Bing
A large tree with a spreading canopy. Standard trees may reach up to 70′ tall, but normally will be 20′ -35′ tall with equal spread. The foliage is dark green and smooth. The smooth, glossy, reddish bark is studded with short, horizontal, corky stripes. Fragrant, white flowers, 1-1 1/2″ in diameter are borne in clusters of 2-5 on short, woody spurs. The large, heart-shaped fruit has firm, meaty, purple-red flesh with a semi-free stone. Bing cherry is especially sensitive to local site conditions. The best growth is in light, sandy soil that is well drained, but receives adequate rain or irrigation through dry periods. At least 6-8 hours of daily sunlight are needed. The fruit is somewhat susceptible to cracking. Sweet cherry culture is most successful in cooler, drier climates where the danger of late frost is limited, and rain does not fall during harvest. Plant early in the season, because leaf buds open early and the roots are slower than those in many trees to get established. Successful pollination is necessary for a good crop. This requires a compatible variety that blossoms at the same time as the Bing cherry. Suggested cultivars are Black Republican, Sam, Black Tartarian, Schmidt, Cavalier, Stella, Gold, Van, Heidelfingen, Vega, Montmorency, Vista, Ranier, and Windsor. Standard trees will produce fruit in 5-6 years, and a mature tree will provide up to 50-100 pounds of cherries per year. Dead, weak or unnecessary branches can be pruned annually in late winter or early spring. Otherwise, little or no pruning is needed.
Moisture: This tree requires moist, well drained soil and is not drought tolerant.
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 3″-6″ long with small, blunt teeth on the margin, dark green, smooth upper surface, light green lower surface with slight amounts of pubescence or fuzz.
Flower Color: White
Bloom Time: Early
Fruit Description: Very large, about 1″ in diameter, heart-shaped, skin is bright red when immature becoming dark red or deep maroon. The flesh is purple-red, sweet, juicy, and firm with a stone that is easily removed.
Black Tartarian
Black Tartarian cherry tree produces fruit with a sweet, rich, full bodied flavor. Begins bearing fruit 3-4 years after planting and will bear long into old age. The best pollinator for dark sweet cherries. An exceptionally productive, vigorous sweet cherry tree. It grows tall for a fruit tree maturing at 30′ or more. The flowers are white, 1 1/4″ in diameter borne in well distributed clusters of twos and threes. Foliage is a dark, waxy green. It bears early, ripening from mid-June to early July depending upon the location. Eventually one tree may produce 3–4 bushels of cherries. This tree prefers light, sandy soil, but will grow in other soils that are moist and well drained. If possible, plant on an elevated site with good air and soil drainage. It needs at least 6–8 hours of full sun daily and water during dry periods. The cherries should be left on the tree until mature. Sweet cherry trees require minimal pruning. Prune annually in late winter or early spring. (Pollinate with a different sweet cherry variety) Early bloom.
Fruit Description:
Heart shaped about 1″ in diameter and usually purplish black, but occasionally red depending upon the site. Flesh is dark red, thick, tender, juicy and sweet with a smooth stone that separates easily.
Brooks
The new variety of Cherry Tree, named `Brooks`, produces early-maturing fruit of very high quality which is very large, symmetrical and uniform in size. The fruit ripens about one week after `Early Burlat`, and about one week prior to `Bing`. The fruit is also characterized by having a fruit quality and firmness superior to `Early Burlat` and sweet, well balanced rich flavor which is exceptional for early season maturity.
The Brooks variety was developed at the University of California – Davis. One unique trait about Brooks is that the stone, or pit, is nearly free from the flesh. Brooks is also very tolerant of hot climates and is the first variety to ripen in California.
Characteristics: Large, firm red cherry with a red skin and reddish-pink flesh
Flavor Profile: Sweet, rich, and well-balanced with great firmness
Coral Champagne
Early Burlat
Burlat is an early variety of sweet cherries. The fruit is vivid to dark red, mid-sized or large, very sweet and juicy, with medium firm flesh. As it is very precocious it is not vermicular.
It is partly self-fertile but benefits from being pollinated by another early cherry. It likes slightly acidic, moist soil. Fully hardy.
Garnet
Glenare
The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described in the latter part of May, with first picking on May 21, 2003. The fruit is uniformly medium to large in size, very sweet in flavor, oblate in shape, clingstone in type, firm in texture, red in flesh color, and dark red over the entire surface in skin color.
tree
Size: Large, reaching a height of 18′ [5.49 m.] and a spread of 13′ [3.96 m.] after twelve growing seasons on its own root.
Vigor: Vigorous, responding typically to irrigation and fertilization. The plant should be grown on a standard commercial rootstock for production purposes.
Form: A natural tendency to generate a central leader system if unpruned, but a vase shape may be obtained by pruning.
Branch angle range: 40 to 60 degrees.
Hardiness: Hardy with respect to central California winters.
Heat tolerance: Observed to perform adequately in typical central California climatic conditions, which typically include extended periods of heat.
Drough tolerance: Variety is developed for commercial orchards and requires regular irrigation.
Fertility: Self-sterile, must be cross pollinated by another early blooming cherry variety, such as `Tulare` or `Sequoia`.
Bearing: Regular bearer with no alternate bearing yet observed.
Lapins
Developed by researchers at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Summerland, British Columbia, this dark-sweet cherry is a result of a Van and Stella cross. This variety was named after Dr. Karl Lapins, a pioneer in cherry breeding.
Characteristics: Very large, broad-shouldered red cherry with a light red flesh. Lapins are very firm and have a shiny skin.
Flavor Profile: Very sweet and juicy with a nice, firm texture
Late Garnet
Hardy, heat tolerant, vigorous, large upright tree; moderately spreading similar to `Garnet`, the pollen parent. Current mature leaves are large, ovate, acuminate, and acutely pointed, having margins like those of the seed parent `Large Red`. Blooms 4 days after `Garnet` and `Large Red`; has a slightly higher chilling requirement than either; setting well in wet weather with no straggle bloom, for a one-shot harvest. Very large, uncommonly firm fruit has long, medium-thick stems; is exceptionally crack-free, even in wet, rainy weather, setting precedence. Fully matures 5 days after `Giant Red`, 3 days after `Garnet` and `Bing` at Lodi. Flesh is firm, crisp, uniform in maturity and size; having stems shorter than `Large Red` but longer than `Garnet`. Fruit is evenly distributed along the branches throughout tree. Fruit per bud is 1, but mostly 2 and 3. Annually crops are even and stable. Skin color is shiny red maturing to red-black. Flesh is about 40% firmer than `Garnet` and `Bing`, the major mid-season industry standards for firmness. Free-stone fruit has good eating qualities, good flavor, excellent sugar-acid ratio, moderate acidity and solid red skin color. Strongly similar topg,2 `Giant Red` form, with large, prominent, strongly rounded shoulders somewhat compressed in the suture plane; large, circular, deep flaring stem cavity unlike `Garnet`, and less rounded on the ventral surface from base to apex, with the ventral surface being somewhat flatter, with similar prominent, strongly rounded shoulders.
Rainier
Developed by Harold Fogel in 1952 at Washington State University, the Rainier cherry is a cross between Bing and Van. A celebration for Rainier’s called National Rainier Cherry Day is held July 11th each year.
Characteristics: Yellow with a bright red blush and creamy yellow flesh. Rainier is slightly obovate and typically larger in size than dark-sweet cherry varieties.
Flavor Profile: Super-sweet (very high sugar levels) and delicate
Royal Ann
A large, crack-resistant, cherry which has golden yellow skin blushed with red. Crisp, clear flesh with a sweet-tart flavor. Good for eating, canning, and preserves.
Ruby
Shiro Fugen
Stella
Large, heart-shaped cherry with dark red, nearly black skin. Firm, sweet, dark red flesh with good flavor and texture. Fruit is of excellent quality and very similar to Lambert. Resistant to cracking. Tree bears at a young age. Self fertile. Good pollinator for all sweet cherries.
Summit
Sunburst
Sweetheart
A large bright red cherry maturing one week to 10 days after Lapins (3 weeks after Bing). Sweetheart has a mild sweet flavor and outstanding firmness. As a self-fertile variety, it does not require other pollenizer varieties to set consistent crops.
Skin-dark red, flesh-dark red, heart-shaped. Late variety (16-17% fruit sugar), superior shipping texture.
Tomentosa
Tulare
A new and distinct variety of cherry tree substantially as illustrated and described which is somewhat similar to the King Cherry Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,478) and the Bing Cherry tree (unpatented), which it most closely resembles, but from which it is distinguished therefrom by bearing fruit which are a uniform and full dark red color, which ripens approximately three days earlier than the King Cherry Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,478) and ten days earlier than the Bing Cherry Tree (unpatented) at LeGrand, Calif., and which further has displayed the desirable traits of being virtually non-doubling, and having exceptional handling and shipping characteristics.
Utah Giant
A western disease-resistant variety. The fruit is larger and firmer than Bing or Lambert with outstanding flavor. Flesh color is dark red and sweet. Blooms with Bing. Fruits set in large clusters and retains firmness, flavor and color throughout processing.
Van
A medium to large size cherry with dark, almost black skin. Firm, dark, semi-sweet flesh. Excellent pollinator for other sweet cherries. The tree is hardy and vigorous and is a very prolific bearer.
