Prunus pumila
Prunus pumila
''Prunus pumila'', commonly called sand cherry with eastern, western, Great Lakes and Susquehana varieties, is a species of ''Prunus'' native to eastern and central North America, from New Brunswick west to Ontario and Montana, south to North Carolina, and southwest to Arkansas.
It is a deciduous small shrub that grows to 10–40 cm tall, forming dense clonal colonies by sprouts from the root system. The leaves are leathery, 4–7 centimetres long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in small clusters of two to four together, 15–25 millimetres diameter, with five white petals and 25–30 stamens. The fruit is a small cherry 13–15 millimetres diameter, ripening dark purple in early summer.
Systematists recognize four varieties:
: - Prunus pumila L. var. besseyi Gleason, western sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. depressa Gleason, eastern sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. pumila, Great Lakes sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. susquehanae Jaeger, Susquehana sand cherry
It is a deciduous small shrub that grows to 10–40 cm tall, forming dense clonal colonies by sprouts from the root system. The leaves are leathery, 4–7 centimetres long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in small clusters of two to four together, 15–25 millimetres diameter, with five white petals and 25–30 stamens. The fruit is a small cherry 13–15 millimetres diameter, ripening dark purple in early summer.
Systematists recognize four varieties:
: - Prunus pumila L. var. besseyi Gleason, western sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. depressa Gleason, eastern sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. pumila, Great Lakes sand cherry
: - Prunus pumila L. var. susquehanae Jaeger, Susquehana sand cherry