Prunus avium 'Griotte de Montmorency' (Cherry)

Common name: Montmorency Cherry ('Griotte de Montmorency')

Description: This classic French sour cherry cultivar has been prized for centuries for its exceptional culinary qualities. Prunus avium 'Griotte de Montmorency' produces an abundance of bright red, tart cherries with translucent flesh and clear juice, borne on relatively short stalks that make picking straightforward. In early spring, the tree is smothered in a spectacular display of pure white blossom before the leaves emerge, making it as valuable ornamentally as it is productively. The mid-green, oval leaves provide attractive summer cover and develop soft yellow tones in autumn. Self-fertile, this variety crops reliably without the need for a pollination partner, producing heavy yields of fruit that ripen in mid-summer and are ideally suited to cooking, preserving, and baking rather than eating fresh due to their sharp flavour. The tree forms an attractive, open-branched, rounded crown as it matures.

Other benefits: spectacular spring blossom, self-fertile, reliable cropper, excellent for cooking and preserving

Wildlife attraction: bees and pollinators visit the blossom; birds are attracted to the ripening fruit

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 4m x 3m

Position: full sun to partial shade; fruits best in full sun

Soil pH: adaptable to most soil types; prefers neutral to slightly alkaline conditions

Moisture: moderate water needs; requires well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging

Winter hardiness: very hardy; cold hardy to -25°C