Rainier Sweet Cherry

Overview

Rainier Cherry, a cross between Bing and Van, is arguably the most famous yellow (or yellowish) cherry. Known for its rich, zesty flavor, Rainier is a favorite among cherry lovers. However, it has a reputation for being challenging to grow, especially in climates with frequent rainfall, as it is prone to cracking.

Fruit Characteristics and Flavor

Rainier cherries produce large, firm fruits with a distinct yellow hue. They are prized for their sweet yet tangy flavor, making them ideal for fresh eating and other culinary uses. While Washington growers appreciate the taste, they often struggle with the cherry's susceptibility to rain-induced cracking. Fortunately, the dry climate of most of Montana makes growing Rainier cherries much easier, except in the colder parts of the state.

Cold Hardiness

Rainier Cherry is relatively cold-hardy, and we rank it alongside Stella as the 5th most cold-hardy sweet cherry, following varieties like Gold, Lapins, Black Gold, and White Gold. This variety is hardy to temperatures as low as -30°F (and perhaps even slightly colder), which is comparable to the cold tolerance of other top-performing cherries in the region.

Rootstock and Growth

These Rainier cherries are grafted onto Maxma 14 rootstock. MaxMa 14 is a semi-dwarfing cherry rootstock that produces trees roughly 70–75% the size of a standard Mahaleb tree and about 65–80% the size of a standard Mazzard tree. It is an interspecific hybrid of Prunus mahaleb and Prunus avium. Its moderate vigor makes it a good choice where somewhat smaller trees and closer orchard spacing are desired. Maxma 14 is at least hardy as Rainier, which means that hardiness of the rootstock won't be the limiting factor if Rainier is grafted onto it.

Hardiness

Rainier cherries are hardy to -30°F, making them suitable for colder climates where temperatures can dip significantly, but not to where extremes reach colder than these temps.

Image courtesy of Stephen’s Farm.