Pawnee Buttes Creeping Western Sand Cherry
Frederick, Colorado area landscapes {Monthly Series}
Pawnee Buttes Creeping Western Sand Cherry, or Prunus pumila besseyi PAWNEE BUTTES is a low growing creeping variety of the Western Sand Cherry that has become a popular groundcover plant for xeric landscapes along the Front Range of Colorado. It does well in out Frederick Colorado landscapes, especially in the hot and dry street strips of many of our residential neighborhoods because it can handle the heat. It needs some initial irrigation to become established, but has proven time and again that it can take the long hot dry summers with little additional irrigation. This is a full sun shrubby groundcover that can handle very partial shade.
When it becomes covered in white to light pink flowers early in the spring, like most Cherries, it adds a colorful splash to the early season landscape. It drops those flowers and flushes with foliage by early May and hardens off to an extremely drought tolerant low grower throughout the season. It holds onto leaves, turning bright crimson late into the fall and adorns itself with black, small, cherries that birds love. It tolerates most soil conditions, but would prefer to not be drowned in heavy clay. Amend heavy clay soils with planter’s mix when planting. Minimal additional irrigation will insure vigorous growth. Prune back once mature to 18” to let plant rejuvenate. It spreads to 6’ so give it plenty of room to do its thing.
Some photos by Keith Williamson from Little Valley Wholesale Nursery and Plant Select.
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