Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: 'Surefire' cherry

Family: Rosaceae (Rose)

Distribution: Cultivated

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4 (-30 to -20 °F)

Life form: Deciduous tree

Occurrence in New Mexico: Cultivar

Growing Conditions: For maximum fruit production, fruit trees should not be planted in low areas where cold air accumulates. They can be planted in protected sites such as within enclosed walls or near buildings, but temperature extremes can adversely affect trees near west façades. Planting on a north-facing slope or on the north side of a building may delay flowering and minimize effects of winter sun on buds, but full sun is needed during the growing season for fruit production. All sour cherries are self-fertile. Bare root or dormant trees should be planted in winter in compost-amended, well-drained soil with the graft union 2- 5 inches above soil level. Wrapping or painting the trunk with white latex exterior paint or kaolin clay reduces winter sunscald. In New Mexico, fruit trees appreciate nitrogen fertilizer in early spring. Staking can provide stability to a young tree, but should not interfere with its natural capacity to resist wind. During the first year, water often enough to keep the soil moist, but avoid over-watering and soggy soil. After the first year, water less frequently but increase the volume. Although cherry trees grown from seeds are somewhat true to the parent plants, they are often grafted because ungrafted trees require about 10 years to produce fruit.

Description: This species is closely related to the sweet cherry but is a smaller tree. The tree has a broadly rounded, open crown, with few lateral branches. The leaves are alternately arranged along the branches and oval with pointed tips and toothed margins. Flowers are typical of P. cerasus, white with five petals. Compared to other commercial varieties, they are more likely to be borne in clusters of two blossoms per flower bud and more likely to occur on spurs. The fruits are medium sized, somewhat heart-shaped, and red with red flesh. Like other sour cherries, fruits are more acidic with more nutritional benefits than sweet cherries. Sour cherries, such as ‘Surefire’, are less affected by late winter freeze than sweet cherries; however, buds can be damaged when there is a significant warming spell followed by deep cold, which is not uncommon in Santa Fe winters. Sour cherries generally require 1000-1500 chill hours to break dormancy; therefore, are not suitable for the southern parts of New Mexico, where chill hours range from about 200-500 hours. The tree at SFBG is on Gisela 5 rootstock, a dwarfing rootstock that produces trees about 50% standard size, imparts some winter hardiness, and induces early fruit production (after 2-4 years). On this rootstock, this cultivar will produce 25-50 pounds of fruit annually when mature and should live about 35 years. This cherry is resistant to cracking and to bacterial canker.