{"product_id":"nanking-cherry-seeds","title":"Nanking Cherry \"Manchu Cherry\" (Prunus tomentosa) Seeds – Cold-Hardy Ornamental Shrub, Fragrant Spring Blossoms, Sweet-Tart Red Fruit, Zone 2 Hardy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e10+ Seeds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Fruit Shrub That Laughs at Zone 2\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMost fruiting cherries won't survive a true northern winter, but Nanking Cherry doesn't just survive zone 2 cold, it thrives in it. This compact, cold-hardy shrub covers itself in fragrant, pale pink to white blossoms each spring, then produces heavy clusters of small, sweet-tart red cherries by early summer, all on a plant tough enough for the harshest prairie climates. Also called Manchu cherry, it's long been a staple of cold-region homesteads and windbreak plantings, doing double duty as an ornamental and a productive fruit crop where few other cherries can grow at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho Grows Nanking Cherry?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe cold-climate gardener needing a fruiting shrub that survives zone 2 winters reliably.\u003cbr\u003eThe homesteader wanting a productive fruit crop for eating, jam, and preserves.\u003cbr\u003eThe windbreak gardener needing a dense, cold-hardy shrub with ornamental value.\u003cbr\u003eThe small-yard gardener wanting fruit production without a full-size tree.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat This Cold-Hardy Fruit Shrub Actually Is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ePrunus tomentosa\u003c\/em\u003e, called Nanking cherry or Manchu cherry, is a dense, deciduous shrub native to China, Korea, and the Himalayas, prized in cold-climate regions for its hardiness and reliable fruiting. Plants grow 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, covering themselves in fragrant, pale pink to white blossoms in early spring before leaves fully emerge, an important early nectar source for bees. By early to midsummer, the shrub produces heavy crops of small, round, bright red cherries with a sweet-tart flavor good for fresh eating, jam, jelly, or wine. Its dense, twiggy growth also makes it useful as an informal hedge or windbreak. Hardy to zone 2, it tolerates cold, wind, and poor soil better than nearly any other fruiting cherry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Garden \u0026amp; Kitchen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFresh eating:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pick ripe cherries in early summer for a sweet-tart snack off the bush.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJam and jelly:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cook the small fruit with sugar for a distinctive, tart-sweet preserve.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHomemade wine:\u003c\/strong\u003e Use ripe cherries as a base for traditional cherry wine or cordial.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWindbreak or hedge planting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant in a row for a dense, cold-hardy hedge or shelterbelt.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePollinator support:\u003c\/strong\u003e Let plants bloom fully in early spring for one of the season's first nectar sources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrnamental shrub border:\u003c\/strong\u003e Use for its fragrant spring bloom and form in a mixed shrub border.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Nanking Cherry Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStart method:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cold stratify seeds; fresh seed benefits from moist, cold treatment.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStratification:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chill seeds in moist sand or a damp towel for 90-120 days before sowing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sprouts in spring following stratification, sometimes over an extended period.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun for the best flowering and fruit production.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tolerates a wide range of soils, including poor, sandy, or rocky ground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatering:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate water while establishing; drought-tolerant once mature.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Space plants 6-8 feet apart for hedging, or wider for specimens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate to fast; expect flowering and fruiting within 2-3 years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePruning:\u003c\/strong\u003e Prune lightly after fruiting to maintain shape and encourage bloom.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pick cherries once fully red and slightly soft, typically early to midsummer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reliable to zone 2, among the most cold-hardy fruiting shrubs available.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePollination note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant more than one seedling for best fruit set, since seedlings vary.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBefore You Close This Page\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the fruiting shrub that makes real fruit production possible where cherries shouldn't grow. Nanking Cherry survives zone 2 winters, blooms fragrant and early each spring, and delivers a genuine sweet-tart harvest by summer, all from a plant tough enough to double as a windbreak or hedge. Give it sun and patience from seed, and it rewards you with fruit and flowers few other shrubs can match in cold country. Grow the cherry that doesn't care how hard the winter gets.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"terramatergardens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54418802573630,"sku":"11593","price":3.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/8836\/7166\/files\/candles-5786.png?v=1789146337","url":"https:\/\/www.terramatergardens.com\/products\/nanking-cherry-seeds","provider":"Terra Mater Gardens","version":"1.0","type":"link"}