These are from our older 2013-2014 catalogue, but our new one will be up shortly!
Bigerreau de Mai
Very large, firm, juicy, sweet, very dark red, nearly black when ripe, superb flavor. This fruit looks and tastes very much like the Bing. Pollenized by Royal Anne and Black Tartarian. Ripens in late June @ 2700’ in the Sierras.
The mother tree grows at a homestead in Goodyears Bar, an original mining town on the shores of the North Fork of the Yuba River @ 2700’, in Sierra County. Goodyears is full of historic trees, many of which we are now propagating and will be offering in the next few years. The mother tree is a very consistent producer despite being in a cold pocket.
Front Street Black Diamond
We have yet to identify this variety, but it is so flavorful we are introducing it with an alias. This is a small fruited, very prolific variety with highly complex flavored fruit, almost black skin and amazing dark red juice. One of the top rated in our cherry taste tests. 25-27 °Brix. Great for juice, jam and sauces. Apparently self fertile, does not need a pollenizer variety. Ripens late June to mid July at 2900’.
The old mother tree grows happily through a deck in Downieville at 2900’ along the North Yuba River. Downieville 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.
Royal Anne (aka Napoleon)
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. Yellow skin varieties have the least problem with birds eating them. Ripens in early-mid July @ 3000’ elevation. Produces more fruit with another cherry variety as a pollenizer, but a prolific producer even without a pollenizer.
Our mother 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 1800’s, 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.
White Tartarian
This French variety is from the early 1800s. The luscious fruit is rather small, roundish with a long stem. The skin is transparent white to pale yellow, with amber on the sun-exposed cheek. Flesh is whitish–yellow, tender, juicy, pleasant, brisk sub acid becoming sweet. Very good quality. This is a unique variety that is a conversation starter. A variety to make Maraschino cherries with. Yummy. Ripens in July.
The mother tree is a healthy hundred plus-year-old semi-wild, non-pruned beauty growing at the old St. Charles stage stop in Goodyears Bar, Sierra County along the banks of the North Fork of the Yuba River at 2700’.