This is a dwarf trailing shrub, seldom over two feet high, found in greatest abundance on the sandy plains east of the Rocky Mountains, but occurring in favorable situations eastward to the Atlantic. It is found southward to Texas and north-ward to Lake Superior and Lake Champlain. In 1849 W. D. Whitney speaks of its occurrence in the Lake Superior region as follows : It "abounds on the light sands of the southern shore - a mere bush two or three feet high, heavily loaded in September with dark fruit, nearly as large and rich looking as that of the garden cherry, but unfortunately quite tasteless and insipid".

Farther south it appears to be of better quality, and C. F. Wheeler speaks of its quality on the pine plains of Lower Michigan as "by no means unpleasant when fully ripe,"and states that the fruit is used by the lumbermen as a welcome substitute for other and unobtainable fruit for sauce. Professor L. H. Bailey, who has studied this cherry in the same region, considers it surprising that even in its present state, it has not been introduced by the settlers into cultivation.

On the sand ridges at the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, Professor W. J. Beal and others have found this cherry growing to the height of eight or ten feet, with a stem two inches in diameter ; but at a short distance back from the lake it assumes its usual low trailing form.

Professor C. E. Bessey, of Nebraska, states that a western form of this cherry, which is abundant on the more sandy plains of that state, is especially promising, and is occasionally cultivated, with indications of improvement. In regard to its quality he says: "In nearly every clump of bushes one may always find some which have but little, if any, astringency. I have frequently eaten the fresh cherries while rambling over the plains, and have often found specimens which were fully as palatable as many of the cultivated cherries".

The Utah Hybrid, said to have been produced by pollinating the wild "Potowattomie" plum with pollen of the sand cherry, has proved to be a valuable fruit for southern Utah, where the ordinary cherries do not thrive.