Cherry (Sweet), Black Pearl, Bare Root

Black Pearl Cherry (Prunus avium)

Black Pearl is an early sweet cherry from Cornell’s breeding program. Its large, dark fruit and firm texture make it especially useful for fresh eating at the start of cherry season.

Key Characteristics

Dark fruit early in the season

The cherries turn a deep red to nearly black when fully ripe. Let flavor and firmness guide picking rather than taking the entire crop as soon as it first colors.

Firm flesh for fresh eating

Its substantial texture makes it useful for eating out of hand and handling a home harvest. Refrigerate picked fruit promptly to preserve quality.

Rain tolerance is useful, not absolute

Black Pearl was selected in part for improved resistance to rain cracking. It can still split or rot in wet weather, so keep the canopy open and harvest ripe fruit promptly.

Pollination Partners

Cross-pollination requires a different compatible cultivar. Options in our 2027 selection include Black Tartarian, Van, Stella. Cross-pollination depends on overlapping bloom, not matching harvest months.

Rootstock and Mature Size

Plan for approximately 20–30 feet at maturity, depending on site and pruning. The offered variant identifies the rootstock; keep the graft union above soil level and remove rootstock suckers.

Product Details

• Sun: Full sun to light partial shade; full sun is best for fruiting.
• Soil: medium to medium-dry, well-drained soil; avoid standing water.
• Mature height: Approximately 20–30 feet; see rootstock and pruning guidance above.
• Bloom: Early to mid-season spring; white flowers.
• Fruit: Large dark red to nearly black sweet cherries with firm flesh.
• Uses: Fresh eating, desserts, preserving, and freezing.
• Ripening: May–June; later in cooler regions
• Chill hours: A reliable simple chill-hour figure has not been confirmed for this cultivar.
• Pollination: Cross-pollination with a compatible cultivar required.
• USDA hardiness: Zones 5–8.

General Cherry Orchard Guidance

A good start

Choose well-drained soil and enough room for the mature tree. Water consistently while roots establish, mulch with space around the trunk, and keep vigorous grass and other competitors away from the young root zone.

Fertility and fruit-tree guilds

Use a soil test to guide lime and fertilizer rather than feeding heavily by default. Our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend is an optional planting supplement; keep concentrated fertilizer away from bare roots and avoid excess nitrogen.

Interested in permaculture and stacking functions around your fruit trees? Explore our fruit-tree guild guide for ideas on combining plants for flowers, ground cover, and mulch while giving your tree room to grow.

Practical pest and disease care

Prune in dry weather for an open crown and remove damaged or mummified fruit. Monitor for brown rot, leaf spot, aphids, and spotted wing drosophila near ripening; harvest promptly and use fine insect netting where practical. Birds also enjoy cherries, so plan wildlife-safe exclusion before fruit colors.