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Prunus fruticosa
Also called European Ground Cherry, Mongolian Cherry, Steppe Cherry, Ground Cherry
Prunus fruticosa is a deciduous, cold-hardy, drought-tolerant shrub of the rose family that suckers into thickets, growing 1–2 m high and wide, grown for its small tart cherries and as a honey plant. Note the sources describe this single species, not a genus.
Prunus fruticosa, the European dwarf cherry, dwarf cherry, Mongolian cherry or steppe cherry is a deciduous, xerophytic, winter-hardy, cherry-bearing shrub. It is also called ground cherry and European ground cherry, but is not to be confused with plants in the distinct "Groundcherry" genus of Physalis.
Prunus fruticosa is native to central and southeastern Europe, Ukraine, European Russia, the northern Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and the Altai.
As a sour tasting cherry, the fruit is used in cooking, and for jams and jellies. It has medicinal uses as an astringent. The flowers are its basis of bee-keeping honey plant.
Prunus adenopoda · Red stinkwood · Prunus aitchisonii · Alabama cherry · Prunus alaica · Allegheny plum · American plum · Prunus amplifolia · Almond · Desert peach · Chickasaw plum · Prunus annularis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus fruticosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
