28 Sweet Cherry Tree Varieties

Do you love to devour fresh, juicy, sweet cherries? Well, you can enjoy home-grown cherries, gorgeous blossoms, and striking fall foliage by planting different Sweet Cherry Tree varieties in your garden. Read on to discover some of the most prolific and hardy Cherry Tree varieties that you can grow easily!

Cherry Trees belong to the Prunus genus. They are widely known for their ornamental, juicy, sweet fruits. Native to the Northern Hemisphere, these trees now grow across the world, including North America, Europe, and Eastern Asia. Most of them are self-fertile, while some others require cross-pollination.

Today, these plants are produced commercially for their popular fruits, used in frozen and canned forms. Cherries are also eaten as is and also used in sauces. If you want to grow these trees in your home, you will have to follow a special care regime to ensure healthy growth and prolific crops.

Make sure to plant the tree in either late fall or early spring in relatively moist, well-draining soils and full sun or at least a location where it can receive more than six hours of direct sunlight. When planting multiple trees, make sure to space them at least 35 to 40 feet apart as a well-kept Cherry Tree can grow about 20 to 30 feet wide.

A well-maintained Cherry Tree will start bearing prolific crops of delectable cherries in the fourth year after planting it. Once it starts fruiting, it will continue to yield juicy, sweet cherries for years to come. Depending on the variety, the tree will also produce stunning fall foliage in rich shades of red, orange, and yellow. It will also produce bee and butterfly-attracting white and pink blooms.

Here are some popular Sweet Cherry Tree varieties that you can grow in your garden:

1. Bing Cherry Tree 

• Prunus avium ‘bing’
• Height: 20-35 ft

Bing Cherry is a large, deciduous tree with a spreading canopy decked with smooth, dark green leaves. It produces an abundance of sweetly fragrant white bloom clusters that give way to a heavy crop of incredibly sweet, mahogany-red, large, heart-shaped summer cherries. This tree thrives in full sun and fertile, well-drained soils.

2. Lambert Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘lambert’
• Height: 12-15 ft

Grown for more than 150 years, Lambert Cherry Tree is a dependable and prolific Cherry Tree. It produces large, firm, heart-shaped, deep red, delectably sweet summer cherries. It also yields deciduous, green-hued foliage and showy, pink or white blooms. This tree grows well in direct sunlight and evenly moist, free-draining soils.

3. Lapins Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘lapins’
• Height: 8-13 ft

Lapins Cherry Tree is a relatively small, self-fertile Cherry Tree. Despite its smaller stature, this tree produces an abundance of glossy, taut, vibrant ruby to crimson-hued, juicy, sweet cherries. It also yields spectacular frilly white blossoms. Lapins Cherry has deciduous green leaves that turn red, orange, and yellow in fall. This low-maintenance tree thrives in a wide variety of well-drained soils and full sun.

4. Chelan Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘chelan’
• Height: 20-30 ft

Chelan Cherry Tree is a deciduous, upright, vigorous tree that thrives in wind-protected, sunlit areas in well-draining soils. This tree yields copious crops of heart-shaped, deep red to almost black-hued cherries that taste just as sweet as Bing cherries. It also features alternate, toothed, green leaves and abundant clusters of spring blooms.

5. Rainier Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘rainier’
• Height: 10-15 ft

Rainier Cherry Tree is a prolific tree that produces an early harvest of large, juicy, exceptionally sweet cherries. It also produces striking pink and white spring blooms. It features deciduous green foliage that turns yellow in fall. If you want your cross-pollinating Rainier Cherry Tree to produce fruits, plant it close to a Bing or Stella Cherry Tree in full sun and free-draining, evenly moist soils.

6. Tulare Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘tulare’
• Height: 10-20 ft

Tulare Cherry Trees are relatively small Cherry Trees with dense, green foliage and early spring blooms. This cross-pollinating tree produces an abundance of sweet, juicy, firm, heart-shaped, deep red-colored late spring to early summer cherries that are softer than Bing cherries. This tree thrives in deep, well-drained, moist soils and full sun.

7. Celeste Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘celeste’
• Height: 13-16 ft

Celeste Cherry Tree is an attractive, self-fertile, compact Cherry Tree. It produces showy, white spring blooms that give way to large, mild, sweet-tasting, dark red berries. Thanks to its compact habitat, you can easily grow Celeste Cherry in a patio container or a small garden. For prolific growth, plant your tree in rich, well-drained soil and full sun.

8. Summer Sun Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘summer sun’
• Height: 8-13 ft

Summer Sun is a hardy, deciduous, compact Cherry Tree with an arresting, upright, spreading crown. It features toothed, green foliage and showy, white blooms. This tree yields prolific crops of firm, sweet, rich red to blackish fruits. This tree thrives in full sun and a variety of moist but well-drained and moderately fertile soils.

9. Sylvia Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘sylvia’
• Height: 4.5-6.5 ft

Sylvia Cherry Tree is a dwarf, deciduous Cherry Tree that you can grow in a patio container. It features ovate, alternate, green leaves that turn reddish-orange in fall. It produces white spring blooms that give way to scarlet red, edible, sweet cherries in July. Sylvia Cherry Tree is a self-fertile tree that prefers to grow in full sun and well-drained, medium moist soils.

10. Sunburst Cherry Trees

• Prunus avium ‘sunburst’
• Height: 16 ft

Sunburst Cherry Trees are self-fertile trees that produce large, round, deep red to back-hued, juicy cherries with an excellent flavor. The summer cherries are surrounded by bushy, deciduous, green leaves. This hardy tree also produces delicate white blooms that need protection from frost. It produces the sweetest cherries in full sun and moderately fertile, non-acidic, well-drained soils.

11. Stella Cherry Trees

• Prunus avium ‘stella’
• Height: 13 ft

Stella Cherry is a popular, self-fertile, upright, compact Cherry Tree, loved universally for producing prolific crops of sweet, delicious, split-resistant, black-red cherries. This hardy tree features deciduous, luscious, toothed, green leaves that surround the cherries. It also produces magnificent white spring blooms that attract butterflies and other pollinators. It thrives in full sun and a broad variety of moderately fertile, slightly moist, well-drained soils.

12. Kordia/Attika Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘kordia’ 
• Height: 5.5-6 ft

Kordia Cherry Tree is a compact, dwarf cherry variety that grows on dwarf rootstock. You can grow it as a potted patio plant or as part of a garden bed border. It produces elegant, white-hued, early spring flowers that give way to a heavy crop of large, high-quality, sweet, glossy, deep red cherries. This tree will produce prolific crops in full sun and roomy, rich, free-draining soils.

13. Juliet Cherry Tree

• Prunus fruticosa x cerasus
• Height: 6 ft

Juliet Cherry Tree is a dwarf, deciduous, self-fertile tree developed by the University of Saskatchewan. This Mongolian Cherry and European Sour Cherry hybrid produces spring blooms that give way to a heavy crop of large, dark red to black, sweet cherries. This hardy, disease-resistant tree grows in full sun and free-draining soils.

14. Napoleon Cherry Tree 

• Prunus avium ‘napoleon’
• Height: 19-26 ft

Napoleon Cherry Tree is a cultivar of the Wild Cherry Tree. Introduced more than 150 years ago, this Cherry Tree produces deciduous, ovate, dark green foliage that contrasts beautifully with its white, star-shaped, 5-petaled late spring blooms with yellow stamens. The blossoms give way to large, yellow cherries that develop a bright red hue when ripened. These cherries are less sugary and have paler flesh than their darker counterparts.

15. Burlat Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘burlat’ 
• Height: 13 ft

Burlat Cherry Tree is an old variety of Cherry Trees originating from Spain. It yields spring blooms and deciduous, green, toothed leaves. It produces medium-sized, round-flattened, dark red, firm, sweet cherries. These fruits typically grow in double form in an irregular and staggered manner. This tree thrives in full sun and free-draining soils.

16. Early Lory Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘early lory’ 
• Height: Variable, depending on rootstock variety

Early Lory is a highly prolific, self-sterile, early flowering Cherry Tree that features white early spring blooms and dark green, toothed leaves. This tree produces deep red, medium-sized, moderately sweet, juicy, and semi-sticky cherries that split easily. Early Lorry is a cross between Burlat and Starking. It thrives in full sun, frost-free spots in well-drained soils.

17. Giorgia Cherry Tree  

• Prunus avium ‘giorgia’
• Height: 16-32 ft

Giorgia Cherry Tree is a string, well-branched tree. It features medium-green, finely-toothed foliage and spectacular white blooms with yellow anthers. This tree produces a prolific crop of early June fruits; the cherries are dark red, large, heart-shaped, aromatic, and sweet. This tree thrives in full sun and free-draining, medium moist soils.

18. Samba Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘samba’
• Height: –

Also known as Sumte, Samba Cherry Tree is a self-fertile cross of different Stella strains. This vigorous, erect, prolific tree produces large, heart-shaped, firm, crack-resistant, flavorful, juicy, deep red cherries that are nestled among droopy, medium-green, finely-teethed leaves. This typically disease-resistant tree grows well in full sun well-drained soils.

19. Van Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘van’
• Height: 20-30 ft

Van Cherry Tree is a cross-pollinating, cold-hardy Cherry Tree that offers a striking display of profuse clusters of snow-white blooms. It features shiny, serrated, lush green leaves and gorgeous white blooms that grow on its upright, rounded crown. The foliage contrasts the profuse display of dark red, large, crack-resistant, shiny, sweet cherries. This tree thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained, organic soils.

20. Napoleon Royal Ann Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘royal ann’
• Height: 14-16 ft

Also known as Queen Anne, Napoleon Royal Ann is a vigorous, well-shaped Cherry Tree. It produces prolific crops of gold-red, large, crisp, plump, sweet juicy cherries with a cream-hued flesh. It also yields pretty, white blooms with yellow stamens. This pest-resistant tree thrives in full sun and a wide range of well-drained soils.

21. Coral Champagne Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘coral champagne’ 
• Height: 40 ft

Often compared to the Bing Cherry cultivar, Coral Champagne is a large Cherry Tree that produces amazingly sweet, large, rich red cherries. These fruits have a firm but juicy coral pink flesh. This tree produces prolific cherries when cross-pollinated with Black Tartarian, Rainier, and Van Cherry Trees and grown in full sun and well-drained soils.

22. Early Robin Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘early robin’
• Height: –

Also known as Early Robin Rainier, Early Robin is a prolific, attractive Cherry Tree. This tree was discovered by a Washington orchardist in 1990. It produces large, yellow-hued, heart-shaped, sweet cherries with a reddish blush. For successful pollination, plant this tree close to Bing or Rainier cherry Trees in medium moist, well-drained soils and full sun.

23. Black Tartarian Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘black tartarian’
• Height: 30-35 ft

Black Tartarian is an old, highly dependable, prolific Cherry Tree that produces large, delicious, tender, dark purplish-black cherries with a sweet, juicy, and deep dark red flesh. It also yields attractive, ruffled, 5-petaled, white, fragrant early spring blooms. It features shiny, green, toothed, oval-shaped leaves. For excellent pollination, plant this tree near a Bing, Rainier, Van, or Stella Cherry Tree in full sun and free-draining, consistently moist, organically rich soils.

24. Utah Giant Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘utah giant’ 
• Height: 12-15 ft

Utah Gold is a cold-hardy, disease-resistant, prolific Cherry Tree that produces firm, large, sweet, dark red mid-summer cherries. It features showy spring blooms and serrated green leaves. For successful pollination, plant your Utah Giant near a Black Tatarian, Bing, Van, or Rainier Cherry Tree in a sunlit, airy spot in well-drained, moist soils.

25. Regina Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘regina’
• Height: 10-16 ft

Originally from Germany, Regina Cherry Tree is a prolific tree with showy, fragrant, white spring blooms and oblong, dark green leaves that turn red and orange in fall. It produces luscious, crack-resistant, sweet-tart, bright red, clingstone cherries that turn deep reddish-purple when fully ripe. For successful pollination, plant this tree near two to three cross-pollinating Cherry Trees, such as Sunburst and Celeste Cherry Trees, in a sunlit area in moist but well-drained soils.

26. Emperor Francis Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘emperor’
• Height: 8-18 ft

Originated in the UK in the early 1900s, Emperor Francis is a consistently prolific Cherry Tree. It produces crack-resistant, medium-sized, crisp, almost candy-like sweet cherries. It also yields breathtaking white blooms with yellow stamens. For successful pollination, plant this tree near Stella, Black Tartarian, or Sweetheart Cherry Trees in a sunlit area in moist, well-drained soil.

27. Ulster Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘ulster’
• Height: 12-15 ft

Ulster Cherry Tree is a productive, disease-resistant tree that features beautiful white spring blooms and green foliage. This tree produces crack-resistant, large, sweet-tasting cherries that have a darker red hue than the popular Bing cherries. For prolific pollination, plant this drought-resistant tree near Rainier, Royalton, or Rynbrandt Cherry Trees in a sun-kissed location in well-drained soil.

28. Blackgold Cherry Tree

• Prunus avium ‘blackgold’
• Height: 8-15 ft

Developed in Geneva, Blackgold Cherry Tree is a distinctive hybrid of Stella and Stark Gold Cherry Tree. This frost-resistant, hardy tree bears heavy crops of large, heart-shaped, crack-resistant, sweet, deep reddish-purple cherries. This self-fertile, disease-resistant tree blooms later than most cherry varieties. It grows well in full sun and well-drained soils.