Prunus pensylvanica
Pin Cherry, Fire Cherry, Wild Red Cherry
- Main interest:
- profusion of fragrant white flowers, spring bloomer, red edible fruit, extremely hardy, native, beneficial to wildlife
- Exposure:
- full sun
- Soil humidity:
- moist soil; well drained
- Flower colour:
- white
- Fragrance:
- Mildly fragrant
- Flowering period:
- May
- Foliage:
- green
- USDA Hardiness:
- zone 2a: -45.5 °C (-50 °F) View Zone Map
- Mature height & width (max.):
- height: 30 ft (9 m) width: 13 ft (4 m)
- Use:
- fruit production, pollinator garden, specimen, mass planting, renaturalizing
Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) grows as a shrub or small tree, usually with a straight trunk, horizontal branches, and a narrow, round-topped crown. It grows 16 feet to 30 feet tall, and produces 4 inches to 20 inches diameter trunk. The twigs are shiny red, the exfoliating bark is aromatic, and the foliage is small and very colourful in the fall (bright orange and red). It produces lovely, mildly fragrant white flowers in groupings of 5 to 7, in May. July to September sees small, bright red cherries develop (actually drupes) that grow up to 2/3 inch, with a single hard stone. The cherries are sour but can be used for making jelly, if you can beat the birds to them! Beloved by Birds, Prunus pensylvanica is also called 'Bird Cherry'.
Pin Cherry tree is not a self-pollinating cherry species. It is necessary to plant a second Pin Cherry nearby for cross-pollinating and producing fruits. Prunus tomentosa is also compatible with Prunus pensylvanica, according to some pollination charts.
One of the first trees to emerges after fires, the Fire Cherry (Pin Cherry) provide shade and cover for the seedlings of larger hardwoods. They grow quickly, but have a short life – as little as 30 years. As this wild red cherry colonizes barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disturbed, they will come back time and again with fire and other disruptions. It will start producing fruits again within 2 or 3 years.
The Pin Cherry is native to Ontario and most of Canadian Provinces.
$15.99
- Main interest:
- profusion of fragrant white flowers, spring bloomer, red edible fruit, extremely hardy, native, beneficial to wildlife
- Exposure:
- full sun
- Soil humidity:
- moist soil; well drained
- Flower colour:
- white
- Fragrance:
- Mildly fragrant
- Flowering period:
- May
- Foliage:
- green
- USDA Hardiness:
- zone 2a: -45.5 °C (-50 °F) View Zone Map
- Mature height & width (max.):
- height: 30 ft (9 m) width: 13 ft (4 m)
- Use:
- fruit production, pollinator garden, specimen, mass planting, renaturalizing
Synonym(s): Prunus pennsylvanica, Cerasus pensylvanica
Also known as: Pincherry, Bird Cherry