Mongolian Cherry vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Mongolian Cherry vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

Prunus fruticosa

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2027)

CUSTOM GROW

Opata Cherry Plum
Mongolian Cherry

Opata Cherry Plum is considered to be one of the best tasting Cherry Plum varieties. It has a pleasant, sweet flavour and a hint of acidity. They ripen in mid to late August and are well suited to fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

The fruit is closer to a plum than a cherry but is smaller than most plums.The Opata Cherry Plum’s skin is red/green whereas the flesh is yellow-green. The flesh is freestone with a juicy, firm texture. Similar to other stone fruits, it does not store for very long.

The Opata Cherry Plum is a hybrid between a Western Sand Cherry and a Japanese (Chinese) Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

Mongolian Cherry is a hardy shrub that is often grown as an ornamental. This plant makes an attractive flowering hedgerow that requires little maintenance. The dark red cherries are tart and desirable for baking, wine-making, and canning. This shrub is popular with wildlife.

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Mongolian Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: clusters of white flowers
Fruit: skin green and red, flesh yellow-green
Fruit: tart dark red cherry
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Harvest: mid to late August
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry
Other Names: dwarf cherry, european dwarf cherry, steppe cherry