fruit tree
North Star tart cherry
Excellent for small yards in colder regions.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a-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
- Keep the root flare at soil level; graft unions stay above grade.
- Container min
- 25+ gal (limited)
- Goals
- FruitCurb appeal & color
Harvest & Use
- Window
- ripens in early summer
- Yield return
- 40-75 lb/plant/year
- First output
- 3-5 yrs
- Best for
- FruitCurb appeal & color
Harvest window: ripens in early summer. Once established, the current pound-return model uses 40-75 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: Montanabw / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Pound return
- 40-75 lb/plant/year
- 10-year return
- 221.3-415 lb/10 yrs
- Full output
- 6-8 yrs
- Mature size
- 8-18 ft H x 8-18 ft W
- Spacing
- 15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Keep the root flare at soil level; graft unions stay above grade.
- Container min
- 25+ gal (limited)
- Productive life
- 10-20 yrs
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Reliability
- 3/5
- 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
8 itemsPlant by ZIP may earn a commission from qualifying purchases through checklist links.
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Bird netting
Protection / Before ripeningProtect ripening berries, grapes, cherries, figs, and other bird-attractive fruit.
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Tree trunk guard
Protection / After plantingProtect young trunks from mower damage, sunscald, rabbits, and rubbing injury.
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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.
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Tree stake kit
Support / Planting dayStabilize newly planted trees only where wind, slope, or root-ball movement makes support necessary.
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Organic mulch
Soil / After plantingHold soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate soil temperature, and protect shallow roots.
Yield curve
Estimated Pound Return
Projected annual yield ramp from establishment to full production, using the current sourced range for North Star tart cherry.
- Year 1
- 0 lb Establishment year: focus on roots before harvest.
- Year 5
- 20-37.5 lb
- Year 10
- 40-75 lb
- 10-year total
- 221.3-415 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: Keep the root flare at soil level; graft unions stay above grade.
- Container minimum: 25+ gal (limited). Use dwarf/root-pruned culture for long-term containers; in-ground usually performs better.
- 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.
- 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 15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 8-18 ft H x 8-18 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "ripens in early summer" and 40-75 lb/plant/year as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- Deer pressure can be a real constraint for this plant; plan protection if browsing is common nearby.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Compatible Cultivars
Cherry pollination varies by cultivar: some are self-fertile, while others need a compatible blooming partner.
Use it: Use this as a shopping prompt, then verify whether the specific sweet or tart cherry cultivar needs a pollinator.
Plant Nearby
Low alliums and long-blooming flowers can form a simple orchard-edge understory without competing heavily with young trees.
Use it: Keep the root flare clear, mulch the tree properly, and plant companions outside the trunk zone rather than against the bark.
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.