Growing the Sam Cherry Tree

Size and Appearance

The Sam Cherry Tree is an upright small deciduous tree, reaching 15 to 18 feet within 10 years, with a similar spread, becoming wider with age. The bark is very beautiful, a rich, glossy, purple-brown, decorated with prominent lighter gray-brown bands. Older stems become more ridged and grooved, with a dark, rugged look. The leaves are dark-green and glossy, averaging around 4 inches long and 2 inches wide, with a pronounced slender tip and serrated edges. In fall they turn shades or orange, pink and red, making an attractive display.

Flowers appear in early April, along with the first tiny leaves. They are typically in pairs, but can be in clusters of up to 6 blossoms. The flowers are about 1-inch across, and pure, snowy white, with yellow stamens in the center. A tree in bloom is charming to see. Like many sweet cherries, the Sam Cherry Tree needs to be grown with a different variety to act as a pollinizer – the pollen will be distributed by bees. Not many varieties are favorites, but we recommend the Stella cherry, which is also a ‘universal pollinizer’ for most cherry varieties. Plant within 50 feet of each other. Other possible pollinators you might already have include ‘Van’, ‘Bing’, and Napoleon’ (also known as Royal Ann).

The cherries develop quickly, and unlike many other fruits, it isn’t necessary to thin the crop. They are ripe and ready to eat by late July, and continue through August. They are medium-sized, with the classic ‘heart’ shape, and a very dark-red skin. They generally don’t crack, so they won’t begin to rot on the tree, as some varieties tend to do. The flesh is firm but moist, balanced for sweetness and tartness, with a pronounced ‘cherry’ flavor – one of the very best. The flesh is bright red, and so juicy it will stain your fingers. A mature tree will yield upwards of 50 pounds of fruit each season.

Using the Sam Cherry Tree in Your Garden

Beautiful in bloom, with lovely bark, and gorgeous when dripping with ripe cherries, the Sam Cherry Tree can certainly be grown as an ornamental tree on your lawn. Of course if you have an orchard area, plant it there with your other fruit trees.

Hardiness

The Sam Cherry Tree is hardy almost everywhere, from zone 5 into zone 9. It grows best in climates with sunny summers that are not too hot.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For best results, plant in full sun, although a few hours of shade each day is acceptable too. This tree grows in most well-drained soils, preferring neutral or acid soil, and richer soils that hold moisture, so enrich well when planting. Too much drought could damage your crop.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although some diseases and pests are possible, in general, cherry trees grow well and are rarely bothered to any significant degree. When young, don’t allow the crown to become crowded with branches. Remove extra stems and weak branches in late winter, and build an open tree. Older trees should have a few branches removed every year or two to encourage new, vigorous growth, and shorten back long stems to encourage fruiting.

History and Origin of the Sam Cherry Tree

The sweet cherry, Prunus avium, is native to most of Europe, from the British Isles to Turkey. There are a relatively small number of varieties, compared to many other fruit trees, and the variety called ‘Sam’ was created by professional breeders at the Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It is in the Okanagan Valley, a major fruit-growing area of British Columbia. Breeders too fruit from an older variety called ‘Windsor’ and grew many seedlings. Among them was one with outstanding flavor that they named ‘Sam’ and released in 1953. It could have been named after Sam Cherry, a well-known commercial artist of the 1940s, known for his lurid covers of pulp western books, magazines, and pin-up calendars.

Buying the Sam Cherry Tree at the Tree Center

Enjoying home grown fruit is not so difficult, and the ‘Sam’ Cherry is a great way to get started. Within a few years you will be harvesting baskets of beautiful cherries you won’t be able to believe came from your own garden. Proudly put top-quality fruit on your table, but order now, because stocks are already getting low.

Growing the Montmorency Cherry Tree

Size and Appearance

The Montmorency Cherry Tree is a deciduous tree that grows in 10 years or so to 15 feet or more, perhaps eventually topping 20 feet. It has a similar spread, so allow enough room for it to grow. In a smaller garden it can be grown as an espalier, on a wall or trellis, where it will take up almost no room at all. With beautiful mahogany-red bark embellished with horizontal bands in lighter brown, it is a handsome tree, and the glossy leaves make it even more so. These are about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide, with serrated edges. They are dark green, turning orange, pink and red in fall.

Flowering is in late April or May, later than with many cherries, so the risk of damage from late frost is reduced. The white flowers open in pairs or larger clusters along the bare stems, along with the first leaves. A tree in bloom is attractive in the garden. The fruit develops and ripens rapidly, and by June or early July you will be picking cherries and making those delicious pies. This variety is fully self-fertile, and will carry a full crop all by itself. Unfortunately, despite what is often said on the internet, a sour cherry cannot pollinate a sweet cherry. The cherries are medium-sized, round to heart-shaped, with bright red skin when ripe. The flesh is paler, but also bright red. You can expect 50 to 100 pounds of fruit from a mature, full-sized tree.

Using the Montmorency Cherry Tree in Your Garden

With its glowing white flowers, beautiful brown-purple bark, and attractive foliage, you can certainly grow the Montmorency Cherry Tree in an ornamental garden. In smaller spaces it is ideal for growing on a wall, spread out as a fan, or as a horizontal espalier. This way it takes up almost no room, provides a fascinating, ever changing backdrop to your shrubs and flowers, and is very easy to pick, providing you with a substantial crop of fruit. It can also be grown among other trees along a boundary, or of course in a home fruit orchard.

Hardiness

Much more hardy than sweet cherries, the Montmorency Cherry Tree can even be grown in sheltered spots or on a sunny wall in zone 4. It grows well through zone 7, but not so well in hotter zones.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun, or no more than a couple of hours of shade, is best for the Montmorency Cherry Tree. It grows best in richer garden soils that are neutral or acidic, and tolerates slightly alkaline soil too. The soil should be well-drained, but not too dry, although established trees will take some normal summer dryness after harvest.

Maintenance and Pruning

Compared to many other fruit trees, cherry trees are relatively free of pests or diseases, and generally easy to grow. Early pruning to develop an open structure, with short side branches, is important, and will also keep the tree shorter, and so easier to pick. In late winter remove a few older branches each year, to encourage vigorous new growth, and shorten back long side shoots. Birds like cherries, and you should use scarers or nets during the harvest period. This is very easy if your tree is growing on a wall or fence.

History and Origin of the Montmorency Cherry Tree

The sour cherry, Prunus cerasus, is native to most of Europe and to southwest Asia, in countries like Turkey and Iran. It has played an important part in local diets for centuries, used in everything from soups to meat stews and alcoholic beers, wines and spirits. It was even once preserved in salt as the original maraschino cherry. The variety called ‘Montmorency’ is named after an area in France about 10 miles outside Paris, where it was first grown on a nobleman’s estate as early as the 13th century. When the French first came to North America, in the areas called New France, they brought with them many of their food crops, and that is how this variety ended in Michigan, arriving with French settlers around 1760. It thrived in the climate there, and for a long time Michigan was a major producer, providing cherries for the whole country’s pies and jams.

Buying the Montmorency Cherry Tree at the Tree Center

If you like your cherries baked or in preserves, you must have a sour cherry for the best results. The Montmorency Cherry Tree is considered one of the very best, and will give you prize-winning pies. Even in a small garden you can grow it on a wall or fence, so enjoy the best, and order now, while our limited supply remains available.

Growing the Black Republican Cherry Tree

Size and Appearance

The Black Republican Cherry Tree is a small deciduous tree that grows to 15 feet tall, and can reach 20 feet. It is almost as wide as tall, with a rounded crown when mature. The handsome bark is glossy and mahogany-brown to purple-brown when young. It has prominent horizontal bands of lighter gray-brown across it, giving it a very distinctive and attractive appearance. Older stems become more rugged and darker brown. The simple leaves are rounded and graceful, tapering to an elegant point, with serrated edges. About 4 inches long, they are softly glossy and dark green, turning golden yellows and oranges, sometimes with red tones, in fall.

In early to late April, depending on your climate, the flowers open, on bare branches, along with the first hint of leaves. The pure white flowers are typically in pairs, but can be in larger clusters of up to 6 blooms. Roughly an inch across, the open bowl of 5 petals surrounding a cluster of golden stamens is about as simple as a flower can be, but definitely charming, and a tree in bloom is worthy of a place in any ornamental garden. For a successful crop you need a second variety of sweet cherry growing within about 50 feet, and fortunately the Black Republican Cherry Tree is easily pollinated by many other varieties, as well as being a good pollinizer for others. We suggest the ‘Stella’ cherry tree, but as well you could use Napoleon, Bing, Van, and most other varieties of sweet cherry. We don’t recommend sour cherry trees as pollinizers for sweet ones.

Those baby cherries soon start growing, and by July your tree will look amazing, decorated with dense clusters of hanging red cherries. It’s harvest time. The ripe cherries are dark red, so dark they are almost purple. They are medium-sized, with dark red juicy flesh, and ripen over several weeks. They are ripe and ready to eat by late July, and continue through August. The intensity of flavor of these cherries is amazing, and really brings back what a sweet cherry should taste like. It also means they are fabulous for baking and preserves, rich in that classic ‘cherry’ taste. Your tree will yield upwards of 50 pounds of fruit once it has matured, and considerably more under ideal conditions.

Using the Black Republican Cherry Tree in Your Garden

The beauty of the bark, and the purity and charm of the white blooms, make this tree a great addition to your flower garden – you don’t need an orchard to hide it away in. As well, cherries are excellent for training on walls or tall fences in different espalier styles. A simple fan, or something more complex, this way of growing is lots of fun, and also means your tree takes up almost no room, fitting into the smallest garden, and yet still produces a good harvest.

Hardiness

Hardy from zone 5 into zone 9, the Black Republican Cherry Tree will grow almost anywhere. The best growth is seen in regions with cool but not cold winters, and sunny summers that are not extremely hot and dry.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best, but an hour or two of shade will do no harm to your Black Republican Cherry Tree. Neutral to acidic soils that are rich and moist, but well-drained, give the best results. Although drought-resistant, occasional watering if necessary is best, especially during the period the cherries are growing.

Maintenance and Pruning

You won’t find too many pest or disease problems with this tree, as cherry trees are not as difficult as many other fruit trees can be. Prune in late winter as needed, keeping the crown open and free of crowded branches. Shorten back side shoots to encourage more blooming in the following year. Once your tree is established, remove a couple of older branches every year or two, and replace them with vigorous new shoots.

History and Origin of the Black Republican Cherry Tree

Originally found all over Europe, from England to Turkey, the sweet cherry, Prunus avium, has been grown for centuries, with the best plants selected and spread around. In America, Oregon was one of the last areas settled, and pioneers went to the Willamette Valley before there was even a state. Among them were Seth and Henderson Luelling, and their brother John. Arriving around 1847, the brothers brought with them hundreds of fruit trees growing in wooden boxes. Seth changed his name later to Lewelling, perhaps closer to the original Welsh Llywelyn, and became one of the state’s most important fruit growers and breeders. Among many other new plants, he created the well-known Bing cherry. The brothers were ardent Abolitionists and help found the Republican party, when it was anti-slavery, and that is why he called his new cherry Black Republican. It is probably a cross between the French ‘Napoleon’ (also called Queen Ann) and the English Black Tartarian.

Buying the Black Republican Cherry Tree at the Tree Center

It is always worth choosing heirloom varieties over those that can be found in the stores, and when they are as delicious and beautiful as the Black Republican Cherry Tree, it really is a worthwhile choice. From having been widely grown, this cherry is today rare and even endangered, so take this rare opportunity to plant one. Don’t hesitate, the demand is high and the supply very limited.

Growing the Royal Ann Cherry Tree

Size and Appearance

The Royal Ann Cherry Tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree with a central trunk and radiating branches. It is grown in roots that keep it smaller, so it grows between 14 and 18 feet tall and wide, so still relatively easy to harvest. It also makes a great dual-purpose shade tree, so you don’t need an orchard to grow your own cherries. The leaves are long ovals, around 5 inches long and 2½ inches wide, with serrated edges and a smooth, silky upper surface of dark green. The leaf stalks (petioles) are red. In fall the leaves turn handsome shades of orange, pink and red, making a decorative display in your garden.

In spring the tree flowers on the bare branches, with clusters of white flowers – another decorative highpoint for your garden. The flowers cannot self-pollinate – that is, you need a second, different variety of sweet cherry for your tree to set a crop. Maybe a neighbor already has one? If not, we recommend the varieties Van, Montmorency, Rainier, Stella, or Garden Bing – you only need one of these, which of course will also give you its cherries. Within 1 to 3 years you will be harvesting cherries, and within 8 years you can expect 50 pounds of fruit each summer.

Using the Royal Ann Cherry Tree in Your Garden

This handsome tree, with its charming spring blossoms and fall colors, is a worthwhile decorative addition to any garden. With its fruit too it is super-valuable, and really worth planting. You will discover the pleasure and value of growing your own fruit and knowing exactly how it has been grown, and what treatments it has been given – keep your family safe and be in the know of what comes into your kitchen. If you don’t have a lot of room, consider growing your tree as an espalier, trained across a wall or spread out on a fence. You can also put up a simple framework and grow it spread out on that – a great garden feature and screen to give structure to your garden.

Hardiness

The Royal Ann Cherry Tree is hardy all the way from zone 5 into zone 8 – that’s across most of the country.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Royal Ann Cherry Tree in full sun for the best cropping and strongest growth. It will grow best in deep, rich soil that is well-drained but not too dry in summer. Avoid wet locations and shallow, sandy soils. This is not a difficult tree to grow and it will thrive in any average garden.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although cherry trees can suffer from some pests or diseases, trees that have been cared for and treated correctly should have minimal problems. Some pruning is necessary for the best results. Do not prune in winter, as this can spread and encourage diseases. Prune in early to mid-summer, before hot weather comes and after most of the spring growth has happened. Begin with your young tree developing 3 or 4 main branches, radiating outwards and well-spaced apart, removing other branches. On young trees shorten back the shoots that grow from those branches by half, to develop a dense, branching crown that will bear a good crop. After a few years reduce pruning to removing any dead, damaged or over-crowded stems. Remove all buds or shoots that develop on the main trunk and branches, especially those that grow from low down, as these are the rootstock, not the tree you want.

History and Origin of the Royal Ann Cherry Tree

The sweet cherry, Prunus avium, originally grew wild all over Europe and western Asia. It has been cultivated for centuries for its fruit, and many varieties have been developed. In France sweet cherries are called bigarreau, and a particular tree was recorded as being grown by a Baron Von Truchess in 1791, who had obtained it from Germany, from an arborist called Mr. Baars. Louis Parmentier, a Belgian botanist and rose-grower with a garden in Enghien, named it ‘Napoleon’ around 1820, in honor of the Emperor. 700 of these trees were brought to the Willamette Valley, Oregon in 1847, by Henderson Lewelling, to start a cherry orchard. When his brother Seth joined him in 1850, Seth renamed the tree ‘Royal Ann’, presumably after Queen Anne, the British Queen who died in 1714. Patriotism and hatred of the defeated Napoleon obviously played a part in the renaming – in the UK the tree is sometimes called ‘Wellington’ for the same reason. The official name remains ‘Napoleon’.

Buying the Royal Ann Cherry Tree at the Tree Center

If you like cherries you are going to love the Royal Ann Cherry Tree. The sweet, delicious cherries are as good eaten fresh as they are in the kitchen, and these fragile fruits are rarely available in stores. Start growing your own fresh fruit with cherries, a relatively easy crop. Order your tree right now, as our stock is limited, and won’t last long.

Growing the Sweet Southern Cherry Tree

Size and Appearance

The Sweet Southern Cherry Tree is, when growing outdoors, a rounded evergreen bushy shrub or small tree, reaching 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. It can be pruned and maintained at a much smaller size with regular attention. The stems tend to be brittle, and it is very well-branched, with many small side branches. The leaves are between 1 and 3 inches long, simple ovals, with a dark green color. There is a fringe of tiny hairs along the edges of the leaves which some people can find irritating to the skin. The flowers are very attractive, carried in clusters of up to 5, and they are deep pink, with fringed, spoon-shaped petals. The flowers measure about 1-inch across, and a tree in bloom is a very attractive garden feature. The fruits develop incredibly quickly, and are ripe within 3 to 4 weeks of blooming. The usual blooming season is in April, with a crop in May, but that can be delayed if the weather is dry. Sporadic extra crops can develop later, all the way to December.

The fruit looks like a bright red cherry, about 1 inch across, with a smooth, shiny skin. Inside is not one but three small seeds, which can be eaten or not, as you choose. The texture is usually firm and more apple-like, and the flavor is also a little like an apple, with a strong tangy taste and varying sweetness. Harvest when the yellow fruits turn red. They can be stored for a few days. The fruit is very high in Vitamin C, vitamins and antioxidants. Only rose-hips have more Vitamin C (but they are not as tasty). It is in the kitchen that it excels, stewed as a dessert, or cooked with sugar and strained to make a delicious, bright-red sauce for ice cream and desserts – so much more healthy than regular store toppings. It can also be juiced and drunk, with or without added sweeteners, or the juice mixed with other sweet fruits for delicious drinks, smoothies and cocktails. Be inspired to experiment – in some countries it is being sold mixed with grapefruit as a commercial soft drink. You can expect an annual crop of between 25 and 60 pounds of fruit from a mature tree.

Using the Sweet Southern Cherry Tree in Your Garden

This tough and drought-resistant tree is a great addition to your garden in hot zones. It can also be grown as an indoor shrub, especially in a sunny porch or sunroom. It can be trimmed to have a short central trunk and even turned into a bonsai tree that will have both flowers and fruit. It could be kept outdoors for most of the year, just brought inside when frost threatened, or during the coldest months.

Hardiness

The Sweet Southern Cherry Tree grows well in zones 9, 10 and 11, as well as in tropical countries. Young plants can take just a degree or two of frost, perhaps to 30 degrees, while older trees are a little tougher, surviving 28 degrees for a brief time.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for this tree, so place it in a sunny window, or out in the open garden. It grows well in most soils, preferring neutral and alkaline soils. In very acidic soils (pH below 5.5), lime should be added to the soil every few years to keep the leaves from turning yellow. The soil should be well-drained, and once established this tree is drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Sweet Southern Cherry Tree is easy to grow, vigorous and fast-growing. It can be trimmed at any time, with the goal of maintaining a more upright form. Trim back after the first harvest to keep it smaller and more compact. Trees kept indoors should be hand-pollinated, using an artist’s brush and going from flower to flower – play bee! Outdoor trees will attract many bees, which will do the job, and you don’t need two trees or cross-pollination for a full crop. Although some pests and diseases are reported, they are rarely of much importance.

History and Origin of the Sweet Southern Cherry Tree

Malpighia emarginata is native to the islands of the eastern Caribbean, including St. Croix, Barbados, Antigua and Trinidad, as well as Curacao and the coast of South America. After being planted there it now grows wild in Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It was introduced into Florida (from Cuba) in 1887 by Pliny Ward Reasoner, a young man sent by the USDA to survey the state for potential agriculture. He introduced many plants through the Reasoner Nursery, before dying at just 25 of yellow fever.

Buying the Sweet Southern Cherry Tree at the Tree Center

For something different, tasty and very healthy, the Sweet Southern Cherry is a natural choice. Growing indoor fruit is hard – except with this easy tree. But order now because it is always hard to find stock of this unique bush, and it will all be gone very soon.

The Stella Cherry tree will grow 6 to 12 inches a year and will begin to fruit within 2 years, so you won’t have to wait long to enjoy fresh cherries. It will grow from zone 5 all the way into the cooler parts of zone 8, so it can be grown across most of America. It will do especially well in cooler regions, where other fruits like peaches will not do so well. It will grow in most kinds of soil, except for those that are constantly wet. It even prefers dryer conditions during summer, so mild drought is not a problem for this tree as long as it receives water in the spring and early summer. All fruit trees have some pest and diseases issues, but cherry trees are much less prone to problems than many other fruits and with a little simple care your tree should be a trouble-free addition to your garden that will be loved by everyone for the harvest it brings.

Sweet Cherry trees are usually one of the fruits that cannot fertilize their own flowers, so they must be grown near another variety. So if you wanted to grow cherries, you had to grow two different varieties to have a crop. At one time all cherry trees were large trees that reached 20 to 30 feet in height. Both of these problems have been solved with the Stella Cherry tree. The original Stella Cherry tree was produced in the famous Okanagan valley, a center of fruit production in British Columbia. There a government research scientist obtained some special pollen from a tree in England and used it to produce the first and still the best self-fertile cherry tree. His creation changed cherry-growing forever, especially for home gardeners; because it meant that for the first time you could grow just one, small tree and have a delicious crop of home-grown cherries for your family.

The Stella Cherry tree will grow to between 10 and 15 feet tall. In spring its bare branches will be covered in beautiful white blossoms and by the middle of June those will have turned into bunches of deep red, juicy, delicious cherry with an excellent flavor. The leaves emerge just as the flowers fade and are a narrow oval shape up to 4 inches long. In fall they lose their deep green color and turn shades of yellow and red. So besides producing fruit, your Stella Cherry tree will brighten the garden with blossoms in spring and color in fall. Even the bark is an attractive mahogany-brown, with prominent horizontal light-tan markings.

Sweet Cherry trees grow from zones 5 into the cooler parts of zone 8. If you live in colder regions you can still grow the Morello cherry which is the number one choice for baking or preserves. The North Star Cherry is an excellent choice of Morello cherry for very cold areas. Your Stella Cherry tree will grow well in any well-drained soil except for heavy clay.

Choose a spot with plenty of sun for your tree. When you are ready to plant dig a hole three times wider than the pot and just a little deeper. Replace most of the soil and firm it down around the roots of your tree. Water thoroughly and replace the rest of the soil once the water has drained away.

For pot growing use a normal potting soil. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole and always water until excess flows from the drainage hole. Do not leave your tree standing in a saucer of water. Let the soil become a little dry before watering and be careful not to over-water between flowering and harvesting, as this can cause cracking of the fruit. Fertilize your pot-grown tree regularly with a balanced plant food.

Pruning is an important part of growing a cherry tree and it should be done in late winter while the tree is dormant. Cut off any thin and hanging branches and remove most of the new shoots, just leaving a few to develop the crown of the tree. Leave just one new shoot at the end of each branch. On older trees remove a few of the fruiting branches each year so they will be replaced with new, younger branches to keep your tree fruiting well. Long new shoots should have their ends removed to encourage the development of flowers and fruit.

Our Stella Cherry Trees are true to the original form and we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants. However supplies of this tree may be limited, so to avoid disappointment order now.