Black Tartarian Cherry Tree

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

15 Feet

Mature Spread

10 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Bring old-world cherry flavor to your backyard with the Black Tartarian Cherry Tree. This early-season sweet cherry is prized for deep purple-black fruit that’s tender, juicy, and dessert-sweet right off the branch. A graceful, rounded canopy and clouds of white blossoms make it as beautiful as it is delicious.

Black Tartarian bears early in the cherry season, extending your harvest window when paired with mid to late varieties. It stays manageable on dwarfing rootstock, fits smaller yards, and produces generously when given full sun and a compatible pollinizer.

Black Tartarian Cherry Tree Care

Plant in full sun for 6–8+ hours daily. Provide well-drained loam or sandy loam with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0). Water deeply and consistently from bloom through harvest, aiming for about 1 inch per week; in heat, water when the top 2–3 inches of soil are dry. Mulch 2–3 inches deep, keeping mulch a few inches off the trunk. Feed in early spring with a balanced fruit-tree fertilizer according to label rates.

Prune lightly after harvest or in late winter to maintain an open center for light and airflow; remove dead, crossing, and inward growth. Hardy in Zones 5–8 with an estimated 700–900 chill hours. Netting may be needed to protect ripening fruit from birds.

Black Tartarian Cherry Tree Spacing

For a specimen on dwarfing rootstock, allow 12–15 feet of spacing from other trees and 8–10 feet from buildings for canopy and airflow. In orchard rows, plant 14–16 feet on center with 16–18 feet between rows. Standard trees may need 18–25 feet.

Containers are suitable only for dwarf selections; start with a 18–24 inch diameter, 20–25 gallon pot with large drainage holes and upgrade as roots fill the container. Keep the graft union 2–3 inches above soil level and promptly remove any suckers that arise below it.

Why Grow Black Tartarian Cherry Tree?

• Rich, early-season cherries with classic sweet flavor and soft texture

• Heavy producer when paired with a compatible pollinizer

• Showy white spring bloom and a handsome, rounded canopy for landscape appeal

• Fits smaller spaces on dwarf rootstock and responds well to light pruning

Note: Black Tartarian is not self-fruitful. Plant with another sweet cherry that blooms at a similar time for cross-pollination, such as Stella, Rainier, Bing, or Lapins.

Ready for that first bowl of sun-warm, almost-black cherries? Plant Black Tartarian now and enjoy early-season sweetness plus a spring blossom show that steals the spotlight.