Prunus tenella, the dwarf Russian almond, is a deciduous shrub up to about 1.5 m tall, grown for its profuse spring blossom and exceptional winter hardiness. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and it is often sold as the cultivar 'Fire Hill' with red flowers.
Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water young plants regularly until established, then allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil; tolerates poor, dry, stony ground.
Temperature
Very hardy; tolerates severe winter cold, down to about -30 °C.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
C. & SE. Europe to Xinjiang and Caucasus
Climate
temperate
About
Prunus tenella, the dwarf Russian almond, is a species of deciduous shrub in the genus Prunus, native to steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Siberia, as well as dry open sites of Caucasus, Western and Central Asia.
It yields small almond-like hairy fruits with characteristic flavor. It grows to 1.5 m (5 ft) and is a popular ornamental plant in cold temperate regions, valued for its profuse spring blossom and exceptional winter hardiness. It was formerly included in Prunus sect. Amygdalus, but molecular phylogenetic studies indicate it is closely related to bush cherries, apricots and plums, rather than almonds.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus tenella 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.