Stella is a home-orchard favorite because it combines big, beautiful sweet cherries with easygoing self-fruitfulness. The large, heart-shaped fruit ripens from bright red to deep mahogany, revealing firm, juicy flesh with a rich sweetness that is delicious straight from the tree. The cherries also keep enough substance for baking, preserving, or sharing in a summer fruit bowl. Before harvest, Stella offers a generous spring display of white blossoms and an attractive leafy canopy, giving it value well beyond the fruiting season. Its ability to produce without a required second variety makes orchard planning simpler, especially where space is limited, while its pollen can help compatible cherries such as Bing. For gardeners seeking a dependable, handsome tree with classic dark-cherry flavor and flexible pollination, Stella is an especially practical and rewarding choice. Stella was bred at Summerland, British Columbia, from Lambert and a self-fertile John Innes seedling.
Plant Stella in full sun and well-drained soil with good canopy airflow. Maxma 14 rootstock supports a productive semi-dwarf tree whose height can be managed through regular pruning. Maintain steady moisture during fruit development and plan to protect ripening cherries from birds.
Stella is self-fruitful, so one tree can set a crop. Another compatible sweet cherry nearby can increase pollinator activity, may improve overall set, and adds a second flavor or harvest window; Stella is also a useful pollinizer for Bing.
Stella Cherry Tree Details
Fruit: Large, heart-shaped cherries that deepen from red to mahogany
Flavor and texture: Firm, juicy, and richly sweet
Best uses: Fresh eating, baking, freezing, and preserves
Harvest: Late May to mid-June
USDA zones: 5–9
Chill hours: About 400 hours
Tree size: Semi-dwarf on Maxma 14 rootstock
Rootstock: Maxma 14
Pollination: Self-fruitful; another compatible sweet cherry can be beneficial
Recommended pollinizers or companions: Pair with Bing, Rainier, or Black Tartarian
Special care: Full sun, excellent drainage, annual pruning, even moisture, and bird protection
Something Special: Stella was bred at Summerland, British Columbia, from Lambert and a self-fertile John Innes seedling.
