Van Cherry (Prunus avium 'Van') Scionwood Grower's Notes (Our Experience): Van Sweet Cherry is a variety we grow as part of our mid-season selection, ripening just a few days before or around the same time as Bing. It is not self-fruitful, so it requires a pollinator. The fruit is dark red, maroon, or mahogany, with a firm texture and red flesh, distinguishing it from white-fleshed varieties like Emperor Francis. We grow this variety on a dwarfing rootstock, which keeps the tree small and requires regular pruning, though we plan to utilize mazzard rootstock for larger trees in our main orchard. Botanical Specs & Profile: Van Cherry is a vigorous, upright deciduous tree that reaches a mature height of 15 to 40 feet with a similar spread depending on rootstock selection. It features clusters of white flowers in early spring before the foliage emerges, followed by medium to large, heart-shaped fruit with dark red skin and dark red flesh. The cherries are firm, sweet, and ripen mid-season, approximately three days before Bing. Suitable for USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8, this variety performs best in full sun and well-drained soil. It is self-sterile and requires a cross-pollination partner, such as Bing, Stella, or Rainier, to produce fruit.This product is a dormant cutting that will generally be used for grafting onto an existing tree of the same type or onto compatible rootstock. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee grafting success. If you are new to grafting, follow the link on each product page for 'Videos on Grafting...'.
