🍎 Cherry Tree
Prunus avium (sweet) / P. cerasus (sour)
fruits
deciduous fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate; excellent drainage essential , cherries hate wet feet
🗺️ Zones
4, 8 (sweet), 3, 9 (sour)
🧪 Soil pH
6.0, 7.5
🪴 Soil Type
deep well-drained sandy loam
📏 Spacing
20-30 ft apart (standard sweet); 15-20 ft (standard sour); 10-15 ft (dwarf); 25-35 ft between rows
⏱️ Maturity
3-7 years (from planting); sweet cherries 4-7 years, sour cherries 3-5 years
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ Fruit
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (11)
Deters peach tree borer (also affects cherries); antifungal against brown rot
Nitrogen source; bee pasture for spring cherry bloom
Potassium and calcium for fruit development; pollinator magnet
Attracts beneficial wasps; nectar source when cherries are not blooming
Repels borers and aphids; sulfur compounds absorbed by tree
Nematode suppression; general pest deterrent
Aphid trap crop; groundcover; black cherry aphid drawn to nasturtium IMPORTANT management caveat: without active management, nasturtiums can become a SOURCE of aphids that migrate to nearby crops. Either remove aphid-infested nasturtium plants promptly, or treat the trap crop itself to eliminate the aphid colony before it spreads. Strategic placement within 4-5 feet of protected crops is key.
Repels cherry fruit fly; also deters ants that farm aphids
Attracts lacewings and ladybugs that prey on cherry blackfly
⚠️ Keep Apart (6)
⚠️ Apple trees (nearby)
Cherries and apples share some pests (codling moth can affect both) and have different spray schedules which complicates management. Not a biological antagonism. They can coexist in home orchards with integrated pest management. The inconvenience of different care schedules is the primary concern.
⚠️ Nightshades
Verticillium wilt host; cherry trees susceptible
⚠️ Other Prunus spp.
Shared diseases , brown rot, bacterial canker, cherry leaf spot all cross-infect
Juglone toxicity , cherries moderately sensitive
Verticillium wilt shared with nightshade family
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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