Western Sand Cherry, Sandcherry, Bessey Cherry, Rocky Mountain Cherry, Hansen's Bush Cherry 'Pawnee Buttes'

We have two of these in a dry, full sun spot. They've experienced some severe rabbit damage, but are coming back this spring. The blooms ...Read Moreare nice, but we didn't have any berries set last year.

For me, the jury is still out on this plant. I planted several 3 years ago to provide food for wildlife in an area where a black walnut t...Read Moreree had grown. This was one plant that I identified as being tolerant to juglone.The plant is a vigorous grower, producing lots of new branches with early spring blossoms on second year growth, but only a modest amount of cherries in the 3rd year, quickly consumed by the squirrels.

A couple of the plants developed powdery mildew during the heat of summer. I cut them right to the ground, applied treatment to the soil around the plants and they came right back. Since then, I water the plants at soil level to keep water off their leaves and added pine straw mulch around them.

The plant needs plenty of room, as the branches will grow about 5-6 feet in length and if they are allowed to stay on bare soil when its moist, such as during the spring and fall rains, the branches can set root and extend beyond that distance, so it's best to prune the lower branches off the ground and train the other branches upward or use a pine bark mulch which permits the water to quickly drain off. In fact, the plant can be trimmed so that the branches grow in a columnar manner. If you like this style, rather than the mounded one that the plant defaults to when allowed to grow without gardener intervention, it's best to shape the plant no later than the second year before it establishes a rather thick trunk for its size.

pH does not appear to be a problem. However, the soil around them is somewhat neutral where mine are growing, so it's not an issue.

I'm anxious to see what the 4th year brings. To increase fruiting this 2013 season, I plan to feed the plants a higher phosphorus diet with increased calcium (a combination of rock dust, gypsum, and soft rock phosphate) and less nitrogen.