Cherries · 2027 season
Early Richmond Cherry Tree
Prunus cerasus
Self-fertileEarly tart cherry for pies and preserves. Self-fertile.
- #7 container
- About 1.25" caliper
Pick up in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March. Pay cash, check, Venmo or PayPal at pickup.
Early Richmond is a tart (sour) cherry and one of the first cherries of the year. The fruit is bright red and tangy: too sour for most people to eat by the handful, but perfect for pies, jam, preserves and juice.
Tart cherry trees are smaller, hardier and easier to grow than sweet cherries, and they bear young.
Plant it with Montmorency to stretch the tart cherry season.
Early Richmond is an old European variety that has been grown in America since colonial times. It ripens about 10–12 days before Montmorency, and the cherries are a little smaller.
How it tastes
Tart and tangy. A cooking cherry for pies, jam and juice.
At a glance
- You get
- #7 container, about 1.25" caliper (trunk thickness 6 inches above the soil; each tree varies a little)
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 4–7 (Salem County is 7)
- Blooms
- Mid spring
- Ripens
- Mid June (about 10–12 days before Montmorency)
- Starts bearing
- Usually 3–5 years after planting
- Mature size
- Small to medium; about 12–20 ft
- Pollination
- Self-fertile
- Botanical name
- Prunus cerasus
- Price
- $88 each, paid at pickup
- Pickup
- Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March
The fruit
- Looks
- Small to medium, bright red, with clear juice
- Flavor
- Tart
- Best for
- Pies, Jam, Juice, Preserves
- Keeps
- A few days fresh; pit and freeze for later
Pollination
Self-fertile. Tart cherries fruit on their own, so one tree is enough.
Growing tips
Watch for: Cherry leaf spot is the main problem; also brown rot
- Full sun and very good drainage. Cherries hate wet feet more than most fruit trees.
- Birds love cherries. Plan on netting the tree as the fruit starts to color.
- Water during dry spells, but steadily: a heavy soaking right before harvest can split ripe sweet cherries.
- Prune lightly in late winter or right after harvest.
Spray schedule: Cherry Spray Schedule for New Jersey Home Orchards (Rutgers Cooperative Extension, fact sheet FS115)
New to planting fruit trees? Read our step-by-step planting guide: square hole, graft above the soil, native soil, and no fruit for the first two years.
Photos show the variety, not the exact plant you’ll get. Reservations are for the 2027 season, picked up at our farm in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March, and aren’t guaranteed until we confirm them. Questions? Ask us or call or text (856) 345‑4538.
