Plant Guide

Description:

A new hardy sour cherry introduction with large white flowers followed by bright red fruit; this tart variety is best used for pies and preserves; high yields can be expected from this self-pollinator

Edible Qualities

Valentine Cherry is a medium-sized shrub that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces cherry red round fruit (technically 'drupes') with red flesh which are usually ready for picking in late summer. Note that the fruits have hard inedible pits inside which must be removed before eating or processing. The fruits have a tart taste and a firm texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Baking
• Preserves

Features & Attributes

Valentine Cherry features showy clusters of fragrant white flowers along the branches in mid spring. It has green deciduous foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy cherry red drupes carried in abundance in late summer. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

This is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Valentine Cherry is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Planting & Growing

Valentine Cherry will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This shrub is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.