Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherry is the fruit tree that Western Washington does best. The white flower display in April is spectacular, clouds of bloom on every branch, and the fruit that follows in June and July is the same fruit that made the Pacific Northwest the cherry capital of the continent. It grows thirty to forty feet with an upright, spreading canopy. The fall color is reliable yellow to orange. Native to Europe and western Asia, it is the parent of every sweet cherry cultivar in the commercial and home orchard.

In Western Washington, sweet cherry performs well in full sun with well-drained soil. 'Bing,' 'Rainier,' and 'Lapins' are among the most widely planted. Lapins is self-fertile, most other sweet cherries require a compatible pollinator variety. The primary disease concern is brown rot, which attacks flowers and fruit during wet spring weather. Bacterial canker can cause gumming and dieback on limbs. Bird pressure on ripening fruit is the other major challenge, netting is the only reliable solution. Several diseases and pests are tracked. For a productive fruit tree that also provides one of the best spring flower displays and reliable fall color, sweet cherry is one of the most rewarding trees you can plant in this region.