Species of Cherry Trees

Types

• Among the types of native cherry trees in North America is the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), the black cherry (Prunus serotina), the pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) and the Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana). Nonnative cherry species include the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), the Sargent cherry (Prunus sargenti), Oriental cherry (Prunus serrulata), bird cherry (Prunus prada), Manchurian cherry (Prunus maackii) and the higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella).

Cherry Tree Zones

• The cold hardiest of the cherry trees is the chokecherry, capable of growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 2. Other cherries with some tolerance for frigid winter weather include various forms of bird cherry as well as black cherry -- these trees survive to zone 3. Cherry trees typically fare poorly in the hottest USDA zones, but the cherry plum, black cherry and higan cherry can withstand zone 8 conditions.

Cherry Tree Size

• Black cherry is a potentially large tree, with some growing close to 80 feet high in the wild. Chokecherry varieties mature to a small size, with some no bigger than shrubs, though others rise between 20 and 30 feet. The nonnative cherries and their cultivars are more manageable in terms of their stature. The Sargent cherry tree grows to 40 feet in the parent species but smaller in some of the cultivars. "Columnaris" is a form with a narrow, columnar shape, growing to 30 feet. A very similar cultivar, Rancho, grows even narrower, often being 10 feet wide or less. The cherry plum grows to 28 feet, while Snofozam is a weeping cultivar of higan cherry as short as 8 feet.

Cherry Tree Features

• Among the features of cherry trees that make them attractive to landscapers are fragrant flowers that emerge during spring. Sargent cherry, for example, generates showy pink blossoms in May. Colorful autumn foliage is frequently an aspect of a cherry tree. Species including pin cherry and chokecherry have brilliant fall hues. The fruits of some cherries taste better than others do, but nearly all attract wildlife.

Cherry Tree Uses

• The native cherry tree species work well in naturalized areas and woodland gardens. The smaller nonnative types serve different functions. Use them to create groves of trees for their flowering effect in spring and their foliage in autumn. Rows of cherry trees form buffer strips, define property lines and serve as street and lawn trees. A flowering cherry tree species easily stands alone as a specimen plant, highlighting an area.