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

Chart: Bloom Timing and Pollenation - Compared to Bing

Black Tartarian

Medium-sized, nearly black, sprightly flavor, early season. Vigorous, productive tree. Pollenizer required.

Brooks

Large, firm red cherry developed by the University of California, tolerates hot climates with few doubles, ripens ahead of Bing, very susceptible to cracking in rain, pollenizer required (Patent # 6676)

Chelan™

Medium sized fruit is firm and flavorful with mahogany red skin and medium to dark red flesh. Ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing. Bloom is prolific and generally overlaps Bing. Cross-pollinizers include Rainier, Bing, Van, Black Republican, Lapins and Sweetheart. Incompatible with Tieton. Not recommended with Mahaleb, some tolerance to cracking.

Craig's Crimson

Self-fruitful, natural semi-dwarf, perhaps the finest sweet cherry: Dark red to nearly black, medium to large size, wonderful spicy flavor, very firm texture. Mature tree size about 2/3 of standard (smaller when budded onto Colt or Mahaleb rootstock). Mid-season. (U.S. Plant Patent # 7320 - Zaiger)

Early Burlat

Medium-sized fruit is similar to Bing; firmer than Black Tart, but softer than Bing; pollenizes Bing and needs a pollenizer, early harvest.

Lapins

Large fruit is firm with a mahogany-red skin and a lighter red flesh. Very flavorful, large & crack resistant. Self-fertile.

Minnie Royal

Medium-sized red cherry; firm with good flavor; ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing; tree is very productive with a low chill requirement; mainly used as a pollinizer for Royal Lee; pollenized by Royal Lee (U.S. Plant Patent # 12942 - Zaiger)

Rainier

Large, yellow cherry; firm fruit with with red blush and very good quality; clear to light yellow flesh. Delicately flavored with extraordinary sugar levels, the flesh is pure yellow, very firm and finely textured. A premium niche variety that ripens after Bing. Considered a good Bing pollenizer. Vigorous, upright, spreading tree. Early bearing. Very productive. Needs a pollenizer.

Rosie Rainier ...............

Royal Ann

Very old French variety. Large, firm, light yellow fruit with a beautiful rose blush. Firm, juicy, sweet flesh with colorless juice. Excellent fresh and for processing. Holds shape well. Upright tree grows rapidly. Heavy bearer when it misses spring frost. Ripens mid-season. Pollinate with Black Tartarian, Montmorency, Sam, Stella, or Van, but not with Bing or Lambert.

Royal Lee

Medium-large red cherry; heart-shaped, very firm with excellent flavor; ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing; tree is very productive with a low chill requirement; pollenized by Minnie Royal (U.S. Plant Patent # 12472 - Zaiger)

Royal Lynn ...............

Royal Rainier

(see tech sheet) a new red-blushed "white" variety from Zaiger; large, firm, yellow cherry with very good to excellent quality that ripens ahead of Rainier, holds well on tree, pollenizer required - cross compatible with Bing (U.S. Plant Patent # 10790)

Sweetheart.............

A large, bright red cherry maturing one week to ten days after Lapins. Van cross from Summerland, B.C.; productive, medium to large fruit, moderate cracking, very good firmness and good flavor. A spreading tree form and precocious, heavy cropping on all rootstocks. Fruit is moderately susceptible to cracking. Self-fertile, with an early-to-mid bloom season.

Tieton™

Very large fruit with a beautiful glossy mahogany red finish and medium red flesh. Fruit has excellent firmness and a mild flavor. The susceptibility to rain cracking is similar to Bing. Self-infertile. Cross-pollinizers include Rainier, Bing, Van, Black Republican, Lapins and Sweetheart. More than one pollinizer may be needed to encourage productivity.

Tulare ..................

Van

Medium-sized, good quality, firm fruit; very productive variety that can set too much crop, causing small fruit; pollenizes Bing and pollenizer required; midseason harvest.