Cherries

Tree fruit varieties offered by Dave Wilson Nursery are selected for their firmness, good shipping characteristics and desirable flesh quality. Approximate ripening dates (for the Fresno, California area), chilling requirements and patent information are listed for each variety along with any special traits.

Rootstocks Available: Mazzard, Mahaleb

This comparison chart shows bloom sequence and pollenization requirements:
— Chart: Bloom Timing and Pollenization — Compared to Bing —

Benton™

Benton™ is a mid-season, premier-quality dark red sweet cherry. Similar to Bing in appearance, the Benton™ cherry is large with excellent firmness and superior flavor. Benton™ is a vigorous tree that is similar in branching angle to Bing, but matures a few days later in the Northwest and 7-10 days later in California. The Benton™ variety is self-fertile, consistently crops well, and offers a lower susceptibility to cracking than Bing. (U.S. Plant Patent # 15847)

Bing

The preeminent fresh-market cherry, Bing is well known as a large, dark red cherry with superb flavor and firm, juicy flesh. The Bing fruit matures mid-season on a large, vigorous tree. Bing cherries ship well, but will crack if exposed to rain. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 700 hours. The Bing variety requires pollenization by Black Tartarian, Rainier, or Stella in colder climates.

Black Tartarian

The Black Tartarian cherry is a medium-sized, nearly black early season cherry. The dark red flesh offers a sweet, sprightly flavor. This upright tree is a productive and vigorous grower. The Black Tartarian cherry requires a pollenizer and is interfruitful with all popular sweet cherries. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 700 hours.

Brooks

Developed by the University of California, the Brooks cherry is a large, firm red cherry that tolerates hot climates. Brooks ripens ahead of Bing and requires a pollenizer such as Early Burlat, Tulare or Rainier. This variety is very susceptible to cracking in rain. (U.S. Plant Patent # 6676)

Chelan™

The medium-sized fruit of the Chelan™ Cherry is tasty when picked at its best tart flavor. Ripening 11- 14 days ahead of Bing, the Chelan™ is firm and attractive with mahogany red skin and medium to dark red flesh. This variety has shown some tolerance to cracking. The bloom is prolific and generally overlaps Bing. Cross-pollenizers for Chelan™ include Rainier, Bing, Lapins and Sweetheart™. Tieton™ is incompatible with Chelan™. Mahaleb rootstock is not recommended for this cultivar.

Coral Champagne

Coral Champagne is a low-acid cherry with glossy dark flesh and very sweet flavor that is similar to Bing. Maturing in the early season with Chelan™, this export-quality fruit is firm and large to very large. The Coral Champagne tree is a precocious grower that bears heavily and consistently. Coral Champagne has a rain-cracking susceptibility that is similar to Bing. This variety requires a pollenizer and is interfruitful with Bing and Brooks.

Cristalina™

A child of the Star and Van cultivars, Cristalina™ is an early-maturing cherry that ripens approximately 5 days before Bing. The Cristalina™ cherry is heart-shaped and plump with dark red-to-black skin and firm, dark flesh. The sweet Cristalina™ fruit is moderately large on long, thick stems, but can be picked stemless. The tree is very productive with wide, spreading branches. Cristalina™ requires a pollenizer and is interfruitful with Bing, Rainier and Skeena.

Early Burlat

As its name implies, Early Burlat is an early season cherry well known for consistent productivity of Bing-like cherries. It is resistant to bacterial canker and cracking. The Early Burlat tree is moderately vigorous and spreading. The Early Burlat cherry is medium-sized, firmer than Black Tartarian but softer than Bing. This variety needs a pollenizer and is often used to pollenize Bing.

Lapins

Very large fruit is the hallmark of the Lapins cherry. Lapins cherries are firm and crack-resistant with a mahogany-red skin and lighter red flesh. This self-fruitful cherry ripens 10 - 14 days after Bing in the Northwest and 5-7 days after Bing in the Central Valley of California. This cherry features an excellent, sweet flavor. The Lapins is similar to Van in color and resembles Stella in shape. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 500 hours.

Minnie Royal

Mainly used as a pollenizer for Royal Lee, the Minnie Royal is a medium-sized red cherry that is firm and flavorful. Minnie Royal ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing. This variety is very productive with a pollenizer such as Royal Lee and has a low chilling requirement estimated at 400-500 hours. (U.S. Plant Patent # 12942)

Rainier

The Rainier has become well established as a promise of unmatched flavor. Rainier is a large, yellow cherry with a red blush and light yellow flesh. Exquisitely flavored with high sugar levels, this is a premium niche variety that ripens just after Bing. The Rainier tree is vigorous, early bearing and very productive with excellent cold weather hardiness. Rainier requires a pollenizer and is interfruitful with Bing, Black Tartarian, Craig’s Crimson, and Lapins. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 700 hours.

Rosie Rainier

Ripening in mid-May, Rosie Rainier offers the unique flavor of a Rainier cherry in an extra large, fully colored fruit. The firm Rosie Rainer matures about 2 weeks before Bing. Due to high color and good firmness, Rosie Rainier resists bruising and blemishes better than standard Rainier. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 600 hours. (U.S. Plant Patent # 19307)

Royal Edie

In the San Joaquin Valley, packers have nicknamed Royal Edie and her sister, Royal Helen, as “darlings” because the fruit produced by this pollenizer pair is so attractive and flavorful that buyers never forget it. Royal Edie and Royal Helen bloom late and are harvested together in the first week of June. These varieties are so genetically similar that they can be packed together in the same box. The Royal Edie tree is upright in form and produces glossy mahogany fruit on thick long stems. Growers have reported some doubles, spurs and sutures, but still notice substantial price differentials on packable fruit due to its enormous size and premium quality. This cherry does well in both high- and low-chill environments. (U.S. Plant Patent # 19365)

Royal Hazel

Bred for the warm winter climates in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley, Royal Hazel is a low-chill variety that bears consistently and sets uniformly. The highly flavored, red Royal Hazel cherry matures in the second week of May with a medium-sized uniform Bing-shape. Royal Hazel yields high packouts with very few doubles and spurs. This upright tree sets very firm fruit on long stems with a low instance of rain cracking and excellent shipping qualities. A pollenizer is required with Royal Hazel, and it is interfruitful with Royal Lynn and Royal Lee. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 500 hours. (U.S. Plant Patent # 19920)

Royal Helen

The Royal Helen variety is the second of the new “darling” sisters known for producing premium-quality fruit. Royal Edie and Royal Helen can be planted together as pollenizers and packed in the same box. Both varieties mature three to five days after Bing, but offer better size and crack-resistance. The upright tree produces some doubles and spurs, similar to Bing, but has remarkably larger, more beautiful fruit. Growers have reported that 90 percent of the packout sized at 9.5 row or better. This cherry does well in both high and low chill environments. (U.S. Plant Patent # 19595)

Royal Lee

The heart-shaped red cherry, Royal Lee, is an early-season favorite prized for its high productivity and excellent flavor. Royal Lee ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing and can be pollenized by Minnie Royal, Royal Lynn or Royal Hazel. This cherry has a low chilling requirement of 400 to 500 hours. (U.S. Plant Patent # 12472)

Royal Lynn

A very early cherry, Royal Lynn promises remarkable high-quality fruit. This medium-large, mahogany red cherry matures 16-18 days ahead of Bing with a sweet rich flavor and beautiful long stems. The extremely firm Royal Lynn cherry is not prone to cracks, spurs or doubles. Royal Lynn growers report good sizing with most fruit packing between 10.5 and 9.5 row. Royal Lynn can be pollenized by Minnie Royal or Royal Lee, but is most commonly planted with Royal Hazel. This cherry has a low chilling requirement. (U.S. Plant Patent Pending)

Royal Rainier

A taste test winner, Royal Rainier is a large, firm yellow cherry that ripens 3 to 5 days ahead of Rainier. The Royal Rainier cherry holds well on the tree and offers good to excellent quality with slightly redder blush than standard Rainier. Royal Rainier can be pollenized by Bing, Black Tartarian or Lapins. This cherry has an estimated chilling requirement of 600 - 700 hours. (U.S. Plant Patent # 10790)

Samba™

Maturing about two days after Bing, the Samba™ cherry is a productive tree with an upright growth habit that produces very attractive, dark red fruit. The fruit is large, firm and moderately sweet with an appealing flavor. The Samba™ cultivar has a good tolerance to splitting.

Sandra Rose™

Ranked the best in flavor by taste panels, Sandra Rose™ is a Van-type cherry that ripens 3 days after Van. The large Sandra Rose™ cherry is dark red, round and slightly compressed in shape with moderately firm flesh. The flavor of this fruit is sweet and appetizing. Since the skin is lustrous, the Sandra Rose™ pack is very attractive and tends to have very uniform color and size. This tree consistently bears generous crops, is self-fertile and appears to have a good tolerance to splitting.

Santina™

The black Santina™ cherry is an early variety that matures six to eight days before Van. The Santina™ cherry is moderately large and firm with highly attractive, lustrous skin. With a flattened heart shape and medium long stems, Santina™ is a good choice for the early market. This tree is self-fertile, without oversetting and is considered to be moderately tolerant to splitting.

Satin™

Satin™ is a large heart-shaped cherry with a thick green stem that matures two days before Bing. The fruit is very firm with a mild sweet flavor. Named for its luscious dappled finish, Satin™ is a dark red cherry that is very attractive in a pack.

Skeena™

Developed in British Columbia, the Skeena™ cherry is a sweet, kidney-shaped fruit with a dark red to black skin and dark red flesh. Skeena™ is self-fertile and ripens about 10-14 days after Bing. The fruit is very firm and appears to have good tolerance to rain-induced cracking. The upright to spreading tree is precocious and consistently productive. (U.S. Plant Patent # 11392)

Sonata™

With lustrous mahogany to black skin, a plump kidney shape, and a prominent blossom dimple, the Sonata™ cherry is quite memorable. Sonata™ matures in an important harvest window between Bing and Lapins with harvest beginning May 31st. Offering a well-balanced sweet flavor, Sonata™ cherries are very large with long, thick stems. The texture of this cherry is very firm and fine-grained with a moderate susceptibility to natural cracking. The upright Sonata™ tree is self-fertile and vigorous. It is a productive variety that bears well each year. (U.S. Plant Patent # 11378)

Stardust™

A blush variety with a distinctive cream background color, Stardust™ is a large, firm cherry that is moderately split-resistant as compared to other blush cherries. Maturing 12 to 15 days after Bing, this variety has the potential to extend the "Rainier season". Like other blush varieties, growers may want to pick this variety more than once to attain maximum fruit color.

Sweetheart™

As the name suggests, the Sweetheart™ cherry is a large, bright red, heart-shaped cherry. Sweetheart™ matures at the end of the season, about 5 to 7 days after Lapins and remains firm after picking. This self-fruitful Van x Newstar cross is a productive variety offering good firmness, size and flavor with moderate cracking. The Sweetheart™ cherry tree is spreading and precocious. Sweetheart™ yields heavy crops on all rootstocks, but requires pruning to maintain optimal size.

Tieton™

Ripening 6 to 9 days before Bing, Tieton™ is a mildly sweet cherry with excellent firmness and a beautiful glossy mahogany red finish over medium red flesh. The Tieton™ cherry is very large in size with excellent firmness and a susceptibility to rain cracking similar to Bing. To encourage productivity, Tieton™ should be planted with more than one variety of pollenizer and/or more than 10% pollenizer density. Tieton™ pollenizers include Rainier, Bing, Van, Lapins and Sweetheart™. (U.S. Plant Patent # 11385)

Tulare

Tulare is a large, early season variety that ripens 8-9 days ahead of Bing. The dark red Tulare cherry offers good flavor, but may not be as firm as Bing. Tulare requires a pollenizer and is often planted with Brooks. (U.S. Plant Patent # 06407)

Cherry Bloom Timing Chart: