Cherry Varieties
Cristalina™
An early-season heart-shaped cherry with large fruit, dark red to black in colour.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
-5-7 | moderately long, thick | dark red to black | 10 | moderate to firm | kidney, slightly compressed |
Kordia
Very firm, dark red to black colour, large heart-shaped fruit that was developed in the Czech Republic.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+9 | long | dark red to black | 11.4 | very firm | heart |
Lapins
This wonderful variety was bred by Dr. Karlis Lapins at the Summerland Research and Development Center. It is possibly the best flavoured cherry in the orchard. The Lapins can be very large, and is always best when left to ripen on the tree until it is a rich dark red. Lapins season is mid July to early August.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+11 | short thick | dark red | 10.9 | very firm | flat round / round heart |
Rainier
The Rainier variety was developed in the American Pacific Northwest. It is a very sweet yellow cherry with a red blush and firm, fine-textured flesh, and is delicious for eating fresh.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+4 | long thin | yellow with red blush | 11 | firm | round heart |
Regina™
Very large dark fruit that is sweet with low acidity and very firm. Excellent shipper.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+15 | long | dark red | 10.7 | very firm | heart, square shoudered |
Satin™
A very beautiful early season, large and dark-coloured cherry that picks well and packs nicely for a great product.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
-2 | short thick | dark red | 10.8 | firm | heart |
Sentennial
This is a high yielding variety that darkens up early but takes longer to reach its full sweetness. Sentennial is often the firmest and latest fruit available, and it ships and stores very well. This cherry has a nice round shape and looks good in a bag or box.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+29 | short thick | dark red | 10.7 | very firm | flat round |
Skeena
Larger kidney-shaped fruit with dark red skin – very firm and sweet. Skeena are slightly larger and firmer than Lapins.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+10 | thick | dark red to black | 11.6 | very firm | kidney |
Sonata™
Very large, firm, glossy fruit with dark red to black skin, makes a very attractive pack.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+7 | thick | dark red to black | 12.7 | firm | kidney dimple on nose |
Sovereign
Sovereign is heart-shaped fruit on a long stem. It has good firmness, and light red/pink flesh. This one of the latest available cherry varieties in commercial production, and the flavour is sweet with balanced acidity.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+28 | very long | red | 10.8 | firm | elongated heart |
Staccato
A very late cherry, it ripens after Sweetheart, and a full month after ‘Bing’. It produces a large, sweet, and firm dark cherry with long stems, which is glossy and attractive in a pack. Its size is similar to Sweetheart, with good flavour and sweetness when picked at optimum maturity.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+26 | long | red to dark red | 11.1 | firm | flattened heart |

Stardust
This is a sweet cherry with cream flesh and skin displaying a bright red blush. Developed in Summerland, BC, it has a flattened heart shape, and is large and firm. It matures after Rainier, extending the season for blush cherries.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+12-15 | short thick | bright red over yellow | 11.5 | firm | flattened heart |
Suite Note™
Picked at the right moment Suite Note is a dark, very large, firm and delicious cherry. For early markets the potential is great, however it is not widely grown.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
0 | moderately thick | dark red | 12.6 | firm | flattened heart |
Sweetheart
One of the best of the late cherries from the Summerland breeding program, the Sweetheart is now widely grown around the world. The fruit is round (not heart-shaped), very firm, bright red, and sweet with good flavour. Harvest follows directly after Lapins, through the first two weeks of August.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+21 | short thick | red | 9.9 | very firm | round |
Sylvia
Always a pleasant surprise, hiding under a very leafy branch, the Sylvia is usually well protected from the weather and harvests at a very uniform size and shape that looks lovely in the box.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
+7 | very thick | dark red to black | 10.7 | very firm | lambert / heart |
Tieton™
A very large and very firm early season cherry with a dark red skin.
Timing | Stem | Colour | Avg weight (g) | Firmness (desc) | Shape |
-5-7 | thick | dark red | 12 | very firm | flattened heart |