Other Names:  Dwarf Bush Cherry

Description:

A dwarf ornamental shrub featuring showy white flowers with deep pink centers, followed by tart cherries in summer, good for jams; a great specimen or hedge plant; very adaptable and hardy

Edible Qualities

Joy Bush Cherry is a small shrub that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces red round fruit (technically 'drupes') with red flesh which are usually ready for picking in late summer. Note that the fruits have hard inedible pits inside which must be removed before eating or processing. The fruits have a tart taste and a firm texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Baking
• Preserves

Features & Attributes

Joy Bush Cherry is covered in stunning fragrant white flowers with hot pink eyes along the branches in early spring before the leaves. It has green deciduous foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding yellow in the fall. The fruits are showy red drupes carried in abundance from mid to late summer.

This is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Joy Bush Cherry is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Joy Bush Cherry will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This shrub is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Joy Bush Cherry is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.