Sweetheart cherry

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Sweetheart cherry
Genus Prunus
Species Prunus avium
Hybrid parentage Van × Newstar
Cultivar Sweetheart
BreederDavid Lane
Origin Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

The Sweetheart cherry is a cultivar of cherry. It is a hybrid of the Van and Newstar cultivars first developed in Canada. [1]

Contents

Cultivar history

The Sweetheart cultivar was developed at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia. The cross was made in 1975 and selected in 1982, and the variety was officially released in 1994. [2] It has since been used as a parent cultivar for several new varieties, including Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign. [3] The American Society for Horticultural Science awarded Sweetheart their Outstanding Fruit Cultivar award in 2012. [4] [5]

Tree characteristics

Sweetheart is a self-fertile cultivar which can be used as a "universal pollinator" for other cherry varieties with similar bloom time. [6] The flowers bloom about 2-3 days before Bing. [1] It is a very heavy producer, with overcropping being a potential issue. [7] The tree is highly susceptible to powdery mildew. [8]

Fruit characteristics

Sweetheart is a late-season cherry, ripening about 20-22 days after Bing cherries. The fruit is of moderate size, with red flesh, and dark bright red skin. [1]

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References