Our Cherry Varieties

Pre-Christmas (early varieties)

After a long cold Tasmania winter, dreaming of fresh summer fruit, the demand for early-season cherries creates a new level of excitement. Unfortunately, there are a few problems. Spring rain is to be expected, and we are constantly working to limit weather-induced damage in December with covers and harder new early varieties. 

We joke that traditional softer varieties like Merchant only have to see a rain cloud forming in Victoria and they decide to split when at their ripest, causing heartbreak for growers and eager customers alike. For this reason, we don’t make predictions about when the harvest will begin or talk about which varieties will be available for our Christmas boxes. 

Tasmania is an island with a highly regarded disease-free status that produces world-class temperate cherries. We are a small boutique orchard. Our season is short, beginning mid-late December, with the main production in January. 

December to early January

Black Star is a heart-shaped, crack-resistant firm cherry that reaches 28mm. Its good taste balances sugars and acidity. Black Star originated in Italy as a cross between Lapin and Early Burlat. 

Grace Star - is a sweet cherry with rosy pulp and deep red garnet coloured skin. A lateral bearing variety is a pollinator for Black Star, both require above average chill hours to help with cropping and a frost free spring to prevent blossom burn. 

Van - is a short stalked cherry first released in 1944. This traditional variety has a sweet and subtle tang. When fully ripe develops a dark mahogany skin and squat appearance. Van crops heavily in alternate years, but is prone to splitting. 

Stella - is a self-pollinator, which flowers alongside Van, its ability to cross-pollinate helps to increase Van’s yield. Stella develops large dark red oval shaped cherries with a medium firm texture.

Mid January

Simone - are similar to Lapins, they are a spur bearing cherry and one of the most commonly grown varieties due to its ability to consistently crop, be crack resistant and self-pollinating. Simone develops into large well-flavoured fruit.

Lapin - blossoms at the same time as the earlier varieties, but begins fruiting three weeks later. The resulting cherries are very sweet having had a chance to develop their sugars and grow much larger, sometimes up to 32-34mm. 

Kordia - is a highly prized cherry, second only to Regina’s reputation. Kordia is known as a difficult tree to crop successfully in various micro-climates. August is the most critical time, being very frost sensitive a month before flowering, frost burns the buds turning them pink and are then prevented from opening. Kordia are long stemmed, firm, deep mahogany coloured fruit with a rich complex flavour. 

Areko - bred by Prof. Hanna Schmidt. Areko is a newer cultivar crossed from parents Kordia and Regina, creating a more tolerant hardier variety. The fruit has a similar appearance to its parents, although larger, with dark red skin and a fine-celled juicy aromatic sweet interior. 

Late January

Skeena - have the potential to grow larger than lapins. This newer robust variety is a British bred kidney shaped cherry with parentage from a Van/Stella hybrid and Bing/Stella. Skeena takes its flavour from the traditional Stella, which is delicious but prone to cracking.

Penny - is another large late ripening cherry, it is self-sterile and is interplanted with other late varieties to pollinate and increase yield. Penny’s flavour is mild with firm juicy flesh, the heart shaped fruit has a deep black-red hue. 

Regina - is the most highly sought after variety by consumers world-wide. Along with Kordia, Black Star and Grace Star, Regina crops better on a dwarfing root stock. Regina is instantly recognised by its long languid stems and beautiful dark heart shaped fruit. The German bred Regina signals the end of our sweet but brief cherry season. 

White Flesh Cherries

Rainier - is one of the most delicate yet deliciously honey sweet cherries grown. Rainier need to be protected from the elements of wind, rain and temperature fluctuations. This white fleshed cherry has pale thin skin which bruises easily, but it’s creamy sweet flesh is highly prized and commands greater prices than the dark sweet mid-season cherries it grows alongside. 

Florence - is a mid-late cherry. Florence has a pale yellow coloured skin flushed with rich-red. This sweet, firm lightly coloured cherry sits amongst our sour cherries for pollination. 

Sour Cherries

Kentish - produce small bright red skin tart cherries with pale red flesh. A traditional cooking cherry with endless recipes and a keen following.

Morello has darker skin and slightly larger fruit than Kentish. When left to ripen, Morello is a delicious tart cherry to eat directly from the tree. Sour cherries evoke memories of childhoods spent in other Northern Hemisphere lands. 

End of Harvest

Our orchard is perched high on a sunny north-facing hill above the Tamar River mist. Thanks to this stunning location, you’ll often find us still harvesting cherries a few weeks longer than expected. Additionally, our other summer fruits, such as brambles and blueberries, keep producing well into February.