Prunus x kerrasis Carmine Jewel™ – Romance Series Bush Cherry – 7-Gallon

Dr. Les Kerr at the University of Saskatchewan crossed the sour cherry, P. cerasus ‘North Star’ with the Mongolian cherry, P. fruticosus, producing a cherry that grows more like a shrub than a tree, with fruits that are sweeter than typical sour cherries: “A little bit tart with a whole lot of sweet.” Cherries ripen in early Summer; leaving the fruit on the tree into mid-Summer gives sweeter fruit, so don’t be anxious to pick that first red cherry – you will have to protect the crop from birds though. That’s easier to do with these cherries because of their shrubby, compact form; it also makes them easier to pick.

There are 6 varieties in the series. We have a few ‘Juliet’ and ‘Romeo.’ and a handful of Carmine Jewel™. They grow to about 8-12’Hx6-8’W and are self-fruitful. You can expect a few cherries in 3 years, rapidly increasing to 25+ lbs per plant at 5 years.