Shrub · Rosaceae

Sandcherry

Prunus pumila · includes its varieties and subspecies

Sandcherry is recorded as native to 23 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 398 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Sandcherry at a glance

Native in: 398 counties, across 23 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a PLANTS minimum temperature −33°F
Mature height: 6 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Low water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −33°F; zone 4a winters bottom out at −30°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 398 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Colorado 10 counties
Illinois 9 counties
Indiana 14 counties
Iowa 1 county
Kansas 16 counties
Maine 10 counties
Massachusetts 12 counties
Michigan 56 counties
Minnesota 45 counties
Nebraska 38 counties
New Hampshire 10 counties
New Jersey 8 counties
New York 27 counties
North Dakota 25 counties
Ohio 1 county
Oregon 1 county
Pennsylvania 27 counties
South Dakota 22 counties
Tennessee 2 counties
Utah 2 counties
Vermont 7 counties
Wisconsin 47 counties
Wyoming 8 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 6 ft
Growth rate: Slow
Growth form: Multiple Stem
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Low water use
Drought tolerance: Medium
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 15 to 50 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 5.9 to 7
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: High
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 24 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −33°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 125
Fire tolerance: Low

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: White
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Late Spring
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Black

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Routinely Available
Family: Rosaceae
PLANTS symbol: PRPU3

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Prunus pumila (PLANTS symbol PRPU3), including 1 variety or subspecies folded into the species.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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