Gold Sweet Cherry

Overview

Gold Cherry is one of our most reliable and productive cherry varieties. According to Bob Purvis, it is considered the hardiest of all sweet cherry cultivars, withstanding temperatures as low as -38°F in River Falls, WI. This variety is also an excellent pollenizer, making it a great companion for most other sweet cherry trees.

Cold Hardiness and Survival

Gold Cherry and Lapins were the only sweet cherry varieties that survived our extreme -10°F fall temperature several years ago. This variety is easily one of the best performers in colder climates, as it can handle severe winter conditions better than most.

Fruit Characteristics and Ease of Growth

The fruit of Gold Cherry is firm, golden-yellow in color, and is known for its disease resistance and resistance to cracking. The yellow fruit is less attractive to birds, who tend to prefer red cherries, making Gold Cherry easier to protect and grow.

With a hint of tang, Gold Cherry offers the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. It’s a great choice for first-time cherry growers and anyone looking to grow cherries in colder climates.

Pollination and Yield

Although Gold Cherry is self-fertile, it may yield better if you cross-pollinate it with another variety. Lapins is a good choice for this, as we believe it to be the second-hardest sweet cherry variety we have grown, alongside Gold.

Rootstock, Spacing, and Cold Tolerance

These trees are grafted onto semi-standard Gisela 12, which is about as hardy as Gold will survive down to. We're unsure whether G12 can survive temperatures below -40°F. However, even if it can, its hardiness would ultimately be limited by Gold itself, which is only known to have survived down to -38°F, making the distinction moot. As for spacing, this entirely depends on the goals of the grower. If one is attempting a higher density system with more production per unit area, then 6-10 ft (or less if trellised). However, for most backyard growers, 15-18 ft. should be just fine.

Hardiness

Gold Cherry is hardy to USDA Zone 3b or Zone 3a in protected sites.