Valentine Bush Cherry
The brightest colored fruits of any of the bush cherry selections, Valentine cherries ripen in late summer and have a delicious tart flavor, best utilized in pies or eaten fresh for those who like their fruit on the sour side. Very cold hardy and even producing good crops when late spring frost damages some flowers.
Latin Name: Prunus fruticosa x Prunus cerasus
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile.
Hardiness: Hardy to minus 40° F.
Bearing Age: 2-3 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 5-10 ft. in height
Bloom Time: March-April
Ripening Time: Mid-summer
Yield: 10-15 lbs.
Pests & Diseases: Bacterial Canker can damage cherries. 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 tree with netting or use flash tape to scare them away.
USDA Zone: 3-9
Sunset Western Zone: A1-A3; 1-3, 10
Sunset Northeast Zone: 34-45