Western Sandcherry

General
Scientific Name: Prunus besseyi
Family: Rosaceae (Rose)
Hardiness: Zone 3
Leaves: Deciduous
Plant Type: Shrub
Growth
Rate: Medium
Mature Height: 4-7’
Longevity: Medium
Power Line: Yes
Ornamental
Flowers: White
Fruit: Purple to black berries
Fall Color: Yellow

Description

A small, winter-hardy, relatively short-lived shrub native to the northern Great Plains. Edible fruits which are dark purple to black. Purpleleaf sandcherry, a hybrid, is a popular landscape shrub.

Light: Full sun only.
Water: Fair drought tolerance.
Soil: Prefers loamy soils.

Sandcherry is a suckering, spreading shrub that has a beautiful display of white flowers in spring.  Fruits are larger than chokecherries and less astringent.

There are several cultivated varieties, including Hansen bush cherry and purpleleaf sandcherry (Prunus x cistena), a small tree.

Credits: Tree Selector Website, North Dakota Tree Handbook, http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRPUB