Jade Parade® Sandcherry (Prunus pumila ‘UCONNPP002’)

Categories: Drought Tolerant | Dry Site | Erosion Control | Pollination | Sandy Site | Salt Tolerant | Shrubs Under 5′ | Urban Site | Wildlife

Jade Parade® Sandcherry is a low-growing nativar of the woody native species Prunus pumila. Selected for its spreading habit, fragrant spring flowers, vibrant fall color, and exceptional tolerance of challenging landscape conditions. Growing about 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide, it forms a dense, semi-prostrate groundcover with horizontal branches that arch upward at the tips.

Jade Parade® produces abundant, sweetly fragrant white flowers in spring. These blooms attract large numbers of native pollinators, while dark olive-green foliage provides a handsome summer backdrop. In summer, small fruits mature to dark burgundy-black and feed native birds.  In fall, the leaves turn a vivid red-orange, extending seasonal interest well beyond flowering.

Like other native Prunus species, Jade Parade® also supports numerous moth and butterfly species, making it valuable for wildlife-focused and pollinator-friendly landscapes. What really sets Jade Parade® apart is its toughness. Once established, it tolerates drought, heat, road salt, and poor soils and performs especially well in dry, sandy, rocky, or infertile sites. It grows successfully in both acidic and alkaline soils as long as drainage is good. Its rapidly spreading habit makes it especially useful as a groundcover for slopes, parking lot islands, difficult urban sites, mass plantings, and erosion-prone areas.