6 Classic Sweet Cherry Trees - Minneopa Orchards (2024)

Succulent and juicy, sweet and colorful; growing a classic sweet cherry treeis simple and rewarding. These easy-to-grow trees are perfectly happy in a home orchard but also make stunning edible landscape trees.

Enjoy these ruby red or bright yellow fruit fresh from the tree, in baked goods, or preserved in jams, you will love their sweet flavor profiles.

Looking to buy cherry trees? Check out ourfavorite online nursery.

Below are 6 of our favorite sweet cherry trees. Choose a few different varieties for your garden and enjoy their sweet, sweet fruits for years to come.

Rainier Cherry Tree

Bright yellow fruit with a beautiful red blush is the trademark of the Rainier Cherry Tree. The fruit is wonderfully sweet anddelightful for fresh eating.

Widely grown in USDA Zones 5-9, the Rainier Cherry Tree was developed at Washington State University and is named for Mount Rainier. The semi dwarf tree reaches a full height of 15-25 feet tall making it easy to harvest. This cherry tree requires only 700 chill hours to set fruit making it a viable choice for a wide geographical range of orchards.

You can read all about The Rainier Cherry Tree and why you should plant one in your own home orchard.

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Planting Zones For Sweet Cherry Trees

Sweet Cherry Trees are adaptable to a wide variety of USDA growing zones, ranging from zone 5 up to zone 9. Cherry trees also require a certain amount of chill hours to set fruit. Typically, they range between 700 and 1,000 chill hours. Be sure to check the individual variety to hone in on the best growing zone and chill hour requirements.

For all the little details about cherry trees, visit How To Grow Cherry Trees.

Pollination

Many sweet cherry trees are self-fertile and can produce fruit without a pollination partner. However, planting two sweet cherry trees that are pollinator-friendly will increase each tree’s yield and extend your harvest season. It behooves the home orchardist to plant at least two trees thereby providing a bumper crop as a reward for your gardening efforts.

Caring For Your Sweet Cherry Tree

• Sunlight
  • Full sun is ideal with at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Morning sun is the most important as it will dry off the overnight dew and help prevent mold and diseases.
• Watering
  • Cherry trees prefer rich, well-drained soil.
  • Regular watering is required in dry regions.
• Pruning
  • You can control the size of your tree, even keep it under 10 feet tall, by pruning it in the summer months after harvest.
  • Prune in the winter to remove dead branches, open up the center of the tree to increase air circulation, and shape the scaffolding branches.
  • For all the up-to-date information about pruning your cherry trees, check out our post on Pruning Your Cherry Tree.
• Diseases & Care
  • The biggest part of caring for your cherry tree is protecting the fruit from the birds. Birds love the delicious ripe fruit, so netting your tree is critical if you want to preserve a bountiful harvest. Of course, when you have your fill, the birds will be delighted to clean off any remaining cherries.
  • We highlight all the information you need to keep your cherry tree healthy in Cherry Tree Diseases and Care.

Common Uses For Sweet Cherries

Eating these gems fresh from the tree is Mother Nature’s sweet treat. Theselittle sugar bombs are juicyand meaty. Besides eating them fresh from the tree, they are perfect in baked goods, preserves, and make excellent sauces.

Cherry preserves will extend your enjoyment of the harvest well into the next season. The Hungry Hutch offers up quick and easy HomemadeCherry Preserves. They also highlight the “frozen plate test,” a method of determining if your jam has reached the correct consistency.

This method helps to determine the thickness of your jam while you are still in the preparation stage. By placing a spoon of the hot preserve on a frozen plate, then refreezing for a minute, you can assess the projectedconsistency of your cooled jam. Pretty ingenious.

Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries

Sweet Cherries are deliciously sweet and make a perfect substitute for sugary snacks. In addition to satisfying your sweet tooth, cherries are naturally high in vitamin C and polyphenols. Eating cherries can help reduce inflammation, aid in sleep, are a great source of fiber, and are gut-friendly.

For more details on The Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries, visit our blog.

Purchasing Your Sweet Cherry Tree

We highly recommend purchasing your orchard trees from a reputable vendor; such as Stark Bros. or Nature Hills Nursery. Their selection of Sweet Cherry Treesis extensive and the quality of their trees is unsurpassed. They take exceptionally great care with the saplings as they mature, ensuring you receive a tree that is ready to plant and will produce fruit within a few years.

Buying Sweet Cherries

While you are waiting for your cherry trees to produce fresh fruit, you can enjoy these yummy little jewels by purchasing them from your local farmers’ market or grocery store. You can find sweet cherries from late May through August as a steady supply arrives from California and the northwest.

The key to purchasing a delicious cherry is in the stem. If the stem is intact and green, that is a great sign. A missing stem can promote fruit rot. With or without a stem, the fruit should be shiny and firm. When you find great cherries, buy several pounds — some for eating and some for preserving.

Sweet Cherry Trees

Growing your own sweet cherry trees is easy. They make beautiful edible landscape trees and produce copious amounts of sweet, delicious fruit. Check out the reviews of our favorite cherry treesand select one or two that will work for your taste buds and home orchard.

Excited about more cherry content? Then visit our cherry page for more planting tips, growing guides, recipe ideas, and more!