Nanking Cherry is a perennial grown for its white blooms, which open in late spring and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 7 and shrugs off deer. Its late spring flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Nanking Cherry — the short answer
Nanking Cherry: grown in zones 2–7, full sun, pH 4.5–7.5, ~2 yr to first harvest.
- USDA zones
- 2–7
- Hardy to zone 2a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 4.5–7.5
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Converted from New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and NMSU (New Mexico conditions)
- To First Harvest
- ~2 yr
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 23°F
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Which pests actually threaten nanking cherry where you grow?
Japanese beetle is only documented in part of the country, so the answer depends on where you plant. Enter your location and we'll tell you which one reaches your land — and the move that beats it.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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What Nanking Cherry is
Nanking Cherry grows as a perennial and reaches around eight feet at maturity. It blooms white in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.
Deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Nanking Cherry
Nanking Cherry grows in USDA zones 2 through 7. Nanking Cherry does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
2-7
Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
Soil pH
4.5 - 7.5
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Full Sun
Converted from New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and NMSU (New Mexico conditions)
Drainage
well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost Kill Temperature
23°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Minimum Growing Temperature
44.6°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
To First Harvest
~2 years
Nanking cherry; cold-hardy ornamental edible; seed needs cold strat. ~2 yr from rooted cutting; bush cherry.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
8 ft
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
Start the season right
Plant nanking cherry in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Nanking Cherry prefers pH 4.5 to 7.5. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut nanking cherry blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Nanking Cherry thrives
Nanking Cherry is hardy across USDA zones 2 through 7. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 2–7 spans average winter lows from -50°F to 10°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 23 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 2–7·Where Nanking Cherry growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Nanking Cherry stands, state by state
Nanking Cherry is rated for zones 2–7 — a cold floor USDA puts at -50 to -40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 23 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 2–7
23 states
3 of 23 shown
The line runs through
25 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 25 shown
Nanking Cherry’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Nanking Cherry
Growing guides for nanking cherry
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — nanking cherry is toxic to dogs, cats and horses (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, which lists the genus Prunus, not this species by name, as potentially dangerous to pets.)
Nanking Cherry is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land is one point inside Nanking Cherry's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Nanking Cherry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether nanking cherry actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Nanking Cherry
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Nanking Cherry in my zone?
Nanking Cherry grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7 (Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Nanking Cherry?
Most growers plant nanking cherry after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Nanking Cherry need?
Nanking Cherry needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Nanking Cherry need?
Nanking Cherry prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Nanking Cherry attract pollinators?
Yes — nanking cherry's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Is Nanking Cherry safe for pets?
Nanking Cherry is toxic to dogs, cats and horses with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, which lists the genus Prunus, not this species by name, as potentially dangerous to pets.)
Keep exploring Nanking Cherry
Nanking Cherry state by state
Every state nanking cherry's zone reaches — 27 link straight to that state's nanking cherry growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.