Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa) is a popular ornamental shrub, prized for its showy blossom and exfoliating bark which offers multi-seasonal interest. This elegant shrub doubles as a safe haven for feathered creatures from predators. Its fragrant flowers and scarlet fruit serve as a food source for birds and other wildlife.
I. Appearance and CharacteristicsÂ
Prunus tomentosa is a species of Prunus native to northern and western China (including Tibet), Korea, Mongolia, and possibly northern India (Jammu and Kashmir, though probably only cultivated there). Common names for Prunus tomentosa include Nanjing cherry, Korean cherry, Manchu cherry, downy cherry, Shanghai cherry, Ando cherry, mountain cherry, Chinese bush cherry, and Chinese dwarf cherry.
It is a deciduous shrub, irregular in shape, 0.3–3 m (rarely 4 m) high and possibly somewhat wider. The bark is glabrous and copper-tinted black. The leaves are alternate, 2–7 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, oval to obovate, acuminate with irregularly serrate margins, rugose, dark green, pubescent above and tomentose below, with glandular petioles.
The flowers are white or pink in a scarlet calyx, opening with or before the leaves in spring. They are reliably profuse, arranged in clusters on scarlet pedicels and are 1.5–2.0 cm in diameter.
The fruit is a sweet but slightly tart drupe 5–12 mm (rarely to 25 mm) in diameter, scarlet, ripening in early summer, with a large seed. Though often called a “cherry” and superficially resembling them, Nanking cherry is closer related to plums than true cherries.
It prefers full sun and grows naturally in a variety of soils. It is drought-resistant, and cold-resistant to hardiness zone 2.
Prunus tomentosa can suffer from borer insects, and under stress can have brown rot. It is not a good cherry choice for places around the world where tolerance for heat and humidity is needed such as the southern United States.
II. Types of Nanking Cherries
Prunus tomentosa is itself hard to find, but its cultivars are even harder to find; they exist, and a few are stunning if you can locate them. While not widely known, some notable cultivars are:
- Prunus tomentosa ‘Natali’: An upright-growing cultivar with fruit that grows much larger than the wild type at over 3/4 of an inch in diameter.
- Prunus tomentosa ‘Wostocznaja’: A slow-growing Russian variety with a wide form and large fruit.
- Prunus tomentosa ‘Efimka’: A Ukrainian variety with tasty fruit that lasts longer on the bush.
- Prunus tomentosa ‘White Ninja’: A white variety that presents creamy white fruit. Birds are deceived into thinking the light color means the fruit is unripe and do not eat them.
III. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Plant Nanking cherry in an area that receives full sun to ensure that the bushes remain vigorous and produce ample blooms and abundant fruit. Nanking cherry bushes grown in shady areas won’t flower as vigorously or produce as much fruit.
Temperature and Humidity
The local climate is the most important condition for the success of your Nanking cherry. This bush is not hardy to USDA cold hardiness zones higher than Zone 7. Being native to a cold climate means that the species has not adapted to hot and humid weather, and it will suffer in those conditions.
Watering
Water a Nanking cherry weekly for the first few seasons, ensuring it establishes a strong root structure. After its first two seasons, monitor the average rainfall in your area. The native habitat of the species is a cold, dry area averaging about 12 inches of rain a year. If your area receives more than 12 inches of rain annually, additional watering is unnecessary. This same standard applies during drought conditions because the Nanking cherry is very drought tolerant.
Soil
Nanking cherry is adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions if the soil pH is at or close to neutral. It prefers soil to be loamy and well draining. Test the soil pH before planting and every year or so after planting so you can raise or lower the acidity or alkalinity as needed. Testing your soil’s pH is easy and can be done in a few minutes.
Fertilizing
For nanking cherry, fertilize with balanced nutrition fertilizers (e.g., 10-10-10 NPK) to support vigorous growth and abundant fruiting. In spring, apply every 4-6 weeks at the label’s suggested rate, tapering off by late summer to prepare nanking cherry for dormancy. Over-fertilization can harm nanking cherry; observe leaf color and growth patterns as indicators.
Adjust the feeding schedule based on the nanking cherry’s lifecycle: increase during active growth, decrease when established. Top-dress with compost annually for organic enrichment. Always water thoroughly after applying fertilizer to prevent root burn and ensure nutrient absorption.
Pruning
Nanking cherry sprouts on branches that have strong budding capabilities. However, the branches can easily become overcrowded and need frequent pruning to maintain the shape, air circulation, and light exposure within the tree. This also helps to prevent pests and diseases while at the same time helping the leaves receive more sunlight.
Nanking cherry can generate a large amount of fruit without any artificial pollination. Because nanking cherry can produce a large number of flowers with a high yield of fruit, to maintain its growth and the quality of fruit, it is recommended that some flowers and fruit be removed to concentrate the nutrients for the remaining fruit. As a result, there will not be a large amount of fruit, but those left will be of higher quality and have an improved flavor.
Propagation
While you can grow a Nanking cherry bush from seed, it will not be breed true, meaning it will not be exactly like the mother plant. It might produce few flowers and bitter fruit. For this reason, growing the Nanking cherry from seed is not advisable.
The best way to propagate the Nanking cherry bush is by using the cutting method, which takes some effort and time but cuttings enable you to propagate as many clones of the mother bush that you want. Remember that if you want to give away cuttings to allow someone to grow fruiting bushes, take cuttings from two distinct plants.
Pests and Diseases
The pests that bother the Nanking cherry will not do serious harm. The insects you are most likely to see are spider mites, cherry aphids, and western cherry fruit fly. Look for leaf stippling as a sign of spider mites and treat with insecticidal soap daily to alleviate the issue. Cherry aphids can usually be washed off with a strong blast of water. To control western cherry fruit fly, discreetly hang fly tape to attract the flies for easy disposal.
The two largest disease concerns are coryneum blight and root rot. Blight can be treated by removing infected branches and leaves and spraying with a copper-based fungicide. While there is not much to do once a tree is infected with root rot, you can prevent it by not overwatering.
IV. Uses and BenefitsÂ
The plant has long been widely cultivated throughout eastern Asia for its flowers and fruit. It was introduced to the British Isles in 1870, and the United States by the Arnold Arboretum in 1892.
It is cultivated for a number of purposes. The fruit is edible, being an ingredient of juice, jam, and wine, and in pickled vegetables and mushrooms. It is also grown as an ornamental plant, prized for its flowers and fruit, and pruned for bonsai, twin-trunk or clump shapes, or left upright. It is used for dwarfing rootstock for other cherries. In Manchuria and the Midwest United States, the shrub is planted in hedgerows to provide a windbreak. Under cultivation, it flourishes in well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
Several cultivars are grown; examples include ‘Graebneriana’ (Germany), ‘Insularis’ (Japan and Korea), ‘Leucocarpa’ (Manchuria; white fruit), and ‘Spaethiana’ (Europe).
V. Harvesting and Storage
Harvest the Nanking cherry fruits when they ripen in July and August. The timing is important as the berries are short-lived on the plant and have a short shelf life. The fruit is very soft compared to other cherries and is incredibly delicate. Each mature bush will produce a harvest of 10 to 15 pounds when grown under ideal conditions. The pit can be removed to prolong its shelf life, and the fruit can be dried or frozen.
