Bush Cherry Trees

Nanking Cherry

• According to New Mexico State University, the Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa) is one of the most popular species of bush cherry tree. Typically growing to 10 feet tall, the small tree produces white or pinkish flowers in early spring. These blossoms gradually develop into bright red fruits; each of which is approximately a half-inch in diameter. The Nanking bush cherry fruits have a sour or tart taste, and people commonly use them for making jellies, jams, pies and wines.

Korean Bush Cherry

• The Korean bush cherry (Prunus japonica), also known as the Chinese bush cherry, typically grows no taller than 5 feet. Unlike the Nanking cherry, which is a deciduous tree and loses its leaves in winter, the Korean bush cherry is an evergreen, maintaining green leaves year round. While the Korean bush cherry blossoms in May, producing whitish or pink flowers; the fruits of the small tree ripen from July through September. These fruits are usually half-an-inch in diameter and have a bitter taste. People sometimes use them in jellies. However, as the Government of Alberta notes, in colder regions the trees may not always be able to generate fruits.

Hansen's Bush Cherry

• Hansen's bush cherry (Prunus besseyi) is a deciduous tree that typically reaches between 4 and 6 feet tall. Unlike other bush cherry species, the leaves of the Hansen's bush cherry are a distinctive silvery-green color. During the fall, these leaves change to a crimson-red. The bush cherry tree blossoms in spring with several small, white flowers and then later produces dark purplish fruits. These fruits have a tangy, tart taste and people use them for making sauces, preserves and pies. Due to its colorful foliage, the Hansen's bush cherry is also a widely used landscape plant for borders.

Pin Cherry

• Also known as the fire cherry, due to its ability to flourish in the wake of forest fires, the pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) is one of the taller species of bush cherry tree. A mature tree can reach upwards of 30 feet. The deciduous pin cherry tree blossoms from late March to early July, producing clusters of white flowers. The fruits of the tree are approximately a quarter-inch in diameter each, and ripen in the middle of summer. While the sour taste of these fruits makes them non-ideal for culinary applications, several species of bird and small mammal feed on them.