Want to replace invasive bird cherry and chokecherry trees? Plant these instead

By Gooseberry Peter

Alaskans have a love-hate relationship with mayday trees. The mayday tree (Prunus padus), aka European bird cherry, and its cousin the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) have historically been popular landscaping trees in Alaska. Small wonder too, as they both have showy, fragrant flowers, edible fruit, pretty fall color (some P. virginiana cultivars have deep crimson leaves in the summer, too), are popular with birds and pollinators, are extremely cold hardy and are fast growing — even here in the Interior.

Unfortunately, we now know that both tree species are invasive in Alaska. They readily escape from landscaping and take over forested areas, causing impacts to native plant communities, moose and salmon. The obvious solution is to remove P. padus and virginiana from natural areas where they don’t belong, and to stop using both species in landscaping. What is often less obvious is what to plant instead.

There are many tree and shrub species that exhibit the same kind of aesthetic values that make P. padus and virginiana appealing. The trouble is, most of them won’t grow here in the Interior. USDA hardiness zones range from 1a-3b in the Interior, which means that winter temperatures are too cold for most ornamental and fruit trees. Additionally, every location has its own microclimates and specific growing conditions, so it’s difficult to find a one-size-fits-all planting solution — what grows well in the hills above Fairbanks may not do so well down in the valley.

Despite these obstacles, there are a surprising number of planting options that could make excellent replacements or substitutes for P. padus and virginiana.

Here are just a few examples; all are rated for Zone 2 unless otherwise noted:

• Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica): shrubby growth habit in Interior, white clusters of flowers, edible fruit, red fall color, can spread via suckers but hasn’t been found in the wild.

• Amur chokecherry (Prunus maackii): medium tree, copper-colored bark, white clusters of flowers, edible fruit, yellow fall color, fast growing.

• American plum (Prunus americana): large shrub-small tree growth habit, white clusters of flowers, edible fruit, Zone 3.

• Manchurian crabapple (Malus baccata): large tree, white fragrant flowers, edible fruit, very hardy.

• Dolgo crabapple (Malus ‘Dolgo’): large tree, profuse white flowers, edible fruit, yellow-orange fall color.

• Royalty crabapple (Malus ‘Royalty’): shrubby growth habit in Interior, purple flowers, edible fruit, dark purple summer foliage, orange fall color, Zone 3.

• American mountain ash (Sorbus americana): medium tree, white clusters of flowers, orange-red fruit, vibrant fall color.

• Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata): large tree, small fragrant flowers, yellow fall color, attractive to pollinators.

• Royalty lilac (Syringa x josiflexa ‘Royalty’): large shrub, fragrant purple flowers, very hardy.

• Hedge cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus): medium shrub, small pink flowers, black fruit, vibrant orange-red fall color, Zone 3.

• Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia): large shrub, white fragrant flowers, edible fruit, yellow-orange fall color.

Sourcing locally produced stock is preferable as it is the most adapted to local growing conditions. This may mean taking cuttings and collecting seed from your neighbors, or purchasing bare-root or containerized plants from local growers. Locally sourced plant materials may not always be available, in which case searching the internet is a good option.

Bare root plants are quicker to establish than cuttings and seeds, and are much easier to ship than containerized stock. If local outlets don’t carry the plants you are looking for, ask them to consider stocking some in the future. And of course, protect all landscaping plants from moose until they are well established.

For more information on planting options check out the Landscape Plants for Alaska website (alaskaplants.org) put together by the Alaska Division of Forestry, UAF Cooperative Extension, and the Alaska Chapter of the American Society for Landscape Architects.

Gooseberry Peter is the agriculture/integrated pest management program assistant for Cooperative Extension Service, a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For questions, he can be reached at gpeter3@alaska.edu or 907-474-6829.