Do You Need Two Cherry Trees to Produce Fruit?
The short answer is it depends entirely on the type of cherry tree you are growing. Sweet cherry trees typically require a second, compatible variety nearby for cross-pollination, while sour cherry trees are self-pollinating and can produce fruit all on their own. Understanding this single difference is the most important factor in getting a successful harvest from your backyard cherry trees.
What Type of Cherry Tree Do You Have?
Before you can decide if you need a second tree, you must identify which variety you own. Cherry trees belong to two main groups: Prunus avium (sweet cherries) and Prunus cerasus (sour or tart cherries). Their pollination needs are completely opposite.
Sweet cherries include popular varieties like Bing, Rainier, Lapins, and Stella. These are the ones you eat fresh from the bowl. Most sweet cherries are self-incompatible, meaning their flowers cannot accept pollen from the same variety. They need a different, compatible pollinizer tree blooming at the same time.
Sour cherries include varieties like Montmorency, Morello, and North Star. These are primarily used for baking, jams, and preserves. Sour cherry trees are almost always self-fruitful, which means they can set fruit using their own pollen. A single sour cherry tree is enough for a good harvest.
Do Sweet Cherry Trees Need Two Trees to Bear Fruit?
Yes, nearly all sweet cherry trees require cross-pollination to produce fruit. If you plant a single 'Bing' cherry tree, you will likely see beautiful spring blossoms but very few, if any, actual cherries. The flowers need pollen from a genetically different sweet