Pawnee Buttes Sand Cherry

Pawnee Buttes sand cherry is a low-growing, spreading form of the native sand cherry shrub. It has lustrous green leaves on graceful, trailing stems. This shrub can make a nice groundcover.

Small clusters of fragrant white flowers bloom in early spring. They turn to black fruit by midsummer, which are attractive to wildlife. The leaves turn red to purple in the fall and drop when winter arrives. 

 

Pawnee Buttes Sand Cherry

Pawnee Buttes sand cherry is a low-growing, spreading form of the native sand cherry shrub. It has lustrous green leaves on graceful, trailing stems. This shrub can make a nice groundcover.

Small clusters of fragrant white flowers bloom in early spring. They turn to black fruit by midsummer, which are attractive to wildlife. The leaves turn red to purple in the fall and drop when winter arrives. 

 

Plant details
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Botanic Name

Prunus besseyi 'P011S'

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Pronunciation

PROO-nus BES-see-eye

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Mature Height

15 to 18 in.

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Mature Spread

4 to 6 ft.

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Water usage
Water Usage

One Droplet: Water twice per month or less, once established.

Two Droplets: Water about once per week, once established.

Three Droplets: Water about twice per week, once established.

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Flower Color

white

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Bloom time

April to May

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Colorado Native

Yes

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Natural Habitat

northwestern North America

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Light Requirements

sun, part shade

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Cold Hardiness

USDA zones 3-6

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Elevation Limit

hardy to 9,000 ft.

See in a landscape

This downtown backyard was previously fence-to-fence Kentucky bluegrass and required too much water and maintenance. The yard was renovated to add a patio for outdoor living space, a small area of turfgrass for the family dog and a large mulched planting area that accommodates the raised vegetable beds. Drip irrigation waters the plants in the mulched areas on one zone and a separate drip zone waters the raised beds since vegetables need to be watered more frequently than shrubs and perennials. This renovation saved water and time by minimizing the turfgrass and keeping the plan simple.

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