Sour Cherry, Pie Cherry, Tart Cherry
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

A small tree, 20-30' tall and wide, with a broad-rounded, spreading habit. Plants may sucker over time, growing into a large shrub. Most smaller cherries have a relatively short lifespan of 20-60 years.

Native Range

Native to much of Europe & Southwest Asia. Found in northern Iran & Turkmenistan.

Flower and Fruit Details

White spring flowers in May, with long pedicels, borne in racemose clusters of 3-5 flowers, on 1-yr wood & on spurs w/ multiple buds at the tips. Flowers perfect, pollinated by bees. Plants are self-fertile, so another tree is not needed for pollination. Edible, 0.75" dark red to black drupe fruits, sour or tart if eaten fresh, but make good cherry pies or preserves when cooked & sweetened. Fruits may also be dried. Seeds are toxic. Fruits ripen in just 2-3 months, in early to mid-summer.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Leaves are alternate, with less than 8 pairs of veins, elliptic-oval to obovate, 2-5" long, with acute tips, finely serrated margins, and long petioles, with darkened glands present on petioles. Bark is reddish-brown to grayish brown, tight but somewhat rough, with prominent horizontal lenticels. Peeling with age.

Culture and Care

Prefers well-drained soils, but tolerates clay, sand & loam. Tolerates very acid to alkaline soils. Full sun for best for fruit production, or part shade. Tolerates humid, rainy conditions better than Sweet Cherry. Avoid flooded, wet, heavy soils with poor drainage. Zones 3-8. High humidity and rainfall near harvest time can create big problems w/ brown rot fungus on fruits. Peach tree borers & lesser peach tree borers can be a major problem, especially on stressed plants. Cankers and leaf spot diseases also occur.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Sour cherries are the latest blooming of the stone fruits, which helps protect their flowers (and eventual fruit crop) from late spring freezes. 3-season interest: Spring, Summer, & Fall. Birds often strip the trees of fruits before they can be harvested for human consumption. Leaves & seeds contain hydrogen cyanide. This can lead to animal poisoning on horse farms & with other livestock. Various oils, medicines, gums, dyes, cosmetics & adhesives are made from this plant. Grown as food crop in 27 countries.

Suggested Uses

Used as a specimen/fruit tree, for its ornamental flowers and red, edible fruits.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA