Growing nanking cherry

stone fruit

Pollination

Needs a second Nanking cherry (an easy seedling hedge does this by itself).

Growing it

Zones 2-7. A dense shrub cherry grown as a hedge or windbreak, smothered in small tart-sweet fruit in early summer. Short-lived (15-20 years) but easy from seed.

Will you get enough chill?

Nanking Cherry needs roughly 600–1200 hours between 32 and 45 °F over winter to break dormancy evenly. Check your area with the chill hours calculator. Low-chill breeding has pushed many varieties well below the figure here, so read the plant tag.

Chill and pollination are given at the fruit-type level; specific cultivars can differ. Values are typical ranges for home-garden planning.