7 Best Cherry Trees To Grow In San Diego
San Diego gardeners have traditionally forbidden sweet cherries. There are two new low-chill varieties of cherries now available that are suitable for growing near the coast in our mild winter climate. We grow standard cherries like ‘Bing’ and ‘Royal Ann’ with too much chilling.
Cindy Sparks planted the new cherries at Point Loma in January 2008, “Royal Lee” and “Mini Lee”. Cherry trees grew well in 2010 and produced a good crop of cherries. In Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe and La Mesa, master gardeners have planted and harvested cherry trees as well.
Unlike most cherry trees, Sparks’ are grafted on a dwarfing root stock called Colt, which helps maintain their size. The ripening fruit was protected by a tall framework of plastic pipe Sparks built around her trees and netting once it began to ripen. The trees were pruned back in winter and in summer to keep them within the framework.
Retail nurseries are selling Dave Wilson Nursery’s low-chill cherries, propagated by a wholesale grower. Purchasing and planting dormant cherry trees can still be accomplished if you act soon.
The ‘Royal Lee’ cherry has a very firm, heart-shaped appearance and excellent flavor. It is extremely productive when pollinated by another variety. The Mini Royal is used as a pollinator for the Royal Lee. Red mini cherries with a good flavor, Mini Royals are medium-sized and have a moderate size.
Barbados ‘Acerola’ Cherry
In your landscape, there will be many juicy cherries. With the Barbados Cherry, it’s possible since this variety can be grown as a container on your patio or in the garden.
Another great benefit of this variety is that it is particularly healthy, so vitamin C is an added bonus.
The Barbados cherry bush grows up to 12 feet tall, making it one of the most adaptable cherry trees you can find.
Depending on how you crop it, it may become an ornamental shrub or a container plant.
Lapins Cherry Tree
When you purchase the Lapins Cherry Tree, you will experience the irresistible sweetness of cherries during the summer months. You can expect your Lapins to produce 15 to 20 gallons of succulent fruit during harvest time.
It won’t take you more than a year to enjoy this sweet harvest. Blooms in the spring lead to a summer’s bounty of sweet cherries after just one growing season.
In addition, its low maintenance, tolerance to temperatures as low as -10 degrees, and ability to reproduce without the assistance of a pollinator make it a very appealing plant.
Rainier Cherry Tree
The Rainier Cherry Tree produces an early harvest of big, juicy cherries in its first year. Rainier Cherries are some of the sweetest cherries available. These are probably the most common cherries you buy at the grocery store, since they’re so popular.
Additionally, it’s super easy to grow. This hardy tree can adapt to nearly any soil type, and though it requires cross-pollination to fruit, its purchase and planting is easy, giving you tons of cherries in the first year after planting.
4-in-1 Cherry Surprise Tree
You’ll harvest cherries all season long, some will be sweet and some will be tart, but they’ll all have firm skin and juicy flesh that’s great for snacking. There are multiple cherry varieties you can use in your favorite cherry pie recipes, so you will have a more varied taste experience.
Often, cherry-growing chemicals and pesticides are used in store-bought cherries. Your own cherries will save you money and will be grown organically without harsh sprays, since you grow them at home.
One cherry tree produces as much fruit as four trees, saving space. The space in the yard you’ll possess after planting one tree instead of four will be much larger.
3-in-1 Cherry Tree
A cherry embodies all of the fresh, sweet flavors of summer quite like nothing else. There are now three types of cherry trees available, allowing enthusiasts to choose from three different types of trees. There is a unique aspect to this remarkable specimen that is the staggered production of each variety over the course of the growing season.
With each harvest you can expect to come across a different type of cherry, so you can look forward to the next one. In this way, you can continuously enjoy the freshest, plumpest, and juicy cherries you can imagine.
The cherry jubilee garden is a lovely and easy to grow space that is self-pollinating, so don’t hesitate to plant this easy to care for garden and enjoy yourself.
Royal Ann Cherry Tree
It has been known by various noble names over the centuries, including Queen Anne, Napoleon Bigarreau, Wellington, and the Royal Ann Cherry Tree today. This cherry variety has become a pedigreed favorite in orchards all over the world.
Using the sweetest of all wild cherries, it is plump and full of flavor. Bite into the fresh texture, and you’ll experience a soft, smooth exterior surrounded by a creamy interior.
Royal Ann Cherries are typically mistaken for Rainier cherries because they have similar appearances and flavors. For commercial and home canning, this fruit is known for its meaty, firm flesh. Maraschino cherries are also another choice for summer drinks and cocktail creations.
