Almaden Duke
A Duke is a cross of sweet and tart cherries. It was provided to Raintree Nursery by Andy Mariani and discovered in the Almaden Valley near San Jose CA. Believed to be a sweeter sport of Mazzard with a delightful complex flavor and aroma. It ripens in late season and though partially self fertile it has better crops when pollinized by a late blooming cherry like Montmorency.
Carmine Jewel
A dwarf, self fertile tart cherry easily maintained at under six feet tall. A cross of Prunus cerasus x fruiticosa from the U. of Saskatchewan. The skin and flesh are dark red red and the first to ripen. It gets sweeter if left on the tree until it turns almost black.
Danube
(Erdi Botermo) A newer selection from Hungary where delicious tart cherries have been grown for centuries. A cross of sweet and tart cherries it is delicious eaten fresh or used in baked goods. Ripe in early July.
English Morello
Morello cherries have deep crimson flesh and rich wine red juice. Very productive. Grown for centuries, it is unparalleled for cooking and pie making. The large heart
shaped fruit ripens in mid-August marking the end of the cherry season. The tree is small and easily maintained.
Montmorency
The classic pie cherry tree. The abundant glowing bright red round fruit has a clear juice. The tree is strong and upright and though much smaller than a sweet cherry tree it is more vigorous than most other tart cherry trees. Fruit is ripe in late July and early August.
Surefire Called Surefire for a good reason, it was the first tart cherry released by the New York Geneva station in 107 years. Its late season flowering evades frosts. It produces huge crops of crack resistant tart cherries that look beautiful covering the tree. Both the skin and flesh are fire engine red. Excellent for eating fresh and for pies and juice. It ripens a week after Montmorency and the sturdy tree is a natural dwarf.
