Description
Sweetheart closes the sweet cherry season. It ripens after Lapins, which is itself a late variety, so a single tree puts fresh cherries on the table weeks after everyone else has finished picking.
It is self-fertile, so no partner is needed, and it crops consistently once established. The fruit is bright red and firm with a clean, good flavor, and the tree is upright and manageable on Mazzard with an annual summer prune.
Overview
- Self-fertile; one tree is enough.
- The latest sweet cherry, ripening after Lapins.
- Bright red, firm fruit with clean flavor.
- Consistent and productive.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Prunus avium ‘Sweetheart’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; deep, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5
Chill Requirement: About 700 to 800 hours
Rootstock: Mazzard F 12-1
Bearing Age: 2 to 3 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 12 to 16 ft tall and wide, easily maintained smaller with pruning
Ripening Time: Late season; July into August
Pollination: Self-fertile; one tree sets a full crop without a partner
Pests & Diseases: Bacterial canker, brown rot and cherry fruit fly; summer pruning and airflow handle most of it
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Plant this one with an early variety and you stretch the picking from early June into August off two trees.
- Regional Insight: Cherries want a real winter and a dry spell at ripening; where June rain is common, airflow and a crack-resistant variety matter most.
- Explore more cherry trees in our collection: Cherry Trees
