Which Cherry Tree?

[AllyLondon]

Hello,
I'm picking cherry trees for my parents' front garden. They love pink blossom, but I've not found a dwarf edible variety (3m max) that I can be confident has pink blossom. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? Thanks in advance
Ally

[simon12]

I am not sure but I think only ornamental cherries have pink blossom

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi Ally and welcome to the Vine. We have a number of fruit experts here who I'm sure will be along to help.

[FB.]

Not exactly a cherry, but I have a red-leaved cherry plum (Myrobalan) which produces candyfloss-pink blossom in early spring and produces a light crop of very dark red cherry plums in early summer around the same time the cherries are ripe.

Variety and rootstock is unknown because it pre-dates the house, but it is a large, vigorous tree.
It might crop better if it had a pollinator tree. But being so large most of the fruit is out of reach and cherry-like fruits (the first ripe fruit of summer) tend to mostly end up as bird food if they're not netted.

[FB.]

Also ticking the "tree", "edible fruit" and "pink blossom" boxes is the apple variety "Brownlees Russet". It is unusual among apples in that its blossom stays pink rather than turns to white with a tinge of pink which is the case for most varieties.

Brownlees Russet is also very disease-resistant and tolerant of less-than-ideal conditions; I wouldn't be surprised if it one day turns out to be triploid.

[orangepippin]

I am not sure but I think only ornamental cherries have pink blossom

I think this is correct. Fruiting cherries have small plain white blossom, which is quite attractive but not in the same league as what you will get from an ornamental cherry.

If you are looking for a dwarf eating cherry, go for one of the self-fertile Canadian varieties on the Gisela 5 rootstock, and plant it in a sheltered spot, in full sun. Stella is the best known, but Lapins, Sunburst and Sweetheart are others.

[Sam2702]

Hi Ally, just butting in on your thread here, sorry! Can I grow the Stella variety in a large container can anyone tell me please? Thanks.


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[FB.]

Can I grow the Stella variety in a large container can anyone tell me please?

Yes.
For containers you'd probably be best if it's grafted onto Gisela 5 rootstock.
Birds love cherries though, so you'll need to be prepared to net the tree if you want any for yourself.