Are you looking for fresh sweet cherries that greet you every summer and are perfect for snacking straight from the branches? If so, Royal Ann Cherry Trees are an absolutely incredible option to grow alongside your apple and plum trees in your backyard orchard.
It is often hard to know what cherry trees to choose, how to grow one, and what you can use them for. You will find everything you need to know as you read on and explore the article below.
What are Royal Ann Cherries?
For an all-around perfect cherry to add to your outdoor space, Royal Ann Cherries are truly hard to beat. They offer you fruit that has a stunning blend of red and yellow that are an attractive site every new year. While the fruit the Royal Ann Cherry Tree puts out is beautiful to simply look at it, the best part is that they are just as delicious as they are pretty.
The Royal Ann Cherry tree is grown all over the country and sometimes is referred to as Queen Anne cherries and Napolean cherries. You have likely seen Queen Anne cherries dipped in chocolate and many grab them as a decadent dessert.
Grown in urban areas with ease and cold hardy, Royal Ann Cherries are not only chosen for their sweet tastes and visual appeal but also their hardiness and ease of growth. Add a Royal Ann Cherry tree to your backyard orchard and once it is established it will be highly productive year after year.
While you may see many cherries that are deep red, one significant difference of the Queen Anne cherry is it’s golden yellow and red color combination. If you are looking for a variety of cherry that tastes good and is unique in its display, Royal Ann Cherries are a perfect choice.
A Royal Ann Cherry tree(Prunus Avium) is a perfect choice because throughout the year they are a beautiful ornamental tree and then come summer you will be harvesting more cherries than you can carry in a single bucket. In the spring season. white blossoms will gradually begin to appear across the tree and then the fruit will begin to replace them come summer. You may be thinking that just that is enough reason to buy a Royal Ann cherry, but add on the bright yellow fall color and it is an all-around winner for your home garden.
What does a Royal Ann Cherry Taste Like?
Royal Ann Cherries are sweet as can be and are great eaten right off of the tree; you are lucky if any of your harvests makes it into your home. When you bite into the red and yellow exterior of a Royal Ann Cherry, you are created with a yellow flesh interior that is packed with sweet natural sugars.
Royal Ann Cherry varieties are one of the sweeter options of cherries and, for that reason, are great to add to your backyard orchard. Just remember that you aren’t the only species that love these cherries, as birds devour them with ease. Taking the time to cover your fruit after they appear will save more for you to harvest and less for the birds.
How to Grow Royal Ann Cherries?
Royal Ann Cherries are tolerant of many different environments and can be grown throughout the United States in growing zones 5-8. Add in their cold-hardy abilities, and these cherries can be grown in most of the continental USA with ease. That means you can grow these beauties in winter temperatures with ease.
Royal Ann Cherry Trees are a semi-dwarf variety because they often only grow to be 15-18 feet. With a smaller stature, these fruit trees will find the perfect place in your home garden or adding curb appeal to your home.
When compared with other cherry varieties, the Royal Ann Cherry tree offers a more aromatic smell and can grow perfectly fine in colder temperatures. Royal Ann Cherries can withstand cold up to 20 degrees which is amazing to know for anyone living in the colder northern states.
Find a space in your yard that gets full sun and has well-draining soil. You won’t need nearly as much room with this semi-dwarf variety, which will make it easier for site selection.
Once established, this tree can offer you up to fifty pounds of fruit every single year in one harvest season…that is a LOT of cherries. These trees take around two to three years to become established and mature enough to provide you fruit. Thankfully there are so many ways in which these decadent cherries can be used, and once friends and family taste one, they will be coming to get their harvest every summer season.
One thing that is crucial to note is that Royal Ann Cherry Trees MUST have a pollinator. Many cherry trees are self-pollinators, but that is not the case with Royal Ann Cherry trees. It would be incredibly frustrating to get your tree planted and think you are all set, only to find out years later that it needs a pollinator.
There are multiple varieties that are great to plant alongside Royal Ann Cherries, including Van and Stella Cherry trees. If you do not plan to prune back or shape your tree, make sure you leave an adequate 12 feet between trees, so they have room to grow. If you would like to have a more shaped tree, you can prune it back after harvesting every summer, and you can plant your trees fairly close together.
Having a tree that will pollinate your Royal Ann Cherries means that in the spring, bees and other animals will transfer pollen to your tree, allowing the fruit to be successfully produced. Without having another variety to pollinate with, your Royal Ann Cherry tree will not produce fruit adequately, and you will be left with a bare tree every year.
How to Use a Royal Ann Cherry?
Royal Ann Cherries are not only beautiful to look at, but they can also be used in a ton of different ways.
The cherries off of the Royal Ann tree are an optimal choice for home canning, and when you get fifty pounds of cherries every year, canning is a great option to have. Also, Royal Ann cherries are often the top choice to create maraschino cherries because of their sweetness and texture. Maraschino cherries are great to have on hand to add to your favorite summer drink or enjoy with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Don’t forget that these types of cherries can also be eaten and enjoyed fresh from the tree. Their creamy interior is scrumptious to bit into on a hot summer day or enjoy as a healthy snack after a morning swim.
You can also pull out your dehydrator and dry a multitude of cherries that you can use as a healthy snack later. Royal Ann Cherries are used in a variety of recipes, that you will have fun deciding what new recipe you want to try with your huge harvest every year. Many people love using these cherries in grilling sauces or to add to their favorite baking recipes.
No matter what you decide to use your Royal Ann Cherries for, you are sure to find plenty of ways to use the fresh fruit that this tree provides you every year.
Where to Buy a Royal Ann Cherry Tree?
Royal Ann Cherry trees are a very popular option for the new and expert gardeners all over the country, so it is important to know where to find this tree early on in the season. Your local nursery will often be stocked with these types of cherry trees, but with everyone loving them, they can be hard to find.
One of the best ways to ensure you get a healthy and strong Royal Ann Cherry Tree(Prunus Avium) is by ordering one online. Ordering online from a nursery like Nature Hills will have your cherry tree delivered right to your doormat, taking the hassle of searching out of the equation.
Don’t be surprised if your cherry tree is delivered to you with bare root because that is often the best way to ship them throughout the country. Oftentimes Royal Ann Cherries are mistaken for Rainier cherries because of their coloring, but Royal cherries have a stronger aroma and are more cold hardy. When you receive a Royal Ann Cherry in the mail, it will likely be on a colt stock which is known to produce high quantities of fruit every year.
FAQ
What is a Queen Anne cherry?
A Queen Anne Cherry is the same cherry as a Royal Ann and Napolean Cherry, just referred to by different names in different areas of the country.
Where do Queen Anne cherries come from?
A Queen Anne or Royal Ann Cherry tree came initially from Turkey, and from there, Henderson Lewelling brought seven hundred from Iowa in the midwest United States to Oregon, where they continue to flourish over time.
Conclusion
Royal Ann Cherry trees are a fan favorite and for a good reason. Stunning white blooms followed by fresh sweet fruit and bright yellow fall color, this fruit tree is a show stopper throughout every season.
Royal Ann cherries can be used for baking, fresh eating, canning, and even used to make maraschino cherries to add to a delicious cocktail. This semi-dwarf variety of cherry trees must have a pollinator and should be spaced twelve feet apart for them to thrive.
You never know, after you are greeted by over fifty pounds of fruit every summer, you may just want to start your own home orchards in your backyard. No matter what, the Royal Ann Cherry tree is the perfect choice for all experience levels. These trees will also thrive in a variety of climates and offer you a stunning appearance all year long.
Excited for more cherry content? Then visit our cherry page for more planting tips, growing guides, recipe ideas, and more!