Cherry – Carmine Jewel – June 2025

This is the first year of a relatively young tree that has started fruiting. It is a Prunus fruticosus x cerasus originating from the Canadian prairies. There is a group of a few varieties known as the “prairie cherries” that are also known as “bush cherries”. They are very hardy, standing up to some harsh, freezing cold winters on the Canadian prairies.

They are quite acidic and require sugar to turn them into very tasty jam etc. They would normally be left till July even August for them to turn very dark red or even black. But round here the birds  would clear the lot in a short period of time.

The others in the “prairie cherries” group are called Carmine Jewel, Romeo, Juliet, Valentine, Crimson Passion, and Evans.

These are now being grown and harvested commercially, with some new hybrids coming onto the market, like Cutie Pie, D’Artangan, and Sweet Thing. The last being a much larger fruit and much sweeter.