Prunus fruticosa
Steppes cherry
Common names: Dwarf cherry, Steppes dwarf cherry
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −35 °C
- Pruning
- Jul–Aug
- Harvest
- Jul–Aug
- Spacing
- 150 cm, rows 200 cm
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Franz Xaver · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Prunus fruticosa, commonly known as the steppes cherry, is a low-growing wild cherry shrub native to the steppes of Eastern and Central Europe. It forms dense, summer-green bushes that display white blossoms in spring and produce small, acidic, dark-red cherries in summer. Due to its growth habit and the prolific development of root suckers, it is well suited as a flowering hedge or privacy screen in small gardens. It is considered one of the hardiest cherry species, surviving severe continental winters without damage. The fruit flesh is edible; it tastes somewhat tart raw and develops a pleasantly sweet‑acidic flavor when made into jam or juice. As with all cherries and plums, the seeds, kernels, and leaves are toxic and should not be consumed.
Care instructions
The steppes cherry requires minimal care: a sunny to partially shaded location with well‑drained, even sparse soil is sufficient. Water only regularly during the first growing season after planting; thereafter the shrub tolerates dry conditions well. Prune immediately after summer harvest to maintain shape and rejuvenate old shoots; a heavy winter prune is unnecessary. Because the plant spreads via root suckers, remove unwanted suckers early if you prefer a single shrub rather than a hedge. Thanks to its extreme frost tolerance, it does not need winter protection.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr
HarvestJul–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 1 °C, ideally 8 °C
- Days to sprout
- 60 to 180 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 2 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving, dry
The steppe cherry comes from dry, open steppe habitats and likes it correspondingly lean. A free-draining, rather lean soil with some lime suits it best; it copes poorly with heavy, waterlogged soils. As a rootstock or wild root form, it also does well on sandy, nutrient-poor sites.
Feeding
Light feeder
As an undemanding wild species, the steppe cherry needs hardly any extra feeding. A thin application of compost in early spring is quite enough to see it through the season. Overly generous feeding encourages soft growth, which becomes more prone to frost and fungal disease.
Pruning
Prune the steppe cherry in summer, straight after harvest, so the cuts have time to heal well before winter. Remove shoots that are too dense or growing inwards, so that light and air reach the wood. Since the species tends to send up suckers, it is worth digging out or removing surplus suckers at the same time.
Overwintering
The steppe cherry is extremely frost-hardy and comes through even severe winters without protection. Young plants in their first year in the ground welcome a layer of mulch over the root zone. A warm, sunny winter spot is not necessary; it tolerates cold better than wet.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Grafting
- Offsets
The steppe cherry readily forms root suckers, which you can cut off as offshoots and replant straight away. Sowing works too, but the stones need a cold period of several months before they will germinate. For true-to-type propagation, and as a robust rootstock for other cherries, it is often grafted. For the home garden, the easiest way remains separating rooted suckers in spring or autumn.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Steppes cherry yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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