Rainier Cherry Tree

Considered to be the finest of the Sweet Cherries! Have you ever enjoyed a bag of succulent Rainier Cherries from a Farmer's Market? Or spent an exorbitant amount per pound at the supermarket? Then you won't want to miss growing the early-bearing, precocious Rainier Cherry (Prunus avium 'Rainier') in your backyard orchard. Rainier is one of the world's sweetest yellow cherries and is in high demand by home gardeners.

Rainier is a pretty, upright Cherry tree. It looks lovely when in full flower, when dripping in glossy fruit, and when covered in its golden fall color. The tree starts bearing fruit at a young age. No wonder, as this low-maintenance tree is easy to grow. It was developed in the Pacific Northwest at Washington State University, and named for the area's highest peak. The super-sweet taste is just as incredible as its namesake, Mount Rainier. It was originally produced by crossing the popular Bing Cherry with the age-old favorite, Van Cherry.

This is an outstanding Sweet Cherry tree that produces large, delicious yellow fruit with a beautiful dark red blush. Plan to start enjoying your delicious harvest in mid-season, when other garden treats are just getting started. You'll adore the pastel spring blooms almost as much as the cherries. The pink-tinted, white blossoms are beautifully displayed upon the bare limbs before leaves emerge.

It's often called a "white cherry" for its creamy, white flesh, or a "blond cherry" for its yellow skin that's blushed red. Rainier is prized for its exceptionally sweet fruit. It is often considered the best yellow cherry ever developed and is even considered by some to be the best of ALL Cherry tree varieties.

The thin-skinned fruit typically has a very high sugar content, measuring in at 20 to 25 Brix rates. These are much higher sugar levels than the Bing Cherry or other red Cherry tree selections. The red fruit makes a wonderfully ornamental display, as well as a delicious crop. In autumn, Rainier puts on another show when its foliage transitions to spicy tones of bronze and yellow.

Planting and Application:

Rainier is a prolific and heavy bearer, even while young. You'll have plenty of sweet and healthy cherries to cook, freeze or just eat fresh right off the tree. Is there anything better? The neighbors will suddenly become much friendlier around the time your tree is dripping in that luscious fruit!

The pinkish-white, scented blooms will attract hoards of butterflies, bees and other beneficial pollinators to do all the pollination work for you. Plus these blooms make your tree look as gorgeous as any other flowering Cherry but with the added bonus of a healthy harvest and fall color too! What a fantastic double-duty edible ornamental!

Place one front and center in your front yard for a specimen planting or adds shade to a backyard garden bench. One would look just as pretty in your Asian-inspired garden reflected in a pool, especially when dripping in flowers or fruit! Be sure to plant Rainier outside a window you often pass by to keep tabs on your tree's beauty (and your harvest). Songbirds love Cherries too, so to ensure you enjoy some of the harvest, you may want to invest in some bird netting - or just go for the gusto and get more Cherry trees so all can enjoy!

Rainier Cherry tree requires cross-pollination for the largest harvest. We recommended you include a later-ripening Sweetheart, Black Tatarian, and even the Montmorency Sour Cherry can be used as a pollinator. You'll enjoy boosted harvests from both trees and extend your harvest by almost a month with a careful selection of later-bearing partner trees. If you don't have room for two trees, try this high-density planting trick and more in our Garden Blog.

• Superior Quality, Exceptionally Sweet Fruit
• Stunning Pink & White Spring Flowers
• Yellow Skin Blushed Carmine
• Mid-Season Harvest of White-Fleshed Large Meaty Fruit
• Golden Yellow Fall Color
• Precocious Variety Starts Bearing Fruit as a Young Tree
• High in Antioxidants - Baking, Fresh Eating & Preserves!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Cherry Trees need to be planted in full sun and have rich, well-drained soil. Ensure that your planting site has good air circulation, too. Choose a planting site that gets morning sun, if you can. The drying power of the morning sun quickly takes care of morning dew to keep your plants healthy.

Fruiting trees require average moisture throughout the growing season and while many are drought-tolerant, it's best to protect your investment with consistent watering. Cherry trees grow in a wide range of soil types as long as won't become soggy. A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture as well as insulate the root system from heat and chill.

Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9, these smaller trees reach 15-25 feet without any pruning and can spread 12-18 feet wide. But you can prune them smaller as needed to accommodate your landscaping needs. Prune fruiting Cherry trees in late winter to open the canopy to sunlight and airflow, to remove dead, damaged or diseased limbs. Prune Cherry trees in spring to shape, and remove water growth or suckers. It's easy to prune Rainier Cherry tree to under 10 feet tall. This is called summer size control pruning, and it makes harvest a lot easier.

• Full Sun
• Regular Moderate Moisture
• Rich Well-Drained Soil
• Appreciates Mulched Beds
• Cold Hardy
• 700 Chill Hours

Watch our YouTube channel and keep an eye on our #ProPlantTips Garden Blog for more information on proven backyard orchard culture techniques!

The only thing that remains is how quickly you can get one in the ground. The sooner you have it planted the sooner you'll be enjoying the finest cherry variety ever created. Order Rainier Cherry tree and its pollinator from Nature Hills today!

Rainier Cherry Tree Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for Rainier Cherry Trees to bear fruit?

Nature Hills Nursery sells fruit trees with mature root systems, and will often set fruit in their second or third years.

How Fast Do Rainier Cherry Trees Grow?

Cherry trees are medium-growth rate plants and once they are established they can add 12-18 inches per year or so if given the ideal growing conditions.

Where do Rainier Cherry Trees Grow Best?

Cherry trees grow best in well-drained, fertile soil in at least 6 hours of full sun per day or more. Morning sun is a plus and planting any fruit tree where there is good air circulation keeps the plants stress-free.

Do You Need 2 Cherry Trees to Produce Fruit?

All Prunus varieties have different requirements to set fruit. Rainier is not self-fruiting and needs a pollinating partner. Pair with one of these varieties:

• Sweetheart Sweet Cherry
• Black Tatarian Sweet Cherry
• Montmorency Sour Cherry

No room? Look into High-Density Planting techniques, or choose a semi-dwarf or dwarf fruit tree.

When Should Rainier Cherry Trees be Planted?

Bareroot cherry trees are best planted in the spring but container-grown cherry trees can be successfully transplanted all throughout the growing season as long as the ground isn't frozen and they are carefully watered as needed. Check for first and last frost dates for your area with your local County Extension Office.

How Do I Find Rainier Cherry Trees for Sale Near Me?

Make your life easier and your yard happier by shopping for cherry trees at NatureHills.com online fruit tree nursery. You'll find a massive selection of fruit trees for sale, including many lovely cherry tree varieties!

Choose the right tree for your area by first finding your growing zone by entering your zip code in the field above the Plant Highlights section on our product pages. Narrow down your options by plant hardiness zone, sun availability, and size requirements.

Place your order, knowing it's backed by the Nature Hills Nursery product guarantee and protected by Plant Sentry™, which helps ensure regulated plant materials aren't sent to prohibited areas.

Expect to receive your plants at the appropriate planting time for your growing zone when temperatures are safest.