Cherry Varieties for Northern Climates

Cherry trees belong to the genus Prunus and include true cherries such as the sweet (P. avium) and sour (P. cerasus) cherries, which are the most common domesticated cherries in the United States. There are also many species of bush cherries, such as the sand cherry (P. pumila) and Nanking cherry (P. tomentosa), and many bird cherry varieties (P. padus) as well.

This blog post will focus on varieties of sweet and sour cherries, although there are some hybrids listed that are crosses of sweet and sour cherries or sour and bush cherries. Sweet cherries are lower in acid and higher in sugar than sour cherries, which are high in acid. Other names for sour cherries are pie cherries or tart cherries. Sweet cherries are firmer and dark red, purple, black, or yellow, while sour cherries are softer, juicier, and usually bright red. Sour cherry trees are often smaller and more cold-hardy than sweet cherry trees. Many sour cherry trees are self-fertile, while sweet cherries often need a pollinator, although you can find self-pollinating sweet cherries. Regardless, even if a tree is self-fertile, another tree nearby with a similar bloom time will increase fruit production.

Sour Cherry Varieties

Cherry Variety	Zone	Pollination	Best Usage	Fruit Ripens	Diseases	Notes
Almaden Duke	4	Partially self-fertile, another tree such as Royal Lee or Minnie Royal will increase fruit production	Fresh eating or cooking	July		A sweet-sour cherry hybrid
Balaton	4/5	Self-fertile, but will produce more fruit with a nearby pollinator	Pie, jam, juice, and fresh eating	Mid-summer	Some resistance to leaf spot and brown rot	A sweet-sour cherry; larger and sweeter than Montmorency; dark red juice
Bianco Rosato Di Piemonte	4-9	Partially self-fertile, but another cherry such as Amarena Di Pescare will increase fruit production	Maraschino cherries, syrup, and preserves	August		Italian Marasca-type used for maraschino cherries; nearly black skin; sweet-tart flavor
Carmine Jewel	3	Self-fertile; good pollinator for early blooming sweet cherries such as Almaden Duke, Minnie Lee, and Royal Lee	Pies, cooking, preserves, and fresh eating	July		Cross between a sour cherry and a bush cherry; a natural dwarf tree (10-12 feet); heavy producer
Danube or Erdi B term	4/5-8	Partially self-fertile; Sweetheart, Almaden Duke, or Morello are good pollinators	Fresh eating, jam/jelly, baking, pies, wine, and canning	Late June to mid-July		A sweet-tart Morello-type; red skin and flesh; large fruit; store for several days at room temperature
English Morello, Grosse Cerise Ratafia, Grosse Lang Lothkirsche, Griotte du Nord, Morris or Colorado Morello.	4/5-9/10	Self-fertile	Pies, cooking, canning, preserves, sauces, desserts, and fresh eating	July-August	Resistant to brown rot	Dark red skin, flesh, and juice; heart-shaped; naturally small; drooping branches
Evans or Evans Bali	3-8	Self-fertile	Fresh eating, jam/jelly, pie, and wine	Late July - early August		Bright, dark red skin and flesh; red juice; Morello-type; sweeter than most sour cherries; naturally dwarf (8 feet); heavy crops
Garfield Plantation	3	Self-fertile	Pies	Mid-summer	Disease resistant	Bright red skin; very cold hardy; similar to Montmorency
Jubileum or Erdi Jubileum	5-8	Partially self-fertile, but a pollinator such as Blackgold will increase yield	Fresh eating, pies, preserves, canning, freezing, jam/jelly, or wine	End of June	High resistance to bacterial canker	A sweet-sour cherry; very high in anthrocyanin; red skin and flesh
Kansas Sweet	4-10	Partially self-fertile	Cooking, pies, preserves, fresh eating, desserts, sauces, and canning	July		A cross between a sweet and sour cherry; firmer and sweeter than most sour cherries; red skin, juice, and flesh
Late Duke	4-10	Self-fertile	Cooking, pies, sauces, desserts, canning, preserves, and fresh eating	July-August	Disease resistant	Red skin and yellow flesh
Mesabi	4	Self-fertile	Sauce and pies	Mid-summer	Disease resistant	Red skin and light red flesh; clear juice; sweeter than Montmorency due to Bing parentage; naturally dwarf-sized (10-14 feet)
Meteor	3/4-8	Self-fertile	Baking, canning, freezing, jam/jelly, and sauces	Mid to late July	Resistant to leaf spot and somewhat resistant to brown rot	Red skin with yellow flesh; naturally a dwarf size (10-14 feet); blooms late so avoids frost damage; easy to pit
Montmorency	3/4-8/9	Self-fertile but will produce more fruit with a pollinator such as Meteor, Balaton, North Star, Jubileum, or Surefire	Baking, canning, freezing, drying, jam/jelly; juice, fresh eating, and wine	July-August	Susceptible to leaf spot and bacterial canker, but resistant to brown rot	Most commonly grown sour cherry in the US and Canada; bright red skin with yellow flesh; prune well to prevent overcropping
North Star	4-8	Self-fertile, but will produce more fruit with a pollinator such as Montmorency or Meteor	Juice, desserts	End of June to August	Resistant to brown rot and leaf spot	Heavy producer; naturally dwarf sized (8-12 feet)
Surefire or NY 12716	4-8/9	Self-fertile	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing jam/jelly, and sauce	Mid-July to August	Resistant to bacterial canker and brown, blossom, or fruit rot	Red skin and flesh; flowers late so avoids spring frosts; crack-resistant

 

Sweet Cherry Varieties

Cherry Variety	Zone	Pollination	Best Usage	Fruit Ripens	Diseases	Notes
Angela	5	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	July		Red-black skin
Benton	5-7/8	Self-fertile, but another tree such as BlackGold or WhiteGold will increase fruit production	Fresh eating and desserts	Mid-June to mid-July		Dark red skin; large fruit; crack-resistant; flowers later so may avoid late frosts; heavy producer; stores up to 5 weeks; semi-freestone
Bing	5-9	Early bloomer; needs a pollinator such as Lapins, Black Tartarian, Black Republican, Rainier, Stella, or Van	Fresh eating, sauces, preserves, and canning	Early season		Most popular sweet cherry; large, heart-shaped, dark red fruit with purple flesh; freestone;
Black Republican	5-9	Needs a pollinator such as Bing, Black Tartarian, Lapins, Napoleon, Noir de Chavannes, Stella, or Van	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, preserves, or sauces	Early season		Parent of Bing ; rare; rich black cherry flavor; dark purple fruit; stores well
Black Eagle	5-9	Needs a pollinator such as Lapins, Stella, or Sweetheart	Fresh eating, Pikes, canning, preserves, cooking, and sauces	Late season	Resistant to bacterial canker	Purple/black skin with dark red flesh; intense flavor; juicy, does not ship well
Black Tartarian	4/5-9	Good pollinator for other sweet cherries; needs a pollinator, such as Bing, Coral, Lapins, Ranier, Stella, or Van; Lambert, Napoleon, or Royal Ann will not pollinate	Fresh-eating, jam, pickled, pies, preserves, canning, and sauces	June-July		Purple-black skin with dark red flesh; juicy, does not ship well
BlackGold , Ridgewood Cherry, or NY 13791	4/5-7/8	Self-fertile; good pollinator for mid-to-late-blooming cherries	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing, jam, and jelly	Late June to late July	Resistant to bacterial canker	Dark red-black skin and flesh; reliable; late blooming to avoid frost damage; heart-shaped fruit; crack -resistant; very cold hardy
BlackPearl or NY 8139	4/5-8/9	Needs a pollinator that blooms mid-season, such as Sweetheart, Whitegold, or Stardust	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing, preserves, sauces, jam, and jelly	Mid-June	Resistant to bacterial canker	Red-black skin and dark red flesh; crack-resistant; consistent producer
BurgundyPearl or NY 38L	5-8	Needs a pollinator such as Sweetheart or Whitegold; not compatible with Bind, Napoleon, Cavalier, Kristin, Somerset, Emperor Francis, Royal Anne, or Lambert Ulster	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing, and jam/jelly	Mid-June	Resistant to bacterial canker	Red skin and flesh; prune well to avoid overcropping;
Craig s Crimson	5	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	Mid-summer		Dark red-black skin; naturally semi-dwarf
Early Burlat	5	Needs a pollinator	Fresh eating	July	Resistant to bacterial canker	Red skin; reliable producer
Emperor Francis	5-7	Blooms early to mid-season; needs a pollinator such as Napoleon, Bing, Ulster, Kristin, Lambert, or Somerset	Jelly, jam, fresh eating, or maraschino cherries	Mid-June	Susceptible to bacterial canker	Red skin with white flesh
Glacier	5	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	Mid-July		Dark red skin; similar to Bing
Governor Wood	5-10	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	Early summer		Yellow skin with red blush
Hartland	4/5-8	Blooms mid-season; compatible with most other mid-season blooming cherry trees; good pollinator for other mid-season blooming cherry trees	Fresh eating, desserts, or pies	Mid-June to July	Resistant to leaf spot, bacterial rot, and brown canker	Red skin and flesh; heavy producer; crack-resistant
Hedelfingen, Hedelfingen 1877, Geant d'Hedelfingen, or Giant Hedelfingen	5-7	Blooms mid-season; needs a pollinator that blooms mid-season; also a good pollinator for other cherries	Fresh eating, freezing, baking, jam/jelly, and canning	Early July	Resistant to powdery mildew but susceptible to bacterial canker	Red skin and flesh; crack resistant
Hudson or NY 591	5-9	Blooms late; needs a pollinator such as Bind, Van, Regina, Hedelfingen, Emperor Francis, or Blackgold. Not compatible with Ranier, Republican, or Viscount	Fresh eating, baking, canning, and freezing	Mid-July	Some resistance to bacterial canker	Red skin and flesh; firm fruit; crack-resistant
Kristin or NY 1599	4-7	Blooms early-midseason; WhiteGold, EbonyPearl, Hartland, Stardust, or Summit are good pollinators	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing, and jam/jelly	Mid-June to mid-July		Purple skin with red flesh; one of the hardiest sweet cherries; crack-resistant
Lapins	4/5-7/10	Self-fertile, but another pollinator such as Benton or WhiteGold will increase fruit production	Fresh eating, baking, cooking, sauces, preserves	Early to mid-July	Bacterial canker resistant	Dark red/black skin; large fruit; consistent and heavy producer; crack-resistant
Leningrad or Leningrad Black	4	Needs a pollinator	Fresh eating	Mid-summer		Dark red skin
Napoleon or Royal Ann	5-9	Needs a pollinator such as Van, Stella, or Governor Wood	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, preserves, and sauces	Mid-summer		Yellow skin with red blush; firm fruit
Noir de Chavannes	4-9	Needs a pollinator such as Black Tartarian or Governor Wood	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, desserts, sauces, pies, or preserves	Mid-summer	Disease resistant	Dark red to black skin
Nugent or NY 518	5	Needs a pollinator; blooms mid-season, good pollinator for other sweet cherries except Van	Fresh eating	July-August	Resistant to bacterial canker	Yellow skin; less attractive to birds; crack-resistant
Purple Guigne	4-9	Needs a pollinator such as Black Tartarian or Black Republican	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, desserts, pies, preserves, cooking, sauces, or pies	Early summer	Disease resistant	Dark red-purple skin with dark flesh
Rainier	4/5-10	Needs a pollinator such as Bing, Black Tartarian, Lapins, Napoleon, Stella, or Van	Dessert cherry; fresh eating and canning	July	Resistant to bacterial canker	Yellow skin with red blush and yellow-white flesh; very firm; colorless juice; large fruit; crack resistant; delicate and prone to bruising
Regina York 57/201cv.	5-8	Late-blooming; needs a pollinator such as Benton, Sweetheart, Sylvia, Stella, Sam, Stark s Gold, and Attika	Fresh eating and canning	End of June	Very resistant to bacterial canker and resistant to powdery mildew	Red skin and flesh
Sandra Rose	5-7	Self-fertile; good pollinator for mid-season blooming cherries	Fresh eating and freezing	Mid-Late June	Susceptible to brown, blossom, or fruit rot	Red skin with dark red flesh
Stella	4/5-9/10	Self-fertile, but another tree will increase fruit production; good pollinator for other sweet cherry trees	Fresh eating, cooking, canning, preserves, and sauces	July	Some resistance to bacterial canker	Dark red/black skin and flesh; heart-shaped fruit
Sweetheart or 13S-22-8	5-8/10	Self-fertile; good pollinator for other early-blooming cherries	Fresh eating, baking, canning, freezing, sauces, preserves, jam/jelly	Mid-July to August	Very susceptible to bacterial canker but resistant to brown rot	Red skin and flesh; heavy and consistent producer; crack-resistant
Tehranivee	5	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	End of July		Dark red skin with black-red juice
Utah Giant	5-9	Needs a pollinator such as Black Tartarian, Lapins, Napoleon, Stella, Skeena, or Van	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, preserves, and sauces	Midsummer		Large and flavorful red fruit
Van	5-9	Good pollinator for other sweet cherries; needs a pollinator such as Bing, Rainier, or Stella	Fresh eating, canning, cooking, preserves, and sauces	Midsummer		Large black fruit with dark flesh; semi-sweet flavor; heavy producer; crack-resistant
Vandalay	5	Self-fertile	Fresh eating	July	Resistant to bacterial canker	Red skin; very productive; Van-Stella cross
WhiteGold , NY 113688, or Newfane	4/5-7	Self-fertile; blooms early to mid-season and can pollinate other mid-season trees such as Benton or BlackGold	Brining (maraschino and glace cherries), fresh eating, jam, baking, canning, freezing, jelly	Late June to mid-July	Very resistant to bacterial canker and leaf spot	Very cold hardy; yellow skin with red blush and white flesh; crack-resistant

 

References and Resources

1. Cummins Nursery. Cherry Trees. https://www.cumminsnursery.com/
2. Fedco Seeds. Cherries. https://fedcoseeds.com/fruits/cherries
3. Jung Seed. Cherry. https://www.jungseed.com/category/641
4. Raintree Nursery. Pie Cherry Trees. https://raintreenursery.com/collections/pie-cherry-trees/
5. Raintree Nursery. Sweet Cherry Trees. https://raintreenursery.com/collections/sweet-cherries
6. Stark Bro’s. Cherry Trees. https://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/cherry-trees?Hardinesszones=3&Hardinesszones=4&Hardinesszones=5
7. Trees of Antiquity. Cherry Trees: prunus avium & prunus cerasus. https://www.treesofantiquity.com/collections/cherry-trees