🍎 Cherry Tree
Prunus avium (sweet) / P. cerasus (sour)
fruits deciduous fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate; excellent drainage essential — cherries hate wet feet
🗺️ Zones
4–8 (sweet), 3–9 (sour)
🪴 Soil Type
deep well-drained sandy loam
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–7.5
📏 Spacing
20-30 ft apart (standard sweet); 15-20 ft (standard sour); 10-15 ft (dwarf); 25-35 ft between rows
📅 Days to Maturity
3-7 years (from planting); sweet cherries 4-7 years, sour cherries 3-5 years
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Garlic / Chives / Onions
Repel cherry fruit fly and aphids; suppress bacterial canker
Potassium and calcium for fruit development; pollinator magnet
Aphid trap crop; groundcover; black cherry aphid drawn to nasturtium
🤝 Clover
Nitrogen source; bee pasture for spring cherry bloom
Attracts lacewings and ladybugs that prey on cherry blackfly
🤝 Marigold
Nematode suppression; general pest deterrent
Repels cherry fruit fly; also deters ants that farm aphids
Attracts beneficial wasps; nectar source when cherries are not blooming
⚠️ Keep Apart (4)
⚠️ Other Prunus spp.
Shared diseases — brown rot, bacterial canker, cherry leaf spot all cross-infect
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone toxicity — cherries moderately sensitive
⚠️ Nightshades
Verticillium wilt host; cherry trees susceptible
⚠️ Apple trees (nearby)
Cherries and apples share some pests (codling moth can affect both) and have different spray schedules which complicates management. Not a biological antagonism. They can coexist in home orchards with integrated pest management. The inconvenience of different care schedules is the primary concern.
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains anthocyanins, quercetin, and melatonin with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and sleep-promoting properties. Clinically studied for gout (lowers uric acid), arthritis, muscle recovery, and insomnia. Rich in potassium. Traditional European and Native American remedy: fruit for gout, arthritis, and pain relief; bark for cough, bronchitis, and as an astringent; cherry stems used as diuretic for urinary tract health. Tart cherries have highest medicinal value.