Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry Bush

Prunus besseyi 'Pawnee Buttes'

$94⁹⁹

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Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Highlights

Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry Bush highlights at a glance!

Specifications

Brand

Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name

Prunus besseyi 'Pawnee Buttes'
Growing Zones

3-8
Mature Height

15 - 18 inches
Mature Spread

4 - 6 feet
Sun Exposure

Full Sun
Moisture

Low Once Established
Soil

Well Drained
Growth Rate

Medium
Flower Color

White
Fall Color

Red, Orange, Pink, Purple
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Pollinator Required

No
Fragrant

Yes
Pruning Time

After Flowering
Bloom Period

Early Spring, Late Spring

Growing Zones 3-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

This western U.S. native is an exemplary model of a dynamic, beneficial, and energetic shrub with a wide variety of uses. The Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi 'Pawnee Buttes') is both attractive and productive with dark cherries that are edible for you and your local wildlife!

The Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry creates quite the spectacle of highly fragrant clusters of white flowers that bust out all along the branches in spring. These drifts of sparkling blossoms are valuable nectar and pollen-rich resources for pollinators and beneficial insects! As for summer, you will appreciate this shrub's even green ovate leaves with a hint of silver sheen and gloss. And when fall arrives, your Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry will blush to a rich, vibrant ruby-red!

The Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry spreads far and wide but keeps a joyous and celebratory form. This low-growing shrub offers delight season after season. Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 8, this 18-inch high shrub can spread 4-6 feet for wide coverage!

Planting and Application:

While the Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry rarely gets above knee height, it spreads quite well. Named for the nutrient-starved, yet picturesque Pawnee Buttes® trail in Colorado, this makes it a fantastic native edible groundcover!

As a native Western Sand Cherry, you can also use this beauty as a low-growing feature in your native planting garden or as an attractive Xeriscape addition. In fact, this is a great choice for those hard-to-plant areas of the yard with drier soil. Along sidewalks, driveways, the hell strip along the road, and any location with poor soil, sun-parched, baked ground suit these shrubs just fine!

For a bold and impactful mass planting, use these lovely plants to create a sea of ever-changing interest. Most gardeners use their Pawnee Buttes® like the Gro-Low Sumac, but with edible fruit and wonderful fall color! The fruit and dense branching become prime bird and wildlife shelter and food sources!

Prolific Clusters of White Flowers
Pollinator & Bird-Friendly
Low Growing, Spreading Form
Native Western Sand Cherry
Xeriscape Beauty, Low Hedges, Erosion Control & Wildlife

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Plant your Sand Cherry in full sun and quick-draining soil for best performance. As a Xeriscape favorite, the Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry is highly adaptable and also takes to pruning well after blooming. Give it well-drained soil with lots of organic matter and Nature Hills Root Booster to set up the root system for life with symbiotic mycorrhizal fungal support from day one.

Provide new plants with regular water throughout their first year, but once established, these native cultivars become drought-tolerant! You can top-dress the entire root system with 3-4 inches of arborist mulch to help your tree thrive with minimal supplemental moisture. Prune in the spring after the flush of flowers, but to enjoy both flowers and fruit, renewal prune in spring to remove the oldest, fattest branches and let younger, more vigorous stems take their place.

Full Sun
Well-Drained Poor to Average Soil
Moderate to Low Moisture Needs - Drought Tolerant Once Established
Prune/Renewal Prune In Spring
Drought-Tolerant Deciduous Shrub

Don't pass up your opportunity for a unique, rare, and striking shrub that will provide your yard with endless interest. Prepare your garden, the Pawnee Buttes® Western Sand Cherry is ready to make your yard their home!