We have grafted or budded all of our heirloom cherries to Mazzard cherry rootstock. This produces a standard size tree for sweet cherries. Mazzard is vigorous and more tolerant of wet soils than Mahaleb (but good drainage is still required). It is resistant to root-knot nematodes and oak-root fungus and tolerant of gophers, but management is still needed. The height of cherries can be controlled by pruning in June and early July. This allows you to keep them at any height you wish, which facilitates covering them with bird netting. Cherries produce larger crops when at least two varieties are planted near one another.
The Following are Heirloom Cherries that we have re-discovered throughout the historic Gold Country area.
Bigalow Cherry
This dark red to purple, medium to large cherry is super succulent with rich, deep purple juice. It was the top taste winner in 2013 FGI taste trials. It bears a very large crop on an irrigated, yet untended tree planted in the late 1800’s. Excellent fresh and dried, wonderful in pies. Ripe in late June to early July at 5400’.
The healthy, vigorous mother tree is growing in Sierra City, Sierra County, at 5400’ on the canyon of the North Yuba River, twelve miles northeast of Downieville. A thriving mining town established in 1850, Sierra City peaked at 3,000 folks in the 1860’s. The population was 221 at the 2010 census. We have begun to locate the Gillet era trees in this town, and have found many great cherries, pears and apples that will be offered in future years.
Bigarreau 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.
Birchville Beauty
A finalist in 2013 FGI cherry tasting, this bright red, heart shaped cherry has a deep, rich flavor with plenty of clear to light red juice. The mother tree is being cared for and is producing large crops – late spring frosts notwithstanding. Apparently self fruitful, with no pollenizer varieties nearby. Ripens in mid to late June.
The grandmother tree is growing on an 1800s homestead in Birchville, Nevada County at 1,765 feet. Birchville was a small mining camp in the 1800s whose gold ran out pretty quickly. In 1880, the population was 50. There aren’t many more people residing there today! The owners of this tree have been renovating it, applying biodynamic and organic care, and it is thriving with their attention. An oldie just waiting to thrive in the 21st century.
Black Diamond Cherry
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.
Camptonville Candy
Deep red fruit, turning medium purple when very ripe. One of our largest sized fruits, with firm red, very meaty and juicy flesh. Sweet, juicy and yummy, a child’s favorite. Great fresh, canned or dried. Vigorous, productive tree yields abundant crops in late June or early July at 2800′.
The grandmother 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. Once they struck gold in Camptonville, in 1850, it became known as Gold Ridge and quickly became a busting gold rush town. Known for it’s massive hydraulic mining operation, It was also an important stop on Henness Pass Road which travelled over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was a number of years later it was renamed for the well respected town Blacksmith, Robert Campton.
Early Black
Yet to be positively identified, this Gillet era plant is a vigorous old tree that produces medium sized heart shaped, fully black fruit. Very sweet, yet with complex rich flavor. The favorite cherry of the property owner. The earliest of five Gillet era varieties on this site, it ripens late June at 2800′.
The grandmother 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. Remember the tune “Camptown ladies sing this song, doo dah, doo dah…”? That’s Camptonville. We will be introducing more from this area in coming years.
Emmett’s #1
A wonderful sweet cherry, a close 2nd in the 2013 FGI taste tests. Dark purple, almost black, firm, medium to large, sweet, yet with amazing complex flavor. Bore a huge crop on a very healthy tree in 2013, succumbed to late frost in 2014, with no fruit, but rebounded with a very large crop in 2015, and in 2017 produced a med-large crop. Ripens late June to early July at 2800′. Likley will produce a larger crop when planted with another cherry variety. This variety was chosen by the Slow Food Ark of Taste in 2014 to be honored and saved for posterity.
The grandmother tree is a very healthy, non irrigated, non pruned, non sprayed 100+ year specimen growing at 2800’ on an old stage stop near 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. Camptonville is a fascinating old mining camp, with many Gillet trees. Remember the tune “Camptown ladies sing this song, doo dah, doo dah…”? That’s Camptonville. We will be introducing more from this area in coming years.
Foxy Lady
Another amazing cherry! It’s very hard to identify cherries, especially since many cherries were propagated by seed, but this one is near the top of our list. It is a large dark red, almost black, Bing type cherry with a rich, luscious flavor. The birds love it and so do we!
The grandmother tree grows on an original mining homestead along the north fork of the Yuba River in the old mining town of Goodyears Bar, Sierra County @ 2700’ elevation. The brothers Miles and Andrew Goodyear, along with a Dr. Vaughan and a Mr. Morrison, prospected here in the summer of 1849 and found gold enough for their liking to settle down at this crossing of the Yuba River. The Goodyear boys built a sturdy cabin and before long the rich deposits attracted a number of miners to their camp, which was given the name Goodyears Bar in honor of its founders. Goodyears Creek was incredibly rich along its entire length, having been literally fed gold for thousands of years as it chewed through gold-bearing ledges and the beds of ancient rivers and streams. At one spot near the upper end of the bar, a group of men cleaned up $2,000 in gold from a single wheelbarrow of dirt.
Guigne Marbree
The origin of this variety is unknown, but we do know that Felix introduced it to the US in 1880. To quote Gillet: “Fruit medium large, round, skin dark red. Flesh purplish red, tender, juicy, delicate flavor.”
W.W Smith of Vacaville, one of the most famous cherry growers in 19th century California said: “I must speak of the Guigne Marbree which I obtained from Mr. Gillet, of Nevada City. I find it an immense bearer, ripening with the Early Purple Guigne, which is, with me, a shy bearer but a good shipping cherry. The Guigne Marbree is lighter colored than the other.” Ripens from late May through early July depending on location. Apparently self fertile, it will likely bear a larger crop with a pollenizer.
The amazing, hardy grandmother tree is growing in Lake City, Nevada County, originally Painesville near the South Yuba River. It is east of North Columbia at 3,390’ elevation. Settled in 1853 as a result of the hydraulic mining at Malakoff Diggins. At its peak more than 300 people lived in town. In 1877, it was included on the route of the world’s first long-distance telephone line. Today the population is under 20.
Kwansan Flowering Cherry
This cherry tree, originally from Japan, imported to the US in the 1890’s by famed international botanical explorer David Fairchild, does not produce edible fruit, but is famous for it’s abundance of double petal, deep pink blossoms that bloom in late spring. Fairchild was the founder of the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Plant Introduction Stations and traveled the world for many decades finding the best of botany to send to the US for trialing in our various climates. He found and sent back hundreds of species and varieties, many of which are commonly grown in the US today. We highly recommend reading his book “The World Was My Garden, Travels of a Plant Explorer”, a combination of 1800’s international travel log, social studies and botany explorations, one of the best book’s Amigo has ever read!
Ridge Road Cherry
This beautiful, cherry-red fruit is the best cherry that we have found in Nevada City or Grass Valley. It darkens to a blackish purple when fully ripe. Medium sized with a sweet cherry-berry flavor. Depending on the year, it ripens from early to late July at 2800′. The mother tree has been producing regularly for over 100 years!
This large grandmother tree resided on a small homestead in Grass Valley, CA. Unfortunately, the tree died in 2016, likely due to the drought, but we have preserved it for future generations! This is why our work is so important. Grass Valley, sister to Nevada City, was a thriving mining town with numerous, hard-rock mines, including the Empire State Historic Mine. Once the home of Lola Montez, creator of the scandalous Spider Dance. Also, one of our all-time heros, Lyman Gilmore, the real inventor of the airplane.
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.
Stage Stop Cherry
This is a great cherry we found in 2018. Large Delicious Red Cherry. It is rich flavor, rich in color and very tasty! It is very hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of cherry this is but we do know it is super good and worth preserving into the future. Seems very abundant for an old, hollowed-out and tired tree. It looks similar to the Ridge Road Cherry.
The grandmother tree is a 100+ year old cherry tree located at an old stage stop in Camptonville, Ca. The rich heritage in Camptonville left a living library of amazing fruit trees still scattered throughout the area. There are still active gold mines and many mountain sleuths searching for natural treasures throughout the watershed.
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’.