Black Tartarian Cherry

Prunus avium

Bears fruit in 3 to 4 years
Great home orchard
Large purplish-black sweet cherries
Pollinate with Bing
Zones 5 to 8
Can't ship to: AK, AZ, CA, HI, OR, WA, CO

Spacing guide for full and dwarf-sized fruit trees. Guaranteed Healthy Delivery

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Zones 5 - 8

Hardiness Zones: Zones 5 - 8
The Black Tartarian Cherry can be expected to grow in the zones shown in color in the arborday.org zone map.VIEW MAP

fruit tree

Type of tree:
The Black Tartarian Cherry falls into the following type(s): Fruit Trees

12' - 30' High

Mature Height:
The Black Tartarian Cherry grows to be 12' - 30' feet in height.

12' - 15' Spread

Mature Spread:
The Black Tartarian Cherry has a spread of about 12' - 15' at full maturity.

Medium Growth

Growth Rate:
This tree grows at a medium growth rate. [More about this.]

Full Sun

Sun:
This cherry does well in full sun.

Various Soils

Soil:
This trees prefers light, sandy soil but grows in moist, well drained soil

Pyramidal Shape

Shape:
This cherry has pyramidal shape.

More Info

Attributes:
Excellent for the home orchard, the Black Tartarian cherry tree produces fruit with a sweet, rich, full bodied flavor. Begins bearing fruit 3-4 years after planting and will bear long into old age. The best pollinator for dark sweet cherries.

Wildlife Value:
The cherries are eaten by a variety of birds and mammals. The leaves and branches are browsed.

History/Lore/Use:
This species was introduced from Russia to England in 1794 by Hugh Ronalds and named Ronald's Large Black Heart. It came to the United States in the early 1800s and has been popular ever since.

Height Variations:
The standard grows to 30' and dwarf grows to 12' - 15' in height.

Spread Variations:
Standard spread grows to 30' and dwarf grows to a 12'-15' spread.

Moisture:
This tree requires moist, well drained soil and is not drought tolerant.

Leaves:
Simple, alternate, often obvate with a sharp tip, 5 1/2" long with teeth on the margin that are sharp and sometimes blunted. Thin, waxy and dark green color on top.

Flower Color:
White

Bloom Time:
Early.

Fruit Description:
Heart shaped about 1" in diameter and usually purplish black, but occasionally red depending upon the site. Flesh is dark red, thick, tender, juicy and sweet with a smooth stone that separates easily.

A very popular species of sweet cherry with large purplish-black fruit that ripens early. Excellent for the home orchard, the Black Tartarian cherry tree produces large purplish-black fruit with a sweet, rich, full bodied flavor. Begins bearing fruit 3-4 years after planting and will bear long into old age. Also is the best pollinator for other dark sweet cherries. (Pollinate with Bing or a different sweet cherry variety.) (zones 5–8)

Fruit Tree Tips

At least 6-8 hours of daily sunlight are needed. Eventually one tree may produce 3–4 bushels of cherries. Suggested cultivars to pollinate with include Black Republican, Sam, Bing, Schmidt, Cavalier, Stella, Gold, Van, Heidelfingen, Vega, Montmorency, Vista, Ranier, and Windsor.

Fruit Tree Spacing Guide

		Spring Shipping		Fall Shipping
Color	Zone	Approximate Ship Dates	Order Deadline	Approximate Ship Dates	Order Deadline
	2	04/15–05/30	05/14	11/01–11/26	11/12
	3	04/15–05/30	05/14	11/01–11/26	11/12
	4	04/15–05/30	05/14	11/01–11/26	11/12
	5	04/15–05/30	05/14	11/01–11/26	11/12
	6	03/19–05/12	05/07	11/01–12/03	11/19
	7	03/11–05/07	04/30	11/05–12/10	11/26
	8	02/26–04/30	04/23	11/05–12/10	11/26
	9	02/26–04/30	04/23	11/05–12/10	11/26
	10	02/26–04/30	04/23	11/05–12/10	11/26

We're sorry, but this tree can't be shipped to AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, OR, WA , territories, or countries outside the U.S. This is due to the agricultural laws within these locations.

When you order trees from The Arbor Day Foundation, your order is guaranteed to arrive in a good, healthy condition or we'll replace them at no charge. Your trees will be shipped at a suitable time for planting.

Each tree is guaranteed to grow, or we'll replace it at one half the original price, plus shipping and handling.

The benefits of bare-root trees

Our trees are delivered with natural bare roots which have been dipped in hydrating gel prior to shipment to keep the roots moist and healthy. As their abundant, fibrous roots aren't confined by a container, bare-root trees get off to a more vigorous start compared to containerized roots which typically need more time to adjust to transplanting. Bare-root trees typically surpass the size of larger containerized trees in only a few years.

	Standard		Dwarf
	Mature Height	Space Needed	Mature Height	Space Needed
Apple	20' - 25'	35' x 35'	10' **	10' x 10' ++
Peach	20'	20' x 20'	8' - 10'	10' x 10'
Sweet Cherry	30'	20' x 25'	12' - 15'	10' x 10'
Sour Cherry	20'	20' x 20'	8'	10' x 10'
Pear	20'	20' x 20'	12' - 15'	12' x 12'
Apricot	20'	20' x 20'
Plum	20'	20' x 20'	8' - 10'	10' x 10'
			** semi-dwarf 12' - 15' ++ semi-dwarf 12' x 12'

Natural Root and Containerized Trees

Natural root (also called bare root) trees are shipped without soil around their roots. They are shipped when dormant in the spring and fall seasons. We dip the roots in a hydrating gel to keep them moist during shipping.

There are a number of advantages to natural root trees:

They are very affordable.
Their roots re-establish themselves well once they are planted in their permanent location.
They are easy to plant at the correct depth.

The Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University has an interesting article about the benefits of planting natural root trees. Look for the PDF entitled Creating the Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method

Potted (also called containerized) trees come in 4" containers.

If you have questions, please call (888) 448-7337 or E-mail Member Services.

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