You’ll notice small black or brown spots that eventually turn into large holes. Prune infected plant tissue and dispose of it immediately by burning it. If the infection is severe, try treating it with copper sprays at leaf drop.