Description
Before Stella, every sweet cherry needed a compatible partner. Stella was the first self-fertile sweet cherry released, out of Summerland in British Columbia, and virtually every self-fertile cherry in the trade since is descended from it.
The fruit is large, dark red and heart shaped with rich flavor, ripening mid-season. Because it is self-fertile it also serves as a pollinizer for the varieties that are not, which makes it a useful second tree in any planting as well as a sound first one.
Overview
- The original self-fertile sweet cherry.
- Large, dark red, heart-shaped fruit with rich flavor.
- Pollinates other sweet cherries as well as itself.
- Mid-season ripening on a vigorous tree.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Prunus avium ‘Stella’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; deep, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5
Chill Requirement: About 500 to 700 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: Mid season; June into July
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: A Stella anywhere in the garden quietly solves the pollination problem for every other sweet cherry you plant.
- 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
