Sargent Cherry is a flowering tree in the rose family native to eastern Russia, Korea, and Japan. At maturity, it can reach a height of 30 feet with an equal spread and a 3 foot trunk. This ornamental tree has a graceful upright, rounded form, produces pink flowers in the early spring, and the leaves provide fall color. The bark, in particular, has rich, polished reddish to chestnut brown appearance. The genus name is from the Latin for plum or cherry tree. The species name honors Charles S. Sargent (1841-1927), the first director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Sargent Cherry grows best in full sun, in medium moisture, well drained soil. It will tolerate wind and partial shade, but not high heat and humidity, which can be a problem south of USDA Zone 7. This tree is easy to transplant and casts a dense shade. It can be used as street tree. This tree is frequently damaged by deer. There are numerous clones in cultivation, although not distinct enough to warrant separate naming, they do vary in the color of the petals and in flowering-time. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Foliage can scorch in full sun in hot summer conditions. Sargent cherry has good resistance to most of the pests that plague cherry trees. More information on Prunus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2 to 5 inch alternate, simple, shiny dark green leaves; new leaves have a reddish tinge. Elliptic to oblong with acuminate tips and serrate margins, foliage turns attractive shades of red in fall.
Fall color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
One to two inch, single, pink flowers in 2- to 4-flowered clusters (sessile umbels) appear before the foliage in spring.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small, 1/3 of an inch, glossy dark purple-black cherries ripen in early summer. This is one of the hardest cherries and is not edible.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Bark is rich, polished reddish to chestnut brown.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Russian Far East to Japan and Korea
Distribution
New York
Wildlife value
This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Small, pea-sized fruits are bitter and inedible fresh off the tree.
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly #butterfly friendly #larval host plant #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly #flowering tree #shade tree #rounded #ornamental tree #fall color #dense growth
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses