Craig’s Crimson Cherry Tree ™
A taste test winner and one of the finest flavored sweet cherries around! A naturally semi-dwarfing tree, Craig’s Crimson Cherry Tree is self-fertile and a great choice for backyard growers as well as commercial orchardists! Cherries are dark red to nearly black with a sweet, spicy and delectable flavor.
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Latin Name: Prunus avium
Site and Soil: Cherries like 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Rootstock Description: Mazzard is a standard rootstock for sweet cherries. Vigorous, more tolerant of wet soils than Mahaleb (but good drainage still required). Resistant to root-knot nematodes and oak-root fungus.
Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile, will benefit from cross-pollination with another Sweet Cherry variety.
Hardiness: Hardy to minus 25° F. or below.
Bearing Age: 2 – 3 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 10-12 ft. in height.
Taste: Sweet, spicy
Fruit Skin: Dark red to nearly black
Bloom Time: Early April
Ripening Time: July-August
Yield: 50+ lbs.
Pests & Diseases: Bacterial Canker can damage Cherry trees. Symptoms of bacterial canker are dead branches and bronze colored exudation on branches or trunk. Apply a fall and winter copper spray to help prevent damage from this disease. To repel birds, you can cover your trees with netting or use flash tape to scare them away.
USDA Zone: 5-8