Zone 5 · winter lows -20°F to -10°F
Prunus for Zone 5
63 Prunus varieties rated hardy through Zone 5, ranked by how many gardeners actually grow them. Zone 5 is classic northern gardening with a reliable snow blanket.
The Prunus that thrive in Zone 5
#1 most savedBlack Cherry
Prunus serotina
#2 most savedSugar Plum
Prunus domestica 'Sugar Plum'
#3 most savedSweet Cherry
Prunus avium 'Mix'

Japanese Flowering Cherry
Prunus serrulata

Feiching Tao White Peach
Prunus persica 'Feiching Tao White'

Hale Haven Peach
Prunus persica 'Hale Haven'

Juliet Cherry
Prunus cerasus 'Juliet'

Peach Ruby Ruffle
Prunus persica 'Ruby Ruffle'

Cherry Plum
Prunus cerasifera

Snow White Peach
Prunus persica 'Snow White'

Silver Maple
Prunus saccharinum

Peachy Keen Peach
Prunus persica 'Peachy Keen'

Carmine Jewel Cherry
Prunus pulsar 'Carmine Jewel'

Shirofugen Cherry
Prunus serrulata 'Shirofugen'

Mount Fuji Cherry
Prunus serrulata 'Shirotae'

Flambe Peach
Prunus persica 'Flambe'

John Fanick Peach
Prunus persica 'John Fanick'

Peach Corinthian Rose
Prunus persica 'Corinthian Rose'

Flat Wonderful Peach
Prunus persica 'Flat Wonderful'

Ichiyo Cherry
Prunus serrulata 'Ichiyo'

Alderman Plum
Prunus domestica 'Alderman Std'

European Plum
Prunus domestica

Kanzan Cherry
Prunus saccharinum 'Kanzan'

Black Cherry Plum
Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'
Showing the 24 most-saved of 63 Zone 5–hardy Prunus varieties. See the full Prunus list →
Prunus in Zone 5
Will Prunus survive a Zone 5 winter?
63 of the 78 Prunus varieties in the Sow catalog are rated hardy through Zone 5, where winter lows reach -20°F to -10°F. Hardiness is per-variety, not per-genus — the plants listed above are the ones that hold up; others in the genus are not rated for this zone.
When should I plant Prunus in Zone 5?
In Zone 5 the last spring frost typically lands around early May and the first fall frost around early October. Planting after the last frost — or in early fall, so roots establish before the ground cools — gives the best establishment. Each plant page lists its own planting months.
Which Prunus is best for Zone 5?
Start at the top of the list above: it is ranked by how many gardeners actually save and grow each variety, which is a strong real-world reliability signal. Then narrow by your sun exposure and the mature size that fits the bed.
Keep exploring
See Prunus in your Zone 5 yard
Snap a photo of your space and Sow places these varieties in it at true mature size — then keeps the care schedule for everything you plant.