Pawnee Buttes Western Sand Cherry or Prunus besseyi 'Pawnee Buttes' is an excellent, creeping form of Western Sand Cherry discovered in eastern Colorado. Showy glossy silver-green foliage turns a striking red in fall. A profusion of small, fragrant, white flowers last until mid-spring followed by sweet, black fruit. This fruit is edible and can be eaten fresh, dried, or in jams or jellies. It is also highly valued by wildlife. The foliage is attractive during the summer months and then turns a handsome dark red or purple color in the fall.

This plant is host to a plethora of native moths and butterflies, including the Bella Moth, Spotted Apatelodes Moth, Twin-spotted Sphinx, Wild Cherry Sphinx moth, Coral Hairstreak, Hummingbird Clearwing moth, Red-spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Cherry Scallop Shell Moth, Luna Moth, Io Moth, Giant Leopard Moth, Funerary Dagger Moth, and Harris’s Three-spot, among 400 or more others others!

Western Sand Cherry prefers areas with more moisture, but can also handle hot, dry spots as well. Add this early bloomer to the back of garden beds or borders, the edges of woodland or shade gardens, or use as a privacy screen or hedge.  Best grown in zones 2-8.

Deciduous. Growing to a height and width of 1.5' x 3.5'