From the nursery

nanking cherry just starting to ripen on this shaded bush

nanking cherry just starting to ripen on this shaded bush. it's july 12, and we're in southern MB - the 35C this week should move things along, an other years I've picked ripe nanking right in this range about the middle of the month. the fruit will hang on for about two weeks, until it's so ripe that it drops or wildlife eat them. nanking is a drupe, not exactly a cherry or a plum, more of a cherry for sure, and the species is P. tomentosa which means fuzzy or hairy, and that's a quality in the leaves that can help identify the bush. they're a sour cherry, but when ripe not very tart i would rate them 2-3 out of 10, enough that it adds a nice balance if you make them into a preserve. you can pit them, but it's tricky because of the size. good to eat fresh for sure, picked off the bush when you walk by.