Canada Plum vs Sour Cherry - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum vs Sour Cherry

Prunus nigra

Prunus cerasus

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Canada Plum
Sour Cherry

Canada Plum is a short and stout fruit tree native to North America.

This hardy ornamental is excellent for both city dwellings as well as rural areas. During the spring, the white and pink blossoms are long lasting. The tasty fruit is suitable for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. These trees are not widely distributed and pure seed can be hard to come by.

Commonly used as rootstock and is considered universal pollinizers for other plum varieties.

Sour Cherry is cold-hardy and typically grows as a small tree. In late spring, it produces clusters of fragrant white blossoms that mature into bright red, tart fruit. Although the cherries can be eaten fresh, they are most commonly used in baking and preserves.

While not native to North America, Sour Cherry serves as a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), a butterfly native to eastern North America.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting near additional cherry trees for cross-pollination can increase yields.

This Sour Cherry is produced from seed collected from an Evans Cherry and is not clonally reproduced.

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Sour Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum