Closely related to the Romance series, D'Artagnan was bred for hedging with thin, flexible branches and vigorous suckering; plant them a metre apart in rows and within a few years, individual plants become a continuous, productive hedge. Flavour is noted to be most similar to a Juliet sour cherry. Compact growers, under 2 m (6 ft), D’Artagnan produces burgundy cherries, around 5 g, sweeter than most bush cherries and ripen around early to mid-August. Requiring no pruning until about 12 years of age (compared to 7 years for others), D’Artagnan is self-fertile, zone 2 hardy to –45 °C. It’s a top choice for food forests, windbreaks, and boundary plantings where you want a self-maintaining, productive shrub. Released by the University of Saskatchewan in 2022 as part of the Musketeer series, D’Artagnan was developed by Dr. Bob Bors specifically for its hedge-forming ability, a true breakthrough for cold-climate edible landscapes. Read our Sour Cherry Guide here. Hardiness Zone: 2 Height: 1.5–2 m (5–6 ft) Spread: 2 m (6 ft) Soil Preference: Well-drained Light Exposure: Full sun Pollination: Self-fertile Latin Name: Prunus cerasus ‘D’Artagnan’
