Wildlife
- Feeds birds
- Pollinators
Early white flowers feed pollinators and songbirds eat the dark summer fruit.
Ships bare root
Native
Mature plant shown. Yours ships dormant and bare root.
What arrives
1 dormant bare-root plant, about 18–24 in tall
- No leaves, no pot, no soil. Roots packed moist.
- Ships in your zone's planting window.
- Leafs out about 4–8 weeks after planting.
Native shrub · edible
Hansen's Bush Cherry
Prunus besseyi
- Ships 18–24 in tall
- 1 plant, bare root
- Zones 3–8
- Grows 4–6 ft
$11.95Was $14.95Save 20%
No reviews yet. Be the first to reviewThe quick answer
Hansen's bush cherry is a compact native sand cherry for USDA zones 3-8 that grows 4-6 ft tall and 5-8 ft wide in full sun. It is bought for small dark cherries, used fresh or in jelly, and for drought tolerance. Plants usually begin fruiting 2-3 years after planting; one plant can fruit alone, but two improve yields.
Size
height when shippedWhen it ships to you
Zone scheduleHow many?
plants
Free shipping on orders $75+$75
Healthy deliveryOr we replace it
Shipped dormantTimed to your zone
1-year warrantyStore credit, terms
Hansen's Bush Cherry plant profile
Mature size4–6 ft tall · 5–8 ft wide
Typical (4 ft)Up to 6 ft
Low, multi-stemmed shrub with a spreading habit.
USDA hardiness zones3–8
Sun & growth
SlowMediumFast
Needs full sun for best fruiting; tolerates heat and dry sites. Fruit in about 2–3 years.
SoilpH 4.5–7.5
4 acidic6.59 alkaline
Prefers well-drained soil but tolerates most soils, including clay and sand.
Native to the USEdible harvestRed fall colorHedge & screen
Flowers & fruit
- Fruit in 2–3 yrs
- Edible
White flowers in spring are followed by dark purple to black cherries in summer, used fresh or for jelly and preserves.
Leaves & fall color
Red in fall. Narrow gray-green leaves turn red in fall.
Pests & disease
Generally trouble-free; watch for aphids and black knot, which affects many Prunus.
Pruning
Prune in late winter to remove dead wood and the oldest unproductive stems.
Bare root vs potted
Skip the garden-center markup.
Garden centers buy young plants, pot them, grow them another season and mark them up. We ship yours dormant and bare root, timed to your planting window.
Bare root, from us$11.95ships dormant
Example: 3-gal potted American hazelnut$70–$140online retail prices checked Oct 2026
A year with your Hansen's Bush Cherry
SPRINGWhite flowers along the stems
SUMMERDark purple to black cherries ripen
LATE SUMMERHarvest finishes; gray-green leaves
FALLRed fall color
Questions people ask about Hansen's Bush Cherry
Is Hansen's bush cherry self-pollinating?
A single plant can set fruit, but planting two or more near each other generally gives a heavier crop.
How tall does Hansen's bush cherry get?
It stays a low, spreading shrub about 4-6 ft tall and 5-8 ft wide.
How long until a sand cherry bears fruit?
Harvest usually begins 2-3 years after planting, with full production around year 3-4.
Does Hansen's bush cherry grow in zone 3?
Yes. Western sand cherry is hardy in USDA zones 3-8 and handles cold, wind and dry sites well.
What will arrive when I order a bush cherry?
You will receive a dormant bare-root plant with no leaves, ready to plant as soon as the ground can be worked.
Plant it in 4 steps
- Soak the roots in cold water overnight before planting.
- Dig twice as wide as the roots; plant at the depth it grew.
- Water, then mulch. No fertilizer the first season.
- Water regularly until it's established.
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Plant facts checked October 2026 against: University of Minnesota, https://byf.unl.edu/western-sandcherry-prunus-besseyi/, University of Wisconsin–Madison.