Nanking Cherry vs Crimson Passion Cherry

Nanking Cherry is a small deciduous shrub known for its attractive white blossoms and edible fruit. Its dark red berries are excellent for pies, jellies, and even fresh eating.

Nanking Cherry is highly regarded as a shade tolerant fruit. We often see it planted as a hedge on the north side of a house where few other plants will survive, let alone thrive.

Expect fruit mid to late July. The fruit can vary in sweetness and size considerably. We often hear that people prefer it to sour cherries. Perhaps this is because Nanking Cherry is more closely related to plums. In fact, it is sometimes used as a dwarfing rootstock for plums.

Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Nanking Cherry seeds at SeedTime.ca.

Crimson Passion Cherry is a cold-hardy dwarf sour cherry. It produces deep, dark burgundy fruit that are larger and sweeter than other varieties, with a texture that is similar to sweet cherries. They are one of the top varieties for fresh eating but are also well-suited to baking and preserves. In the spring, beautiful white flowers cover the branches, adding ornamental value.

Crimson Passion Cherry was developed at the University of Saskatchewan. It is recommended to grow dwarf sour cherries as a shrub rather than a small tree. The shrub form tends to bear fruit earlier and is less susceptible to winterkill.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting with additional varieties for cross-pollination can increase yields.

Compare Nanking Cherry with

Compare Crimson Passion Cherry with