Science · Plants, Natives & Crops
Sweet Cherry
Sweet cherry is grown for edible summer fruit and showy spring flowers. It prefers moisture-retentive soil with good drainage and is vulnerable to wet soils and late frost.
Prunus avium · Deciduous stone-fruit tree
Profile
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moisture-retentive but well-drained soil
- Fruit
- A fleshy drupe with a large stone.
- Wildlife
- Birds and squirrels eat mature fruit.
Water & soil context
- Moisture (VWC)
- Maintain moisture without waterlogging; no numeric VWC target is provided.
- Salinity tolerance
- The cited site-selection guide advises soil free of salinity but gives no cherry-specific class or threshold.
- Drought tolerance
- Moisture-retentive soil is preferred; these pages do not establish a drought-tolerance class.
Illustrative monitoring-depth band
6–12 in
Editorial placement example, not a validated optimum or total rooting depth. Confirm the site's root distribution and soil horizons; multiple depths may be needed.
Avoid saturated soil because sweet cherry does not tolerate wet root conditions.
Problems to watch
- Brown rot
- Bacterial canker
- Leaf spot
- Spotted-wing drosophila
- Fruit cracking
- Late frost
Stress signs
- Cracked fruit
- Leaf spots
- Rotting fruit
- Frost-damaged buds
Where you'll find it
- Edible fruit
- Flowering landscape tree
- Pollinator garden planting
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All Science profilesPublished botanical and soil references are distinct from GroundWorx product guidance. Moisture thresholds and monitoring depths require site calibration; sources do not establish product performance or diagnose stress.