Most sweet cherry varieties are self-unfruitful (self-incompatible, SI) and require cross pollination with another variety as the pollen source.
Some varieties, e.g. Bing, Lambert, Royal Ann/Napoleon, are also cross-unfruitful and cannot be depended upon to provide pollen for each other. Index, Lapins, Skeena, Sweetheart, White Gold, Sonata, Stella, Symphony, Sunburst, and Black Gold are self-fruitful (SF) and can serve as “universal” pollen sources for many self-unfruitful varieties with the same bloom time. However, Stella has been found to not work as a pollinator for Bing in some areas.
Their use as “universal” pollinators should also take bloom timing into consideration as follows. Early-bloom: SI – Somerset; SF – Lapins and Skeena. Early- to early-mid-bloom: SI – Kristin, Chelan, and Black Republican; SF – Sweetheart and WhiteGold. Mid- to late-mid-bloom: SI – Royalton, Summit, Ranier, Royal Ann / Napoleon, Bing, Burlat, Van, Regina, Lambert, Sam, and Windsor; SF – Sonata, Stella, Symphony, and Sunburst. Late-bloom: SI – Gold and Hudson; SF – BlackGold. Move bees into orchards on the first day of bloom. The pollination table below is a partial guide to help select pollen source parents.
Pollen Compatibility Table
Fruiting variety |
Compatible Pollinizers |
| Bing | Sam, Van, Montmorency*, Rainier, Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing |
| Lambert | Sam, Van, Montmorency, Rainier, Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing |
| Rainier | Sam, Van, Bing, Royal Ann, Lambert, Montmorency, Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing |
| Royal Ann | Sam, Van, Montmorency, Rainier, Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing |
| Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing | Self-fruitful |
| Van | Sam, Bing, Royal Ann, Lambert, Montmorency, Rainier, Stella, Compact Stella, Garden Bing |
| Montmorency (*tart cherry) | Self-fruitful |
Resources
- Oregon State University Extension – has a downloadable Sweet Cherry Compatibility & Bloom Timing Chart, organized by group codes, Oregon State University Extension, download pdf. (Accessed: 1/19/17).
- Dave Willson Nursury – website has an extensive Cherry Bloom Sequence and Pollenizers table. (Accessed: 1/19/17).
- Orange Pippin Fruit Trees – website has a pollen compatibility checker tool. (Accessed: 1/19/17).