Bing Cherry

Bing is the leading commercial sweet cherry in North America.

The fruit is firm, juicy and a deep mahogany red when ripe.  Exceptionally large fruit of the finest quality, with an intensely sweet vibrant flavor.

Bing has become the standard by which other varieties are compared.

Cherries were first brought by ship to America in 1629 and traveled to the northwest by ox cart in 1847.

The Bing cherry was developed in 1875 on the Lewelling farm in Oregon, from seed, after bringing nursery stock from Iowa.

Bing was named for one of the Chinese workmen.

Van Cherry

The Van cherry resembles the Bing because the fruit is similar in shape and color when ripe.  Typically it is slightly smaller than the Bing and has a shorter stem.

Van cherries are known for their superb taste and high acid content.

Van is one of the best pollinators for any other sweet cherry tree.  The variety is hardy, vigorous and a prolific bearer of high quality sweet cherries.

Lapins Cherry

The Lapins is a self-fertile variety from Summerland, British Columbia.

It resists cracking when exposed to rain fall.

Its large, firm fruit is very similar to a Bing but it ripens a full week after the Bing.

The fruit has a very short shelf life so must be processed quickly after harvest.

Rainier Cherry

Delicately flavored with extraordinary sugar levels, the flesh is yellow, very firm and finely textured.  Good bud hardiness means more consistent production of this premium variety. 

While a dark sweet cherry tree may only be harvested once, a Rainier cherry tree does not uniformly ripen and may be harvested multiple times. 

The Rainier actually is a cross of Bing and Van cherry coming from Washington State University Prosser Research in 1962. 

Washington produces over 1 million boxes of this variety annually.

Lambert Cherry

The Lambert is grown primarily as a late-maturing variety for freezing and shipping.

Its firm black flesh has superb flavor when fully mature.  The texture is softer than that of the Bing or Van. 

The stem is longer than Bing's, and the fruit is distinctly heart-shaped and pointed.

The fruit is similar in size to the Bing but tends to be quite small with a heavy crop.

Montmorency Cherry

The Montmorency is the primary variety of tart cherry.

It was planted in early orchards and is still used today

The fuit is excellent for pies, preserves, and juice.

Research is ongoing regarding the health benefits of the Montmorency.  Many claim it relieves arthritis inflammation and gout.