Description
This is a cherry tree shaped for an actual garden. Four varieties are grafted on a single trunk on Gisela 5, a genuinely dwarfing rootstock, so the finished tree stands 8 to 12 ft and the entire crop is reachable without a ladder.
Because the grafts pollinate each other, no second tree is required, and because the varieties ripen at different times the harvest runs across the season instead of landing in one week. Keep the strongest graft pruned back hardest so no one variety takes the tree over.
Overview
- Four cherry varieties on one dwarf tree.
- 8 to 12 ft on Gisela 5; the whole crop picks from the ground.
- Self-pollinating as a unit.
- Staggered harvest across the season.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Prunus avium
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; deep, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5
Rootstock: Gisela 5 (dwarf)
Bearing Age: 2 to 3 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 8 to 12 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Early to late season; June into August
Pollination: The grafted varieties pollinate each other; no second tree is needed
Pests & Diseases: Bacterial canker, brown rot and cherry fruit fly; summer pruning and airflow handle most of it
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: A dwarf cherry is the one most people should plant. Standard cherry trees put most of their crop out of reach and most of it to the birds.
- 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
