Gillet introduced this very popular variety from France in 1876. These cherries are large and firm with excellent, sweet flavor and colorless juice. One of the best. Skin is yellow with attractive pink blush coloring. Used extensively fresh, in commercial canning, and to make maraschino cherries. Also called Napoleon, this is one of the parents of the modern variety Rainier. We think it is superior to Rainier. Yellow skin varieties have the least problem with birds eating them, often remaining on the tree long after the red and purple types are stripped by the birds. Ripens in early-mid July @ 3000’ elevation. Produces more fruit with another cherry variety as a pollenizer, but a prolific producer even without.

Our grandmother trees grow in two locations. Downieville at 2900’ along the North Yuba River is the seat of Sierra County, and was a thriving mining camp settled in 1849, a beautiful community rich in history including great food producing plants. It is populated with many historic trees that we will be introducing over the next several years including cherries, pears, apples, chestnuts, walnuts, roses and more. The other mother tree is a very healthy 110+ year young specimen growing at 2800’ in a mixed Gillet homestead orchard in Camptonville, Yuba County, a vibrant mining town of the mid 1800s, still populated with many Gillet trees. Camptonville was also the home of Lester Pelton, who in 1870 invented the Pelton wheel Lester changed the course of human evolution by inventing the device for making hydroelectric power. Camptonville is a fascinating old mining camp, with many Gillet trees. We will be introducing more from this area in coming years.