North Star Cherry Tree

If you like to bake with cherries, or make juice and jams, then the North Star Cherry Tree is the tree for you. A sour or pie cherry, these types of cherries are distinct from the sweet, eating cherries like Bing or Rainier. Ripening in June, the North Star Cherry produces a large crop of red cherries on a medium-sized tree, and is more cold-resistant than a sweet cherry tree. It is a handsome tree, suitable for growing in any garden, and it is naturally smaller and more compact than a sweet cherry tree. In spring the bare branches are covered in charming white blossoms, quickly followed by a large crop of cherries for pies or preserves. This type of cherry is self-pollinating, so you don’t need to plant another variety, making it a terrific choice for a smaller garden. Grows into a naturally smaller, vase-shaped tree, or can be grown against a wall as an espalier.

• Large crop of good-sized red berries ripens in June
• A sour, or pie cherry, perfect for baking, juice or preserves
• Beautiful white blossoms open on the bare branches in spring
• Moderate size for smaller spaces and espalier growing
• Self-pollinating, so a single tree produces a full crop

The North Star Cherry Tree grows best in full sun, but has some shade tolerance. It will grow in any well-drained soil, and grows happily in alkaline soils as well. More disease-resistant than sweet cherry varieties, and generally easier to grow. Prune in early spring when dormant, developing a vase-shape, with an open center and about 4 or 5 spreading branches, to ripen the crop well. Can also be grown against a wall, spreading out the branches in a fan shape. May need protection against birds, which is easy to do when grown on a wall, simply by hanging a net in front of the tree. Some fruit dropping in spring is normal, as the tree balances what it can ripen successfully.