woodland shrub
Fire cherry
Prunus pensylvanica
1 of 2Native to much of the USA and Canada
Labrador to eastern British Columbia, south to New Jersey, South Carolina mountains, Illinois and South Dakota
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 2–8 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–Jun Flowering time
- Height up to 50 ft to 15.2 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland shrub for full sun and lean, dry soil. Its white flowers peak in May. At up to 50 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 2–8.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Fire cherry's white flowers bloom April to June, peaking in May. This late-spring display draws bees and butterflies.
Fire cherry blooms whiteFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also Western Honey Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Tricolored Bumble Bee +11 more
Red-belted Bumble Bee, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Blue Orchard Bee, Hawthorn Mining Bee, Cryptic Bumble Bee, Black-and-gray Leafcutter Bee, Cherry Mining Bee, Sphecodes sophiae, Milwaukee Mining Bee - Butterflies Monarch
also Painted Lady, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Northern Azure +3 more
Red-disked Alpine, Incisalia niphon, Juvenal's Duskywing - Beetles Bimaculate Longhorn Beetle
- Also visited by
- Moths: Bluish Spring Moth, Fragile Dagger
- Flower flies: Short-haired Leafwalker
- Wasps: Common Aerial Yellowjacket
- Birds: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Canadian tiger swallowtailhost & nectar
- Eastern tiger swallowtailhost & nectar
- Coral hairstreakcaterpillar host
- Pale swallowtailcaterpillar host
- Red-spotted purplecaterpillar host
- Western tiger swallowtailcaterpillar host
- Eastern pine elfinnectar
- Monarch butterflynectar
- Painted ladynectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Much of the USA and CanadaUnited States (24): CT, IA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (10): AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Labrador to eastern British Columbia, south to New Jersey, South Carolina mountains, Illinois and South DakotaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 2–8 · Canadian 1–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Rocky or sandy, well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 4.3–7.3The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 50 ft (to 15.2 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~26 ft (8 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 20+ in (51+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Apr–JunWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Jun–AugThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- Poisonous if eatenWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, cuttings, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- RapidHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.