The Bing cherry is the dark, glossy, sweet cherry that set the standard every other sweet cherry is measured against. Born in 1875 in Oregon's Willamette Valley and named for the orchard foreman who tended it, Bing (Prunus avium 'Bing') produces large, heart-shaped fruit with deep mahogany-to-near-black skin and firm, juicy, wine-red flesh. The flavor is rich and full-bodied, sweet with just enough depth to keep it from being flat, which is exactly why it remains the most recognized fresh-eating cherry in the country. Beyond the fruit, it is a genuinely handsome shade tree, with clouds of white blossoms in spring and a broad, leafy canopy through summer. Why growers choose the Bing Benchmark flavor. Large, firm cherries with a deep, classic sweet-cherry taste that fresh-market cherries are still bred to imitate. Beautiful presentation. Dark glossy skin and dense red flesh make Bing as appealing in a bowl as it is on the branch. Productive at maturity. A well-sited tree rewards you with generous, harvestable crops once established. Ornamental all season. Showy white spring bloom, clean green summer foliage, and a shapely canopy that doubles as a shade tree. Cold-winter friendly. Hardy in zones 5 through 8, it takes a real winter in stride and uses that chill to set the next year's crop. At a mature 12 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, Bing wants room to spread, making it a centerpiece tree for a backyard orchard, a sunny side yard, or a property corner where you want both summer fruit and summer shade. Pair it with a compatible sweet cherry nearby and you will have fruit to eat, freeze, and share.
