Zone 3 Cherry Trees & Bushes

MFTC Zones, Not USDA Averages: Look Up Your Address →

Ten cherries for zone 3, listed A to Z. The ones rated only to 3b, the warmer half of the zone (-35°F to -30°F), have a 3b tag on them. Everything else is hardy through all of zone 3, down to -40°F.

More About Zone 3 Cherries

Hardy through all of zone 3: Meteor.

Rated to 3b, the warmer half: Balaton, Black Gold, Gold, Jan, Joel, Joy, Lapins, Montmorency and White Gold. Save these for a 3b site. If you're in the colder half (3a), skip the ones with the 3b tag.

Meteor, Balaton, Black Gold, Lapins, Montmorency and White Gold are self-fertile. Joy sets some fruit alone and more with a partner. The rest need a second variety blooming at the same time. Our sweet cherry and tart cherry pollination maps show which ones bloom together.

Late bloomers, which give you better odds in a frost pocket: Black Gold, Gold and White Gold. For jam and jelly: Meteor, Balaton, Jan, Joel, Joy and Montmorency.

Other zones: Zone 2 Cherries · Everything for Zone 3.

Questions We Get

What does zone 3 mean on your scale?

On our MFTC scale, zone 3 means the coldest night you should plan for (the 1-in-30-year low) falls between -40°F and -30°F. Zone 3a runs -40°F to -35°F and zone 3b runs -35°F to -30°F. That is colder than a USDA zone 3, which is built on the average yearly low, so run your address through our cold hardiness calculator instead of going off a USDA map.

Can I plant the 3b cherries in zone 3a?

We don't recommend it. A 3b rating means it has come through -35°F, not the -40°F a cold zone 3a winter can bring. Not sure which half you're in? Our cold hardiness calculator will tell you.