fruit shrub
Carmine Jewel bush cherry
A small-space tart cherry for pies, juice, and fresh snacking when fully ripe.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a-8a
- Sun
- Full
- Soil
- LoamClay
- Water
- Medium
- Deer pressure
- Frequently damaged Use as a deer browsing cue, not a guarantee; heavy deer pressure can override resistance ratings.
- Black walnut
- Juglone-sensitive Use as a black walnut / juglone planning cue; tolerance varies by cultivar, soil, and distance from the tree.
- Planting depth
- Set the crown or top of root ball level with the surrounding soil.
- Container min
- 10+ gal (workable)
- Goals
- FruitCurb appeal & colorPollinators & wildlifePrivacy & screeningNative plants
Harvest & Use
- Window
- dark tart cherries in midsummer
- Yield return
- 8-25 lb/plant/year
- First output
- 2-4 yrs
- Best for
- FruitCurb appeal & colorPollinators & wildlifePrivacy & screeningNative plants
Harvest window: dark tart cherries in midsummer. Once established, the current pound-return model uses 8-25 lb/plant/year with a harvest window of 2-5 weeks.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Fruit color, size, and growth habit can vary by cultivar, season, nursery stock, and site.
Photo sources: daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Pound return
- 8-25 lb/plant/year
- 10-year return
- 56-175 lb/10 yrs
- Full output
- 4-6 yrs
- Mature size
- 4-8 ft H x 4-8 ft W
- Spacing
- 4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Set the crown or top of root ball level with the surrounding soil.
- Container min
- 10+ gal (workable)
- Productive life
- 10-20 yrs
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Reliability
- 4/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, Medium yield confidence
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Bird netting
Protection / Before ripeningProtect ripening berries, grapes, cherries, figs, and other bird-attractive fruit.
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Tree trunk guard
Protection / After plantingProtect young trunks from mower damage, sunscald, rabbits, and rubbing injury.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Fruit tree and berry fertilizer
Nutrition / After establishmentSupport fruiting wood, bloom, and recovery after establishment once soil needs are known.
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Soil test kit or lab mailer
Site prep / Before plantingCheck pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.
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Digging spade or shovel
Tools / Planting dayOpen planting holes, loosen compacted soil, and shape beds for larger transplants.
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Plant labels
Planning / Planting dayTrack cultivar, planting date, and variety when comparing harvests or pollination partners.
Yield curve
Estimated Pound Return
Projected annual yield ramp from establishment to full production, using the current sourced range for Carmine Jewel bush cherry.
- Year 1
- 0 lb Establishment year: focus on roots before harvest.
- Year 5
- 6.4-20 lb
- Year 10
- 8-25 lb
- 10-year total
- 56-175 lb/10 yrs
Shaded band shows the sourced low-to-high pound-yield range. The line tracks the midpoint for quick comparison.
Method: direct pound yield from crop metric source. Annual crops assume one comparable planting per year; perennial crops ramp from first bearing to full production.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Set the crown or top of root ball level with the surrounding soil.
- Container minimum: 10+ gal (workable). Use 10+ gal; larger containers improve moisture buffering at maturity.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
- For screening, repeat compatible plants and confirm mature spacing before buying.
- Use the pairing map below to choose nearby companions or compatible varieties.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: full light, loam, clay soil, and medium water.
- Use 4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 4-8 ft H x 4-8 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "dark tart cherries in midsummer" and 8-25 lb/plant/year as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- For screens and hedges, confirm mature size and spacing with the nursery label or local extension guidance.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Compatible Cultivars
Bush cherries and Nanking-type cherries are more useful when planned as a small fruiting group instead of a lone specimen.
Use it: Plant two or more compatible shrubs where cross-pollination, bird pressure, and harvest access are easy to manage.
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: Midwest Home Fruit Production GuidePenn State Extension - Stone Fruit Spacing and Probable YieldUniversity of Minnesota Extension - Growing Stone Fruits in the Home GardenUniversity of Maryland Extension - Planting a Tree or ShrubUniversity of Maryland Extension - Starting a Home Fruit Garden
Supplier search: Stark Bro's. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.