Cherry trees are a wonderful addition to the garden. Refreshing straight from the tree, they can be included in fruit juices, cocktails, dessert garnishes and even used in compotes. Cherry soup is better known in other European countries, but it also has enthusiastic consumers in Slovakia. Sour cherries are similar to cherries, with a distinctive aroma and similar uses. When planning your garden, it doesn't hurt to think about some of the trees that bring joy during the summer and are the subject of one of Milan Lasica's most famous songs written for Zuzana Kroner. If you're considering buying one, or just deciding if this type of fruit tree is even ideal for you, get inspired by these interesting varieties.


Hardy, self-pollinating, large-fruited and worthy of attention

Cherries that are resistant to moniliosis (Monilinia fructigena) and leaf spot caused by the fungus Blumeriella jaapii can reduce worries about these diseases. The hardiness characteristics of the following cherry species can be an excellent inspiration to choose the right tree. The appearance and description of the fruit, the degree of self-pollination, or the strength of growth of the tree itself may be key characteristics for the prospective grower. Which varieties can excite you?


Sweet & Sour Cherry CHUDO VISHNYA

If you can't decide whether you want a cherry or a cherry tree, the Wonder Cherry variety solves the dilemma for you. It is a specific hybrid of both species with large fruits and excellent characteristics from both. It comes from Ukraine, from the hands of breeders Lidiya Ivanovna Taranenko and A.I. Sych. The fruits do not crack or rot. The crown has medium growth and a smaller crown can be expected when using the Gisela 5 rootstock. Resistant to the above diseases, also to frost.

It is an excellent opportunity to enjoy an extraordinary fruit tree even in places where the grower is afraid of the typical large cherry crown. However, it is alien and needs a cherry tree, or a cherry of a different variety with flowering at the same time, nearby. The fruit ripens as early as mid-June. The tree is, of course, sold as a container tree and so can be considered as an addition to the garden outside of the traditional planting season.


Sweet & Sour Cherry VSTRECHA

Another interesting cherry-cherry hybrid, again on the Gisela 5 rootstock, is Vstreča. It boasts large fruits without unnecessary acidity with hardy characteristics as well as frost resistance. Although this variety is partly self-pollinating, it will produce a rich crop in the presence of another pollinator. The dark red fruits are well transported and do not burst. Again, it ripens in mid-June. It grows slowly. It can keep its height around 2 metres for longer, reaching a maximum of about 3 metres. The tree as a container tree is about 160 cm tall.


Cherry (Prunus avium) Jaroslavna

Another variety from the hands of the famous Ukrainian breeder Lidiya Ivanovna Taranenko has the year 1997 written in her birth certificate. The Yaroslavna cherry, with its tasty dark red large fruits weighing around 9 to 10 grams, is already at first sight a representative of the flavourful cherries that we like to reach for when our eyes are convinced. It is a medium-early variety with partially frost-resistant blossom that ripens in the first half of June.

A bumper crop of crunchy fruits can take 4 to 5 years, although the first fruits can be produced as early as the second year after planting. This variety is popular not only for its excellent frost and disease resistance, but also for the quality of its cracking-resistant, all-purpose fruit.


Columnar cherry trees

Columnar cherry trees are the solution for gardens and front gardens with really limited space or constraints at the risk of over-shadowing the full canopy. Upright columnar growth may thus be desirable in narrow gardens and small yards in dense housing developments, for example. However, regular pruning is essential to maintain columnar growth.

An interesting self-pollinating variety is Claudia. It ripens in the second half of June and its sweet, delicious fruits are also resistant to transport. As a columnar cherry, Aroma Spur is ideal for small gardens. The self-pollinating tree ripens in mid-June. Although it is a sour cherry, the flavour is predominantly sweet over sour. It can be used in fruit juices, compotes and for direct consumption. It belongs to the group of trees with so-called organic properties. Among the different varieties on the market, these are recommended for organic cultivation.

The Aroma Spur Sylvia cherry is similar. Moderate growth of a healthy tree reaches about 2.5 in height. It is an alien pollinator, so it needs another pollinator. The tree comes into fruiting quite early. The large fruits can be up to 10 grams and ripen in the first half of June. Aroma Spur Helene is the third in the BIO group. The pole tree reaches about 3 metres. The large fruits ripen in the first half of June and are heart-shaped. The harvest of aromatic sweet fruits is regular and high. An interesting feature is that it is self-pollinating.