Nanking Cherry Bush (Prunus tomentosa) Seeds

Description

Nanking Cherry seeds from 30-year old shrubs, grown without pesticides or artificial fertilizers.
10 seeds per package. Limited to one package per customer. Shipped within 24 hours.

Seeds may be sown in the fall for germination in the spring. (These require attention to rodent protection and soil moisture.)

Stratified seed may be planted in the spring. (Seeds . . . [should] be held in a moist cold environment – a slightly opened plastic baggie filled with dampened sand, vermiculite, sphagnum or peat moss in a refrigerator.) Stratify the seeds at 33°F to 41°F. Nankings require approx. 90 to 100 days. Soak in water for 24 hours before putting in refrigerator (scarification).

Cited from Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation Principles and Practices (1959 edition) and the NAFEX (North American Fruit Explorers) handbook at http://www.ibiblio.org/london/NAFEX/message-archives/old/msg03423.html.
For more information, see the Utah University Extension Horticulture bulletin Nanking Cherry in the Garden (August 2016, Horticulture/Fruit/2016-03pr) at
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2587&context=extension_curall. 01/20/2018.

Prepare soil deeply and widely as possible – 2 x 2 feet in poor soil. Bushes will grow to minimum 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide.

Seeds are planted approx. 1 inch deep. Soil is firmly pressed down and kept moist. Plants bloom within 2 to 4 years. Fragrant pinkish-white flowers in the spring. Low water needs, pest resistant, cold and wind hardy. Cherries are sweet/tart. They are great eaten out of hand.  Nanking cherry jelly and syrup are ruby red, tangy/sweet, and unique in flavor. Attractive to birds, not deer.

Germination and plant types are not guaranteed because of all the variables in planting, environment, and genetics. Seeds may result in a cherry bush different from the parent plant.