Prunus cerasifera
Origin: Western Asia/SE Europe (via Oregon)
Improvement status: Unknown
Seeds per packet: ~10
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Cherry plum is a little-known plum species (at least in this country) with delicious edible fruit that is just starting to catch on here in the US. As with other members of the Prunus genus, there's a great deal of diversity to this species. They can be found in a range of colors, sizes, and flavors. Sweet-when-ripe types are eaten fresh (or made into jams, etc), while sour-when-ripe types are used for sauces, soups, pickles, etc. Cherry plums will readily hybridize with other Prunus species, and they have been used to develop many beautiful ornamental types, including some with all red-purple foliage. They can make very handsome bonsais.
Native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, cherry plums are particularly popular in the Caucasus Mountains. In the Republic of Georgia, the national condiment (as popular as ketchup is here) is a cherry plum-based sauce called tkemali. In Romania, the unripe fruits are used to sour soups while the overripe fruits are used to make moonshine. A green dye can be made from the leaves, and a green/grey dye from the fruit.
GROWING TIPS: For best results, soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours then warm-moist stratify for 30-60, days followed by 120 days of cold-moist stratification in the fridge. Keep at room temperature after treatment to sprout. We recommend using a good potting mix in gallon ziplock bags, so you can keep an eye on them but also protect them from being eaten by rodents. Nursing the young trees in a pot for the first couple years is wise, before planting out in a full-sun location and protecting the tree from predation by deer, rabbits, and other critters.
