Sour Cherry
Prunus cerasus
- Native to:
- North Caucasus
Dmitry Makeev
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- Prunus cerasus
- USDA Symbol:
- PRCE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 800 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★★★ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Grote's Pinion (Lithophane grotei), Acronicta impleta, Acronicta superans, American lappet moth (Phyllodesma americana), Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), Ashen Pinion (Lithophane antennata), Bethune's Pinion (Lithophane bethunei), Black-etched Prominent (Cerura scitiscripta), blackthorn dagger (Acronicta pruni), Blinded Sphinx (Paonias excaecata), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Buck Moth (Hemileuca maia), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), clear dagger moth (Acronicta clarescens), Columbia silk moth (Hyalophora columbia), Curve-lined looper (Lambdina fervidaria), Dead-wood Borer Moth (Scolecocampa liburna), Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana), Elegant Sheep Moth (Hemileuca eglanterina), Euxoa tessellata, Eversmann's rustic (Actebia fennica), fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Fervid Plagodis (Plagodis fervidaria), Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), Greater Red Dart (Abagrotis alternata), Hemigraphiphora plebeia, Hemina Pinion (Lithophane hemina), Heterocampa biundata, hibiscus Quaker (Orthosia hibisci), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Homohadena badistriga, Huckleberry sphinx (Paonias astylus), Interrupted Dagger Moth (Acronicta interrupta), Io moth (Automeris io), lanceolate dagger moth (Acronicta lanceolaria), Large Tolype (Tolype velleda), Linden looper (Erannis tiliaria), Lithophane laticinerea, Malana balsa moth (Balsa malana), Manchester treble-bar (Carsia sororiata), Morrison's sallow (Eupsilia morrisoni), Parornix geminatella, Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Promethea silkmoth (Callosamia promethea), Radcliffe's dagger moth (Acronicta radcliffei), Red-humped caterpillar moth (Schizura concinna), Saddled Prominent (Heterocampa guttivitta), Sidus sallow (Eupsilia sidus), Silver-spotted Tiger Moth (Lophocampa argentata), Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops), southern tussock moth (Dasychira meridionalis), speckled cutworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), Twin-spotted sphinx (Smerinthus jamaicensis), Unicorn caterpillar moth (Schizura unicornis), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Warner's metarranthis moth (Metarranthis warnerae), Western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californica), Western tussock moth (Orgyia vetusta), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Wild Cherry Sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Harkenclenus titus, Red-spotted Purple (Basilarchia arthemis), Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops), Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Hummingbirds: Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees, butterflies
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Prefers sunny locations with good air circulation
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification and may have erratic germination. Light is not required for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI