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  4. Rainier Sweet Cherry
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Rainier Sweet Cherry

23 ReviewsAsk Questions

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$44.99
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Description

One of the most in-demand varieties, for both its taste and beauty. Large, yellow fruit with a half-red blush; birds are less attracted, due to the yellow half. Very firm, sweet flesh has a fine texture and distinct, outstanding flavor. Bud-hardy and crack-resistant, making it the cherry of choice for backyard gardeners. A cross of the Bing and Van varieties. Prefers well-drained soil. Excellent for baking, canning, freezing and eating out of hand. Ripens end of May/early June, depending upon growing zone. Stores well. Best pollinators: Black Tartarian, Sam, or Stella.

125% Survival Guarantee!

Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will issue a one-time merchandise credit to your account equaling 125% of the original product purchase price. Read more about our warranty policy.

Characteristics

Bloom Color White
Bloom Time Mid
Fruit Color Yellow
Fruit Size Large
Ripens/Harvest Late May/early June
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Well Drained
Soil pH Level 6.0 - 7.0
Taste Excellent, Sweet
Texture Firm
Years to Bear 4 - 7
Zone Range 5 - 8

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 5 - 8
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatability range of this variety before ordering.

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

The mature size of this variety depends on the version you choose to plant:
Standard 18 - 25' tall x 18 - 25' wide
Semi-Dwarf 15 - 18' tall x 15 - 18' wide
Dwarf 8 - 14' tall x 8 - 14' wide

Recommended Spacing

The space needed for this variety to grow depends on the size you plant:
Standard 18 - 25'
Semi-Dwarf 15 - 18'
Dwarf 8 - 14'

Pollination

This variety requires another one for adequate pollination.

Cross-pollination by a different variety is key to its growing and bearing success. Plant one of these varieties within 50' for best pollination.

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Planting & Care

Learn all about how to grow cherry trees in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.

Read about how to grow cherry trees »

Shipping Information

Estimated Delivery Date

This item is currently out of stock.
Read more about availability
Read about our shipping policies

Arrives when it's time to plant

Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.

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Questions & Answers

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Browse 27 questions Browse 27 questions and 78 answers
Why did you choose this?
Stark Bro's Store
pollination
Ollie S on Mar 9, 2021
This variety was suggested as a pollinator for the Bing trees. Thought I would give it a try since it had such high approval of other patrons.
Jerry S on Feb 21, 2021
pollination
Ollie S on Mar 9, 2021
I want to make sure this is a full size tree, and not a dwarf or semi dwarf. Can you confirm? Thank You
thomas t on Mar 9, 2021
This variety was suggested as a pollinator for the Bing trees. Thought I would give it a try since it had such high approval of other patrons.
Jerry S on Feb 21, 2021
Favorite
Alexis T on Feb 19, 2021
We enjoy these cherries.
Candace L on Feb 18, 2021
I love Rainier cherries! This is a replacement from a prior order that didn't make it.
Christine C on Feb 16, 2021
to go with my apple trees my kids joke that i could make a tin can grow.
John C on Feb 6, 2021
i have a black tartin, and need a pollinator , if you could send as soon as possable
Edward G on Dec 18, 2020
This cherry tree is great for fresh eating and will pollinate my Royalton Cherry Trees
John B on Dec 5, 2020
get rainier at store. i hope i can grow this varity
DONALD J on Dec 4, 2020
yummy
Hope D on Nov 27, 2020
The taste great
Christopher L on Nov 22, 2020
I love the taste of these guys.
ronald f on Nov 17, 2020
I Love these Cherries, so I would like to try to grow my own.
Jill R on Nov 4, 2020
These are the cherries I buy from the grocery store -- so why not plant my own.
Sallie G on Oct 22, 2020
wanted to try an yellow flesh cherry
Gary l on Oct 16, 2020
I choose this it tastes good and my mom favorite fruit
Ys S on May 18, 2020
Pollination for other smaller sweet cherry trees! It should be perfect for this.
Teresa P on May 17, 2020
I love sweet cherries and have other varieties, misssed some other varieties.
Katherine B on May 16, 2020
Cross pollination with Black Tartarian Cherry.
Robert M on May 16, 2020
My favorite cherry
Debbie K on May 11, 2020
I was looking for a sweet cherry variety and had ordered a Black Tartarian tree from another company... was excited to see they will work together as pollinators
Kristy D on May 11, 2020
to go with another cherry tree I purchased previously for pollination.
Laura M on May 10, 2020
I need a pollinator for my Kristin Cherry
Leo K on May 6, 2020
We enjoy them.
Candace L on May 3, 2020
We love these cherries!! I have been growing my own peaches & apples and we thought about growing our own cherries.
wayneg on May 1, 2020
LOOKED LIKE ROYAL ANN
Linda on Apr 28, 2020
We love rainier cherries!
Joni M on Apr 25, 2020
I BOUGHT RAINIER CHERRIES AT THE STORE AND THOUGHT THEY WERE VERY GOOD.
LOUIS J on Apr 22, 2020
I Love these Cherries!!
Jill R on Apr 21, 2020
I want to find a sweet fruit tree,I hope that the one.
patty L on Apr 12, 2020
I love Rainier cherries, and I love cherry tree blossoms!
Ting-Lin Y on Apr 11, 2020
lost one in a winter storm trunk broke
L O on Mar 6, 2020
All around good cherry
Steven T on Feb 28, 2020
One of our favorite cherries
Dietra W on Jan 14, 2020
To test out, for flowers and maybe fruits if lucky.
May S on Jan 9, 2020
Eat fresh
Daniel A on Jan 4, 2020
I have bought these cherry's in the store before and really like them and neighbors across the valley said they do better here than Bing cherry's so I choose to try these!!
Trish on Dec 28, 2019
Rainier cherries are incredible tasting and very expensive in the stores.
Del T on Dec 7, 2019
We have always enjoyed eating Rainer cherries but they are the most expensive per pound in the grocery stores
dewaine n on May 12, 2019
Adapted for northern Iowa.
Terry M on May 11, 2019
Versatile cherry!
Vandi L on May 7, 2019
High quality plants, exceptionally strong
Robert B on Apr 30, 2019
I've eaten these cherries before and I like the taste....
Chris B on Apr 21, 2019
Another sweet Cherry to aid in pollination of the Bing and Windsor I ordered :)
BRADLEY S on Apr 14, 2019
excellent cherries
ROBERT P on Apr 7, 2019
I love Rainiers!
Penny S on Mar 18, 2019
Chose to pollinate other cherry trees and like the cherries.
Renee R on Mar 12, 2019
Ate these as a child. Yum.
Bob S on Mar 7, 2019
Good cherry and a second one for pollination. Good tasting too.
RJ M. on Mar 4, 2019
I want to make sure this is a full size tree, and not a dwarf or semi dwarf. Can you confirm? Thank You
thomas t on Mar 9, 2021
Favorite
Alexis T on Feb 19, 2021
Will Bing and Rainier cross pollinate?
Woody on May 20, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Yes, they will.
Will this be a good pollinator with a starkrimson cherry tree?
Eric S on Feb 15, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Starkrimson Cherry is self-pollinating, but performs better with another sweet cherry variety nearby. Rainier requires a pollinator, and Starkrimson's bloom time has enough overlap with Rainier to take care of pollinating it.
what is the best time of year to plant cherry trees?
K D Sims on May 16, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Because weather and soil conditions vary so much from year to year and even within your zone, it's best to think of your planting time as a range of favorable conditions instead of an exact time.

You can plant new plants and trees:
1) when the ground is not frozen.
2) when daytime temperatures are above freezing (32??F) and below 90??F.
3) when extreme weather (blizzard, hail, torrential rain, etc.) is not in the forecast. Be sure to keep plants watered if you're transplanting in warm and/or dry weather.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
If I use Black Tartarian Cherry as a pollinator for this tree, what pollinates the Black Tartarian Cherry?
Gary W on Apr 12, 2019
BEST ANSWER: The Rainier will pollinate the Black Tartarian because they bloom at approximately the same time.
is this a dwarf or semi dwarf or standard tree?
wpdjr on Sep 5, 2019
BEST ANSWER: I ordered this tree in January of 2018 and received the standard size. I don't recall if other sizes were available.
Do you have next yr fruiting cherry trees ? Bing pefferd with a good pollenator
Lance R on Mar 10, 2021
BEST ANSWER: Our trees are young and are not ready to bear fruit. Cherry trees are the longest to begin to bear taking 4-7 years after planting.
Will the Black Tartarian cherry tree serve as a cross pollinator to the bing cherry?
Rich M on Jan 24, 2021
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Yes the Bing and the black Tartarian will pollinate together to bear fruit.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
how tall do semi dwarf sweet cherry trees grow ?
jim m on Jan 15, 2021
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Semi Dwarf Cherry trees will mature 15-18 foot tall and wide. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
How do i find out what root stock your fruit trees are on?
Gregory on Jan 12, 2021
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. We use several different rootstocks, depending upon the desired result and what is available. For that reason, we're unable to guarantee a specific rootstock.
Are these cherry trees grow on Mazzard F-12-1 roots?
Debra B on Jan 4, 2021
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. We use several different rootstocks, depending upon the desired result and what is available. For that reason, we're unable to guarantee a specific rootstock.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
What rootstock is used?
ANDREW B on Nov 27, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. We use several different rootstocks, depending upon the desired result and what is available. For that reason, we're unable to guarantee a specific rootstock.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
how close can you plant 2 semi dwarf cherry trees?
Jill R on Nov 4, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We recommend spacing them 15-18 feet apart.
Would Lapins be a good pollinator for Rainier in Zone 6B?
Kat O on Jun 21, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Yes these two varieties will pollinate one another and will grow in Zone 6.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
I would like to plant a Sam Sweet Cherry and a Rainier Sweet Cherry will they pollinate each other?
Bob S on Jun 18, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Yes the pollination rule for cherries is any sweet cherry will pollinate another sweet cherry.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
How soon would we be able to get cherries?
Stefanie N on May 16, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. You can find the years-to-bear information in the Characteristics section, near the top of the page, underneath the description. This tree takes 4-7 years to bear.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
The recommended pollinators are out of stock. Will you be getting more?
Melanie M on May 11, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. You may use any sweet cherry to pollinate another sweet cherry, we just recommend a few varieties.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
what size is the tree and where do you ship from ?
beni I on Apr 23, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. This variety is 3-4 foot tall at shipping, and we are located in Missouri.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
when will this be back in stock?
Sarah W on Mar 16, 2020
BEST ANSWER: This item is currently out of stock, but we hope to make it available again soon. Supplies will be limited when it does return, so make sure you don't miss out by requesting an availability email above. We'll automatically notify you when it's back in stock.
Will this pollinate with a Kristin cherry tree?
Jamie on May 31, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Yes, it will. Both are exceptionally good varieties.
Can emperor sweet cherry pollinate Rainer?
Tessie R on May 27, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Yes, it can. They are in the same flowering group.
Would a Stella cherry tree cross pollinate with a Raynier cherry?
Judy L on Apr 23, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Unfortunately not. Stella blooms far too late to pollinate Rainier, which is in flowering group 2. Stella is in group 4.
Should we expect to have insect problems if we planted a Rainier cherry in Western Washington?
Donna G on Oct 16, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Hi Donna, Thank you for your question. A cherry tree may experience issues caused by pests or diseases. Factors such as location, weather, and upkeep play a part in which issues your cherry tree encounters and how well it stands up against them. For local advice, please contact your local Extension Service Office or College of Agriculture at your state university. Your planting success is important to us!
How tall and wide is the rainier cherry tree?
Carol S on Jul 23, 2018
BEST ANSWER: About 10-15' tal and wide, with proper care and feeding.
Will a Carmine Jewel pollinate this tree?
Teresa S on May 13, 2018
BEST ANSWER: No, it will not, as they are different species.
Could blackgold be used as a pollinator for rainier?
stephen a on May 12, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Yes, they're in the same flowering group.
Where are you located? Could I pick up tree?
Tom S on Mar 4, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Sure, if you live anywhere near Louisiana, MO, the retail Garden Center is located at the intersection of Highway NN and West Georgia Street.

Customer Reviews

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4.2 / 5.0
23 Reviews
5 Stars
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1 Star
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Vigorous but....
Excited to see Rainier Sweet cherry offered as we love them. It sprouted quickly here in SE Wisconsin, but we find the local Japanese Beetles love them too! Skeletonized much of the new leaves quickly; hoping it will survive a cold winter ahead. Stay tuned.
September 4, 2018
Purchased
 over 3 years ago
Rainier cherry tree
I got the cherry tree in good condition. It is growing well and now I see leaves coming out. Last year I had small black slugs on the leaves and I would like to know how can I protect my tree from being devoured by these slugs. They really stick to the leaves. Is there something organic or non chemical I can spray on the leaves? What kind of organic fertilizer can I use to make the tree grow healthy. What mulch can I use to keep the moisture since it is super dry here in the summer and windy too? If you can give me instructions for care of the tree I would appreciate it. Thanks for checking on my tree.
May 5, 2019
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Preferred treat for Japanese Beetles
It took off right after planting and was super happy until the beetles came. I have 4 cherry trees in my front yard and the Japanese beetles skipped over the other 3 to devour this one. It didn't make it through its first spring. I will try a different variety next time.
December 19, 2018
Happy healthy tree
I planted my Rainier Cherry tree last spring and it made it through the winter and is very healthy. No complaints.
June 3, 2019
Purchased
 over 3 years ago
I just purchased it this year and is doing fantastic. I am very satisfied with the process it is making.
July 13, 2018
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Our favorite cherry
I usually prefer to get trees locally but Rainiers were hard to find elsewhere. These came as described - small, no branches at all but sturdy trunks. We planted them right away and they put out two or three good branches each last summer and they survived a fairly average winter in zone 5. I don’t expect fruit for a few years yet but the trees both seem healthy enough.
May 17, 2019
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Never a disappointed!
I have used Stark Brothers for approximately five to six years now. I have never been disappointed in anything they've sent. when you get them you think they're going to be dead within a month but just the opposite happens. This company knows what a tree is all about and how to make it grow fast and get thick and healthy. Do not take chances on false reports when someone can verify for you the actuality of the quality of this company.
May 9, 2019
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Happy with my purchase
It’s alive and doing well, second year, it even has a couple of flowers on it,
May 16, 2019
Purchased
 over 3 years ago
The trees from Stark Bro's are doing well and I look forward to a bounded harvest in the future. TY Stark Bro's !
September 7, 2018
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Healthy bare rooted cherry tree!
First tree did not work but the company sent me new one and much better . Totally satisfied with the new product. growing very well!!
June 4, 2019
Purchased
 over 2 years ago

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