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Sand Cherry (Bundle of 3) | Spring 2027
$79.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceNo strong resistance
- 3 Black knot : Moderate, 3 of 5
- 2 Brown rot : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.
See it on our cherry disease chart (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Sand Cherry is a cherry tree rated hardy to zone 2 in our ratings (winters to -50°F), and partially self-fertile, so a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable.
| Also called | Western sand cherry, Bessey cherry (Prunus pumila var. besseyi) |
|---|---|
| Hardy to | Zone 2 to 6. A bare number means the whole of zone 2, colder half included (winters to -50°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
| Chill hours | About 950 hours (750 to 1,200). From published figures. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources. |
| Pollination | Partially Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), early spring here. A single sand cherry sets some fruit, but several plants together crop much better. This bundle of seedlings takes care of that. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Pollination Charts. |
| Good for | Jams and jellies (8/10), pies and baking (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10), feeding wildlife (7/10), pollinators (7/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists. |
| Deer | A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it. |
| Compare it | Nanking vs sand cherry, side by side on hardiness, pollination, ripening and fruit. |
| What you get | Bare root, 2-3 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
Overview
A small tree native to the Northern Great Plains, Sand Cherry is very cold-hardy and produces tart, dark purple to black edible fruits. These fruits can be eaten fresh (best when left on the tree a little longer), dried, or made into jams and pies.
Versatile Uses
We’ve heard that Sand Cherries are excellent for juicing, though we don’t have direct experience with it. According to Les McCartney of Bozeman, “Sandcherries make for a mean syrup that puts chokecherry syrup to shame. Also great in pies.”
Hardy and Adaptable
Hardy to zone 2, or possibly even zone 1.
Trees are 2-3 ft.
Photos: “Prunus pumila, South Ste. Marys Island” by Super cyclist at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain; “Prunus pumila, observation 175379529 (iNaturalist)” by Pierre Cartier (pcartier), via iNaturalist, licensed CC0.
Questions we get about Sand Cherry
Does Sand Cherry need a pollenizer?
It helps. Sand Cherry is partially self-fertile, so it can set some fruit alone, but a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable. A single sand cherry sets some fruit, but several plants together crop much better. This bundle of seedlings takes care of that.
How cold hardy is Sand Cherry?
We rate Sand Cherry hardy to zone 2, which means winters down to about -50°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
How many chill hours does Sand Cherry need?
About 950 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 750 and 1,200. A North Carolina State study measured western sand cherry needing about as much chill as Redhaven peach. It blooms later than Redhaven because it waits for warmer spring weather, which helps in frosty sites. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
What is Sand Cherry good for?
Our top use scores for Sand Cherry are jams and jellies (8/10), pies and baking (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Is Sand Cherry disease resistant?
Not really. It holds up moderately well against black knot. It's prone to brown rot. Our cherry disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat Sand Cherry?
Yes, deer love it. Protect Sand Cherry with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.
What arrives, and when does Sand Cherry ship?
A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 2-3 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.
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Pollination, Bloom & Ripening