One of the best things to happen to the fruit industry in Saskatchewan is the prairie cherry. This great fruit is not only easy to grow but a prolific producer. In my landscape I have seven cherry trees and last fall they were in peak production and we were surrounded by cherries. We plan to share those cherries with you if you decide to attend our annual fundraising dinner Feb. 13. The fourth annual Cherry Valentine Evening is the best way to celebrate the happy heart day, with cherries. For more information, please go to our website at www.saskhort.com and you will find all the details.
In order to understand how this fabulous fruit was developed it is necessary to understand a little bit of fruit breeding history. Thousands of years ago, the sweet cherry (Prunus avium) was crossed with the Mongolian cherry (Prunus fruiticosa), which resulted in the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). During the 20th century, much breeding has occurred to increase the cold hardiness of the sour cherry resulting in better survival in colder areas like ours. For over 60 years there have been many, many people involved in the quest to develop a successful cherry for our region. For those involved with these breeding programs the fabulous dwarf sour cherry is often fondly referred to as the prairie cherry.
The dwarf sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is truly a dwarf sour cherry and is not grafted but grows on its own rootstock. In 1999, SK Carmine Jewel was released by the University of Saskatchewan as a named dwarf sour cherry cultivar. It is an attractive shrub with glossy leaves and reaches a height of about two metres. Each spring you will be rewarded with a showy bloom. The flowers are white and large and look spectacular against the glossy green foliage. The fruit when ripe has a dark purple skin and flesh and has a small pit in relation to the fruit size. It matures in late July or early August. The juice is a beautiful red colour, does not stain and can be used to make a multitude of products. This dwarf sour cherry is truly hardy here, is easy to grow and has very few problems with insects or disease.
Needless to say, this cherry has created much excitement, which in turn has created the impetus to develop different cultivars of these great prairie cherries. The benefit of growing different cultivars ensures a longer fruiting season for the grower, as some cherries will ripen earlier than others. As a general rule, cultivars that ripen earlier will be smaller and less sweet but the shrub itself will likely be slightly hardier. Those ripening later will generally have larger fruit and be slightly sweeter. In 2003, five experimental cultivars were released to the public by the University of Saskatchewan. They have also now been named and registered. The Romance Series of cherries are already proving to be popular. Do beware that it has been evident in my garden that they do sucker.
The Romance Series
Romeo is similar to SK Carmine Jewel both in the size of tree and the fruit itself. However, it does ripen later and usually will be ready to harvest in late August or early September.
Valentine is one of the most productive cultivars with fruit ripening in early to mid-August. The bush is slightly larger usually being about 2.5 metres in height. The flavour of the cherries is a bit tarter than some of the other cultivars so it is best suited for processing rather than fresh eating.
Crimson Passion is a slightly smaller bush reaching a height of 1.75 metres. The fruit is dark red and is wonderful when eaten fresh. It matures mid-August. Of the series it is one of those with the highest sugar content.
Juliette is also excellent eaten fresh and ripens in early to mid-August. The bush will reach approximately two meters.
Cupid has dark red to black fruit and is also very nice fresh. It matures late August to early September with a blooming time that is slightly later than most of the other cultivars.
All of these cultivars are self-fruitful. What that means is that they are able to produce fruit without another cherry as a pollinator. Fruit will set by self pollination, however bees are needed to do the pollen transfer in the flower itself. Because of their dwarf stature, these cherries are suitable for every size of landscape and as you need only one to ensure fruit production it is a great option for smaller urban landscapes. However, after you have eaten and processed the fruit you will quickly wish that you had planted more than one to ensure you have more of that fabulous fruit. In my garden, this year was a bountiful crop.
— Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769); by email at growyourfuture@gmail.com or check out our website at saskhort.com.
