Downy Cherry is a flowering, perennial, deciduous shrub or small tree in the rose family native to Asia. At maturity, it will reach a height of 10 feet with an equal or larger spread. In early spring, it will produce white and pink blossoms that are very attractive, but short-lived. The petals are fragile and easily fall. The foliage is wrinkled and dark green with good fall color. Edible red fruits appear in mid-summer. The plant is commonly called downy cherry because of the layer of down that covers leaves, stems, and fruits. The genus name comes from the Latin for plum or cherry. The species name, like the common name, refers to the thick mat of hairs on the leaves. Plant in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Established plants will tolerate drought and winter conditions. However, it does less well in heat and humidity and is not recommended for sites south of USDA Zone 7. Because the blossoms are so fragile, the plant should be sited where it is sheltered from wind. Propagate this shrub with stem cuttings or by seed. It does have a relatively long lifespan. Use this ornamental plant as a shrub border, mass plant it, or create a hedge or windbreak. Be aware it does naturalize in the landscape, but is not considered invasive. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Borers can be an issue and brown-rot fungus for stressed trees. The plant generally performs poorly in the south due to heat and humidity. 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
Clay; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Irregular; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Slightly wrinkled, serrate, dark green leaves are 2 to 3 inches long. The pointed tips are pubescent (hairy) above and densely lanuginous (greater pubescence) beneath.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Profuse white to light pink 5-petaled flowers 3/4 of an inch across, solitary or in pairs, appear in the spring.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Flowers are followed by red fruits (to 1/3 of an inch across) which ripen in June-July. More closely related to plums than cherries.
Bark color
Black
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Caucasus, China, Japan, Russian Far East
Distribution
Introduced to the Northeastern United States and Central Europe.
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. Birds enjoy the fruits.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Pome
Edibility
Fruits are edible and range from tart to sweet. Use them in jams, jellies, pies and tarts.