Clouds of blossom open in mid-spring on a tree that may reach 50 feet, followed from late spring to midsummer by fleshy, sweet cherries packed with vitamin C. The cherry tree (Prunus cerasus) asks for little beyond full sun — and, where only one tree is planted, a self-pollinating variety.
| Name | Prunus cerasus |
|---|---|
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Type | fruit tree |
| Height | 20 to 50 feet (6 to 15 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | ordinary |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | mid-spring |
| Harvest | late spring to midsummer depending on the variety |
Planting, pruning and caring for cherry tree are all practices that will let you grow a bountiful cherry harvest.
Planting a cherry tree is an important step because, if properly performed, it favors the expected growth of the tree, fruit formation on the cherry tree and thus the harvest of cherries.
The better it is planted, the earlier it will produce luscious cherries.
This is a topic that is quite divisive, because pruning a cherry tree tends to weaken the tree and increase its vulnerability to many diseases.
Nonetheless, it might still be necessary to prune if the cherry tree grows too large, or if certain branches become too weak.
A cherry tree is considered to be a very sensitive tree. Its sensitivity explains why pruning must be avoided as much as possible: each wound is an entry point, for fungus especially.
Ah, the devastation that birds can wring on the cherry tree…
They can leave you empty handed, having devoured your harvest in only a few days.
The cherry tree is a sensitive tree, and most of its problems announce themselves clearly. Use the signs below to tell one attacker from another before deciding what to do.
| Problem | What you see | Part affected |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry flies | Pinholes on the skin of the fruit | Cherries |
| Aphids | Leaves curl into cylinders and turn yellow | Leaves |
| Scale insects | White or pinkish flour-like clots | Branches and leaves |
| Birds | The crop disappears within a few days | Ripening harvest |
Since every pruning wound is an entry point, especially for fungus, keeping cuts to a minimum is itself a form of protection.
If you can plant more than one tree, mix different varieties for cross-pollination in order to enhance pollination. Higher pollination means more productivity.
If you only plant one specimen, select a self-pollinating variety lvike ‘Bigarreau summit’ or ‘Bigarreau sweetheart’ for your desserts and preserves.
The ‘Bigarreau’ cherry tree is a sure choice among all the cherry tree varieties. Take note of the most common Bigarreau sub-varieties, like the ‘Burlat’, the ‘Coeur de Pigeon’, ‘Esperen’, ‘Hedelfingen’, ‘Napoleon’, ‘Rainer’, ‘Reverchon’, ‘Stark Hardy Giant’, ‘Summit’ and ‘Van’.
Your only option is to plant a self-pollinating variety when there will only be one cherry tree, if not, you won’t have any cherries.
You can also choose to plant a ‘Montmorency’ cherry tree, its fruits are perfect for delicious clafoutis that will surprise and delight your children and guests.
Cherries fall into two camps: sweet ones eaten straight from the tree, and acid or sour ones grown for the kitchen. The table below sets out the varieties most often sold in garden centres and catalogues, with the point that matters most to a gardener with room for only one tree — whether it will set fruit on its own.
| Variety | Type | Pollination | Picking season | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Star | Acid, red | Self-fertile | Mid | Cooking; naturally compact tree |
| Merton Glory | Sweet, white with red flush | Needs a pollinator | Early to mid | Dessert |
| Stella | Sweet, dark red | Self-fertile | Mid to late | Dessert, all-round garden tree |
| Early Rivers | Sweet, dark purple-black | Needs a pollinator | Early | Dessert, first of the season |
| Napoleon (Royal Ann) | Sweet, pale yellow-red | Needs a pollinator | Mid | Dessert and bottling |
| Sweetheart | Sweet, red | Self-fertile | Very late | Dessert, long picking spell |
| Regina | Sweet, dark red | Needs a pollinator | Late | Dessert, stands wet weather |
| Morello | Acid, dark red | Self-fertile | Late | Cooking and jam; copes with a shady wall |
| Montmorency | Acid, bright red | Self-fertile | Mid | Pies, clafoutis, preserving |
Unavoidable in our gardens for those who like to grow fruit trees or want to start an orchard, a cherry tree boasts many advantages.
It has a magnificent late blooming that leads to high fruit formation rates.
Cherries from edible cherry trees are fleshy, sweet and packed with vitamin C, but some of the other innumerable varieties produce fruits that can be extremely sour, or huge, or more or less sweet.
Cherry trees adapt to virtually any climate, and only requires little care, not even dedicated watering.
Growing cherry trees is easy, so go ahead and try!
