Nanking Cherry

• The Nanking cherry tree (Prunus tormentosa) bears small pink or bright red fruits with a strong cherry taste combining sweet and tart flavors. This cold-resistant tree is native to the rugged mountains of central Asia, where wintertime temperatures can drop below -50 degrees Fahrenheit. It is hardy in United States Department of Agriculture Growing Zones 3 to 6, a region encompassing most of the northern United States and southern Canada. Nanking cherry trees reach a mature height and width of around 10 feet. Their tasty fruits emerge from delicate, paper-light, pink blossoms, which burst forth in the spring. Each tree produces 15 to 25 pounds of fruit annually and requires no pruning. In addition to being well adapted to low temperatures, this tree is resistant to drought.
  
  

Wild Cherry

• A wild cherry trees are medicinal.Wild Cherry Blossoms image by Andreja Donko from Fotolia.com
  
  The wild cherry tree (Prunus serotina), also known as the black cherry or rum cherry, is a hardy cherry species indigenous to North America. During the summer months, it produces an abundant supply of medium-sized, sweet, juicy fruits, which darken to a near-black purple color when ripe. This tree grows to average heights of 40 to 60 feet. It has scaly gray bark and elongated, oval-shaped green leaves, which turn golden and orange in autumn. In the spring, it bears diminutive white blossoms. The inner bark of this tree is an herbal medicine.
  
  Wild cherry trees are hardy in USDA Growing Zones 4 to 9. They require full sun and flourish in regions receiving about 20 to 80 inches of rain per year.
  
  

Mongolian Cherry

• Another rugged cherry tree able to withstand northern winters is the Mongolian cherry (Prunus fruticosa). Mongolia cherries grow from three to six feet high, bearing glossy dark green leaves and white blossoms which give way to small, tart, dark-red fruit. This cherry is hardy to Growing Zone 2 (Northern Canada), making it the most cold-resistant cherry. Its dense, bush-like form makes the Mongolian cherry an ideal hedge or privacy shrub. Its fruit are commonly utilized to prepare jams and pies.
  
  

Sour Cherry

• Sour cherry trees thive in sunny locations.sour cherries image by dwags from Fotolia.com
  
  The sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is hardy in Growing Zones 4 to 9, or much of the central United States. It bears distinctive, glowing red, extra tart round fruit, which are harvested during the summer months. This cherry grows from 12 to 15 feet when pruned, reaching heights of 50 feet when left to its own defenses. Like many cherry trees, it thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Popular varieties include Montmorency, Danube, Meteor and Northstar.