Sam Cherry Tree
The Sam Cherry Tree is very similar to the Bing cherry with dark, shiny, medium sized fruit but it is a little more tart than its sweet cousin. The tree bears heavy and is resistant to cracking.
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: Needs a pollinator and we suggest Bing, Royal Ann, and Lambert
Hardiness: Hardy to about minus 20 ° F.
Bearing Age: 2 – 3 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 12-15 ft. in height.
Taste: Sweet-tart
Fruit Skin: Dark red
Bloom Time: Early April
Ripening Time: 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: 5-9