Dwarf sour cherries are the result of breeding and selecting work by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program. The final product are varieties with dwarf stature and excellent cold hardiness. Tart cherries with great tasting deep red fruit have been created, suitable for fresh eating, canning, freezing and baking. In this blog post, we will introduce you to all the dwarf sour cherry varieties from the Canadian prairies that have been bred so far.
In 1999, the first dwarf sour cherry variety from Saskatchewan, CARMINE JEWEL, was introduced. By 2003 it was broadly planted and was the main cherry variety in commercial production on the Prairies. It produces almost black fruits with an average weight of 3.5 g in mid-July. They are very suitable for pies, jams, juices and for drying. It is a sour cherry, but many love it fresh. Carmine Jewel is the earliest dwarf cherry. Its productivity is stable and high.
The Romance series of dwarf sour cherries was released in 2004. Varieties include 'Juliet', 'Romeo', 'Cupid', 'Valentine', and 'Crimson Passion'.
JULIET is a very productive variety. It ripens in the first half of August. The fruits of excellent quality have an average weight of 5.0 g and a very high sugar content of up to 20 Brix. Its fruit color is an intense deep burgundy red and highly considered the best flavoured in the series and much preferred for fresh eating over processing.
ROMEO produces dark red to black sweet fruit. The variety is very similar to Carmine Jewel, but with a later ripening period, in mid-August. The fruits weighing 4.0 g are very tasty, which makes them suitable for both fresh consumption and processing. It is one of the best varieties for those who want to make sour cherry juice.
CUPID produces the largest fruits of all dwarf sour cherries. The cherries are dark red to black in color and weigh an average of 6.5 g. It blooms and ripens one week later than other varieties in the series. The cherries have a balanced sweet-sour taste. They are ideal for fresh eating and for making jams and juices.
VALENTINE is the only variety in the Romance series that has scarlet red fruit. Other varieties are burgundy or black when fully ripe. Sour cherries weighing 4.5 g are ideal for processing, making juice and for cakes. The red juice is very stable, it does not need to be colored. This variety, ripening in the first half of August, is very productive and more vigourous than other sour cherries, the tree is 30 to 50 cm taller than the others. Higher height leads to higher yields.
CRIMSON PASSION produces dark red fruits in late July to early August. It is the sweetest of the dwarf varieties with an impressive sugar content of 22 Brix. The fruits have an average weight of 6.0 g and excellent quality, making them best for fresh eating, but are also good for processing. Vigour is weak, the shrub can also be grown in pots. Yields are medium high.
BIG RED is currently being marketed in the USA as ‘Wowza®’. The variety has unusually large red cherries that were 50% longer than wide with small lobes on the bottom appearing to look like a small apple.
SWEET THING is the result of a cross between Carmine Jewel and Erdi Jubileum, a variety from Hungary.
CUTIE PIE comes from the lineage of a collection of Mongolian sour cherry breeding material. The variety has delicious, bright red fruits that are smaller than other cherries. It has an unusually dwarf growth habit growing about 1.2 meter tall measuring approximately half the height of other varieties.
The Musketeer series of dwarf sour cherries was bred in honour of the 100 Years of Horticulture Celebration at the University of Saskatchewan. It includes varieties d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis.
D'ARTAGNAN was released in 2021. This variety is closely related to most of the Romance series cherries, which share the same parents. D'Artagnan is shorter in stature and forms many suckers, making it the best variety for hedges. This fertile variety produces small, sweet dark red cherries that are ready for harvest in early August.
ATHOS was released in 2022. The growth habit of Athos is spreading rather than more upright growth. It produces heavy crops of medium-sized dark red cherries with a sweet taste.
PORTHOS was also released in 2022.
ARAMIS is not yet available to the public.
Despite the name, dwarf sour cherries are actually sweet when fully ripe. They need time to develop their rich color and full flavor. These self-pollinating cherries don’t require a second plant for pollination, growing to just 2 meters tall, making them ideal for smaller gardens. Their low bushy shape can be used to grow as an unconventional fruit hedge. They are not grafted onto rootstocks, but are grown on their own roots, making them extremely frost-resistant. Dwarf sour cherries are not only productive, but also stunning, with attractive spring blooms, glossy dark green leaves, interesting bark, and a striking appearance when heavy with fruit.
