Merchant sweet cherry
Prunus avium 'Merchant'
RHS AGM 1995
USDA zones3 to 8
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Columnar
- Bloom season
- Spring
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
'Merchant' sweet cherry (Prunus avium 'Merchant') is a tree for food gardens and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun. The columnar tree grows at a moderate pace, and butterflies and bees visit its spring blooms. Peter Matthews bred it in the 1970s, and you grow it for early cherries for fresh eating. Plant a second cherry nearby, since it is not self-fertile.
Pairs well with Ice Follies daffodil, Brown-eyed Susan, and Ernest Markham clematis.