Some cherry trees need another tree nearby for pollination so they can produce fruit. Others are self-pollinating and will produce fruit by themselves.
So, which cherry trees are self-pollinating? All sour cherry trees are self-pollinating, including: Balaton Pie Cherry, Early Richmond Sour Cherry, North Star Pie Cherry, Stark Montmorency Pie Cherry, and Stark Surecrop Pie Cherry. Some sweet cherry trees are self-pollinating, including: Benton Sweet Cherry, Blackgold Sweet Cherry, Lapins Sweet Cherry, Starkrimson Sweet Cherry, Stella Sweet Cherry, and Whitegold Sweet Cherry.
Of course, planting other cherry trees near these ones can increase the size of your harvest. You can also plant a few different types of cherry trees to stagger your harvest times and get a longer window for fresh cherries.
In this article, we’ll give a list of self-pollinating cherry trees, along with some information about each variety.
Let’s get started.
11 Self Pollinating Cherry Trees
There are two basic types of cherry trees: sour cherries and sweet cherries. There are some differences between these two types with regards to self-pollination and other factors.
The following table compares sour and sweet cherries at a glance:
| Cherry Type | Sour | Sweet |
|---|---|---|
| Pollination | all self pollinate | some self pollinate |
| Time To Fruit | 4 to 6 Years | 5 to 9 Years |
| Cold Hardiness | Zones 4 to 9 | Zones 4 to 8 |
| Fruit Size | Small to Medium | Medium to Large |
| Annual Yield (Quarts) | 20 to 60 (15 to 20 for dwarf) | 30 to 50 (15 to 20 for dwarf) |
| Taste | Tart | Sweet |
| Uses | Best for cooking, pies, and preserves | Best for snacking or desserts |
You can learn more about growing cherry trees in this article from Stark Brothers.
Let’s take a look at self-pollinating cherry trees of each type, starting with sour cherries.
Self-Pollinating Sour Cherry Trees
Sour cherry trees are always self-pollinating. That means you only need one sour cherry tree to get fruit.
Sour cherry trees will bear fruit 4 to 6 years after planting (1 to 3 years sooner than sweet cherry trees). A sour cherry tree will produce 20 to 60 quarts of fruit per year (15 to 20 quarts for dwarf sour cherry trees).
Here are some self-pollinating sour cherry varieties from Stark Brothers:
- Balaton Pie Cherry – this sour cherry variety originated in Hungary and is good for making pies or juice. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in late June. It bears fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 8. You can learn more about the Balaton Pie Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Early Richmond Sour Cherry – this heirloom sour cherry variety originated in England and is known for its beauty and high yields. It produces white flowers in April and medium-sized red cherries that ripen in June. It bears fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 4 to 9. You can learn more about the Early Richmond Sour Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- North Star Pie Cherry – this sour cherry was developed by the University of Minnesota and produces lots of fruit that is good for juice or desserts. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in June. It bears fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 4 to 8. You can learn more about the North Star Pie Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Stark Montmorency Pie Cherry – this sour cherry originated in France and yields lots of fruit. It produces white flowers and medium-sized red cherries that ripen in June. It bears fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 4 to 7. You can learn more about the Stark Montmorency Pie Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Stark Surecrop Pie Cherry – this sour cherry originated in Louisiana, and its fruit produces dark juice. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in late June. It bears fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 4 to 7. You can learn more about the Stark Surecrop Pie Cherry from Stark Brothers.
Remember that all of the sour cherry varieties mentioned in the list above are self-pollinating. You don’t need another tree to produce fruit, but having two or more trees of different varieties close together may improve your harvest.
Self-Pollinating Sweet Cherry Trees
There are some sweet cherry trees are self-pollinating (more on this later). However, most sweet cherry trees need another cherry tree nearby to ensure pollination and fruit production.
Sweet cherry trees will bear fruit 6 to 9 years after planting (1 to 3 years later than sour cherry trees). A sweet cherry tree will produce 30 to 50 quarts of fruit per year (15 to 20 quarts for dwarf sweet cherry trees).
Here are some self-pollinating sweet cherry varieties from Stark Brothers:
- Benton Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry was developed at Washington State University, and it produces darker fruit than other cherry varieties. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in mid-June. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 8. You can learn more about the Benton Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Blackgold Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry comes from Geneva, New York, and it produces glossy, sweet fruit. It produces white flowers and medium to large red cherries that ripen in mid-June. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 7. You can learn more about the Blackgold Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Lapins Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry comes from Canada, and it produces dark red fruit. It produces pink or white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in July. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 9. You can learn more about the Lapins Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Starkrimson Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry comes from British Columbia, and it has a compact growth habit. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in late June. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 8. You can learn more about the Starkrimson Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Stella Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry comes from British Columbia, and it produces fruit that is good for canning, dehydrating, or freezing. It produces white flowers and large red cherries that ripen in June. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 8. You can learn more about the Stella Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
- Whitegold Sweet Cherry – this sweet cherry comes from New York, and it produces bright red fruit that resists cracking. It produces white flowers and medium-sized red cherries that ripen in June. It bears fruit 4 to 7 years after planting, and it is adapted to Zones 5 to 7. You can learn more about the Whitegold Sweet Cherry from Stark Brothers.
Remember that all of the sweet cherry varieties mentioned in the list above are self-pollinating. You don’t need another tree to produce fruit, but having two or more trees of different varieties close together may improve your harvest.
Conclusion
Now you know a little more about self-pollinating cherry trees (both sour and sweet!) You also know how to choose different types to stagger harvest dates and get fresh fruit for a longer time.
To find other trees that bloom in pink, read my article on trees with pink flowers.
You might also be interested in finding self-pollinating pear trees for your garden – or perhaps self-pollinating plum trees.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon