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Pink Candles Nanking Cherry vs Opata Cherry Plum
Prunus tomentosa Pink Candles
Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata
NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON
NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON
(new stock expected: fall of 2026)
The Pink Candles Nanking Cherry is a small deciduous cultivar of the Nanking Cherry with attractive pink flowers that then form edible fruit. The flowers emerge close to the branches resembling a pink candle, giving this cultivar its name. The berries are scarlet in colour with a sweet and slightly tart flavor. It fruits mid to late July, and the fruit size and flavor can vary greatly.
The Pink Candles Nanking Cherry is a good choice for use in hedges. It is closely related to plum trees so it can pollinate certain plum species.
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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.