Best cherries for IL

Lindalana · February 23, 2016

Am looking to get couple of dwarf cherries trees to add to my garden.
Maybe other fruits/ berries- have small area and sunny spots are at premium now.
Any suggestions for online retailers for bareroots etc?
There was good thread in the past but seem unable to find it.

MissS · February 23, 2016

The sour cherries do the best in the area. I tried the sweet cherries several times and they only lived 5-6 years. I bought mine from local nurseries.

pmcgrady · February 23, 2016

I've got two semi dwarfs from Stark Brothers that I planted 12 years ago, I looked at their website today, and didn't recognize any of their names ( most are patented now and self pollinating), they back then recommended these as being good cross pollinators, but for the life of me, can't remember what varieties they were. I literally had 5 gallon buckets full every day or so for a couple weeks last year, they are getting around 18 feet tall this year, I haven't trimmed them.

Cole_Robbie · February 23, 2016

I'm way downstate, but yeah, my grandparents have a pie-cherry tree that has been producing for 30 years. Sour cherries are hardy, at least here, and require almost no attention.

My grandpa grew up in the Great Depression. His dad planted several cherry trees. They would pick a truckload and drive to St Louis to a buyer. But they never knew what price they were going to get. Sometimes it was close to nothing.

pmcgrady · February 23, 2016

I get 3/4 of the tree from the bottom up and the birds get the rest... It amazing how many ripe cherries a bird can eat.

Lindalana · February 25, 2016

Thanks much for advice!
I ordered dwarf Starkrimson sweet cherry to try from Starks. I like them for eating so we will try sweet cherry first. Hopefully it can stay smallish, it will be growing on SW side of house in somewhat protected location. Also got dwarf apricot, bunch of raspberries and currants.

Tormato · February 25, 2016

For smallish, one option is Canadian dwarf sour cherries, like Carmine Jewel. They are large bushes rather than trees, hardy to about zone 2. While so-called "sour", the Brix rating can be about 16-22 depending on how long you let them mature. Birds love them, but they can be covered in netting.

Lindalana · February 26, 2016

Tormato, thanks!
Just ordered Carmine Cherry and Romeo from Gurneys. Not my favorite place to buy but it was on sale and I could not find other suppliers. So excited!
Many thanks!

pmcgrady · February 26, 2016

If you ordered a tree, from Stark Brothers, it will be good, no matter what the name of it is,
Top Notch nursery! Nourse Farms also is a great place to look at also.

barefootgardener · February 27, 2016

LindaLana, check with your local Conservation District to see if they have plant/tree seedling sales in the spring. Our local CD sends out a small catalog and has a list of native seedlings, shrubs, trees, berry bushes and grafted rootstock (semi dwarf/dwarfs) fruit trees that are hardy to our area. Very nice size fruit trees with good roots.. I just ordered a semi dwarf Stardust Sweet Cherry that is hardy to zone 5 and with good success in zone 4. Blooms late spring. They grow 12 to 15 feet in height. They have blush colored skin with white flesh.

I have a semi dwarf sour Montmorency Cherry tree and a dwarf North Star. They are both hardy to our area with cold freezing winters..

Ginny

Scooty · March 5, 2016

We have loads of Nanking cherries on our property. Smaller saplings keep sprouting up every year. They are more scrub-bush like in growth than a dwarf tree. The fruit are somewhat small, but they are edible and produce quite a bit. If you're looking for larger cherries like Bing size, there are better options than the smaller sour cherries.

February 23, 2016	#1
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Best cherries for IL Am looking to get couple of dwarf cherries trees to add to my garden. Maybe other fruits/ berries- have small area and sunny spots are at premium now. Any suggestions for online retailers for bareroots etc? There was good thread in the past but seem unable to find it.

February 23, 2016	#2
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	The sour cherries do the best in the area. I tried the sweet cherries several times and they only lived 5-6 years. I bought mine from local nurseries. __________________ ~ Patti ~

February 27, 2016	#10
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	LindaLana, check with your local Conservation District to see if they have plant/tree seedling sales in the spring. Our local CD sends out a small catalog and has a list of native seedlings, shrubs, trees, berry bushes and grafted rootstock (semi dwarf/dwarfs) fruit trees that are hardy to our area. Very nice size fruit trees with good roots.. I just ordered a semi dwarf Stardust Sweet Cherry that is hardy to zone 5 and with good success in zone 4. Blooms late spring. They grow 12 to 15 feet in height. They have blush colored skin with white flesh. I have a semi dwarf sour Montmorency Cherry tree and a dwarf North Star. They are both hardy to our area with cold freezing winters.. Ginny Last edited by barefootgardener; February 27, 2016 at 04:42 PM.

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February 23, 2016	#3
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	I've got two semi dwarfs from Stark Brothers that I planted 12 years ago, I looked at their website today, and didn't recognize any of their names ( most are patented now and self pollinating), they back then recommended these as being good cross pollinators, but for the life of me, can't remember what varieties they were. I literally had 5 gallon buckets full every day or so for a couple weeks last year, they are getting around 18 feet tall this year, I haven't trimmed them.

February 23, 2016	#4
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I'm way downstate, but yeah, my grandparents have a pie-cherry tree that has been producing for 30 years. Sour cherries are hardy, at least here, and require almost no attention. My grandpa grew up in the Great Depression. His dad planted several cherry trees. They would pick a truckload and drive to St Louis to a buyer. But they never knew what price they were going to get. Sometimes it was close to nothing.

February 25, 2016	#6
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Thanks much for advice! I ordered dwarf Starkrimson sweet cherry to try from Starks. I like them for eating so we will try sweet cherry first. Hopefully it can stay smallish, it will be growing on SW side of house in somewhat protected location. Also got dwarf apricot, bunch of raspberries and currants.

February 25, 2016	#7
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	For smallish, one option is Canadian dwarf sour cherries, like Carmine Jewel. They are large bushes rather than trees, hardy to about zone 2. While so-called "sour", the Brix rating can be about 16-22 depending on how long you let them mature. Birds love them, but they can be covered in netting.

February 26, 2016	#8
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Tormato, thanks! Just ordered Carmine Cherry and Romeo from Gurneys. Not my favorite place to buy but it was on sale and I could not find other suppliers. So excited! Many thanks!

March 5, 2016	#11
Scooty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal Posts: 583	We have loads of Nanking cherries on our property. Smaller saplings keep sprouting up every year. They are more scrub-bush like in growth than a dwarf tree. The fruit are somewhat small, but they are edible and produce quite a bit. If you're looking for larger cherries like Bing size, there are better options than the smaller sour cherries.