Prunus pumila Depressa

The Prunus pumila var. depressa is often called Sand Cherry or Sand Plum, due to its curiously prostrate habit, widely spreading. Its delightful white flowering, in the heart of spring, followed by small black and edible cherries, unmistakably links this astonishing deciduous and ground-covering bush to the large family of ornamental cherries. Autumn paints its small foliage with red and orange tones, which is stunning when it overflows from flower pots or spreads in large blankets on the ground. In the garden, it is not a plant for dry soil, but for light and well-drained soil, remaining moist even in summer. It will find its place at the edge of a flower bed, in a large and moist rockery, where it will naturally form a robust ground cover, as original as it is ornamental.

The Prunus pumila 'Depressa', from the large family of Rosaceae, is a widespread botanical species in dunes and sandy shores in Canada and much of the United States. It is a plant that prefers filtering, sandy to rocky soil, with a harsh winter climate and watering throughout the year. Of moderately fast growth, it shows a very spreading habit, supported by long reddish branches that creep on the ground. Its well-developed root system has the ability to retain porous and light soils. At maturity, it will not exceed 25-35 cm (10-14in) in height with a spread of 2.50 m (8ft), spreading through rhizomes. Simultaneously with the appearance of foliage, in April-May depending on the regions, a profusion of small 5-petal flowers, 2 cm (1in) in diameter, appears in small clusters on the previous year's branches. Highly visited by bees, they give way to small fruits that resemble black cherries in late summer. While edible, they are more appreciated by birds than by humans. The deciduous foliage is composed of small, entire, leathery and elongated alternate leaves. They are 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long, fairly dark and shiny green on the upper surface, white-blue on the underside, and finely toothed along the edges. In autumn, they turn into magnificent shades of orange to red.

This surprising Prunus forms a magnificent ground cover in porous and fresh soil. Interesting for a good part of the year, very robust, it requires no pruning, except to contain its lateral growth. It will be particularly enhanced in a large rockery or at the edge of a sunny shrub bed. Perfectly hardy, it can be cultivated even in mountain gardens, always in fresh soil. It dislikes heavy and clayey soils and excessively dry conditions, but tolerates limestone very well. For example, it can be associated with other ground-covering shrubs such as roses, creeping ceanothus, cotoneaster, Nandina 'Fire Power', heathers, evergreen euonymus.