Discover Arbor Garden Centre and Nursery's Beautiful Plants

 The Montmorency cherry tree is the most widely grown tart cherry variety in North America and is especially valued for pie making, baking, preserves, and juice production. Originating in France’s Montmorency Valley centuries ago, this hardy sour cherry became a staple orchard tree throughout Canada and the northern United States because of its cold tolerance, reliability, and heavy crops. The fruit is medium-sized with bright red skin and pale yellow flesh that becomes translucent when ripe. Montmorency cherries are prized for their tangy flavour and high juice content, making them ideal for culinary uses and traditional preserves. Unlike most sweet cherries, Montmorency cherry trees are self-fertile, meaning a single tree can produce fruit on its own, though planting multiple trees may improve yields. The trees are hardy, productive, and generally easier to grow than sweet cherry varieties.

Pollination: Montmorency cherry trees are self-fertile and do not require another cherry tree for pollination or fruit production. However, planting multiple tart cherry trees nearby may increase yields.
Flowers Blossom: Mid spring
Fruit Ripens: Mid to late summer (typically July in Ontario)
Fruit: Medium-sized bright red cherries with pale yellow flesh and clear juice. Soft, juicy, and tart with classic sour cherry flavour.
Usage: Excellent for pies, baking, preserves, juice, drying, freezing, and traditional sour cherry recipes.
Tree Characteristics: Hardy, productive, and relatively easy to grow. More cold-tolerant and disease-resistant than many sweet cherry varieties. Benefits from annual pruning and good airflow.
Hardiness Zones: 4–7
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained fertile loamy soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0
Average Height: 4.5–6 m (15–20 ft)
Maximum Height: Up to 7.5 m (25 ft)
Spread: 4–6 m (13–20 ft)
Growth Habit: Rounded to spreading canopy
Growth Rate: Moderate
Ontario Native Status: Introduced (originated in France; not considered native)

Best Ontario native plants to grow around cherry trees

Ground Cover (Shade Tolerant)
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana): Excellent living mulch that helps retain soil moisture, supports pollinators, and produces edible berries.
Blue Violet (Viola sororia): Shade-tolerant native ground cover that supports native pollinators.
Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis): Vigorous native ground cover useful for weed suppression.

Pollinator & Beneficial Insect Plants
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum): Helps deter some pests while attracting bees and beneficial insects.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): Attracts pollinators and predatory insects that help control pests.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.): Valuable late-season nectar source for pollinators.
New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis): Excellent pollinator support plant for midsummer through fall.

Soil Improvers & Habitat Plants
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum): Supports beneficial insects and tolerates partial shade.
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis): Nitrogen-fixing native plant that can help improve soil fertility where conditions are suitable.

Other Tips for Cherry Tree Guilds
Spring Bulbs: Plant daffodils around the drip line to help deter deer, rabbits, and voles.
Mulching: Apply wood chips or leaf mulch around the base to conserve moisture and improve soil health while keeping mulch away from the trunk.
Spacing: Place companion plants near the drip line (outer edge of branches) to minimize root competition, especially around young trees.
Bird Protection: Tart cherries are attractive to birds; netting may help protect ripening fruit.