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Pin Cherry

Prunus pensylvanica

Pin cherry is a fast, short-lived pioneer that floods burned and cleared land with white bloom, then bright red cherries beloved by birds. Its quick shade nurses the next forest.

Family
Rosaceae
Type
tree
Lifespan
perennial
Height
15–30 ft
Spacing
15–25 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
dry, moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Bloom
April, May
Bloom colors
white
Wildlife value
pollinators, songbirds, butterflies, larval host
Caterpillar hosts
~456 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, hedge or screen
Native states
CO, CT, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, NH, NY, PA, RI, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV