Scottish growing tool
Cherries Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden
Every recommendation below traces back to our full Cherries varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.
If: A shaded, north-facing wall
MorelloAGM
Morello is the shade-tolerant option, an acid cherry grown for cooking and preserving, and the only one of the six that tolerates a partial-shade, north-facing wall. It's self-fertile and carries the top H6 hardiness rating, but it won't give a sweet, fresh-eating crop.
If: A warm, sunny, sheltered wall → Worried about fruit splitting in wet weather
KordiaAGM
Kordia is the direct answer to Stella's fruit-splitting-in-wet-weather problem: it carries some resistance to cracking. The trade-off is that it isn't self-fertile and needs a compatible pollinator flowering in the same window; check with the nursery when buying rather than guessing.
If: A warm, sunny, sheltered wall → Want the longest possible cherry season
SweetheartAGM
Sweetheart is self-fertile and the latest-ripening of the six, cropping over a long period into early autumn. It's a genuine option for extending the season, pairing well with an earlier variety like Morello or Stella (typically ready in late July) rather than competing head-on with them on timing.
If: A warm, sunny, sheltered wall → Want the simplest single-tree pick, no partner needed or A warm, sunny, sheltered wall → Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice or Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice
LapinsAGM
Lapins is the simplest all-round pick for a warm, sunny wall: self-fertile, H6 (the same top hardiness as Morello and Stella), with neither Stella's wet-weather splitting risk nor Kordia's need for a pollination partner. It doesn't carry Kordia's specific cracking resistance, but it also doesn't carry Stella's documented weakness.
Try another crop
- Angelica
- Apples
- Asparagus
- Aubergines
- Basil
- Bay
- Blackberries
- Blackcurrants
- Blueberries
- Borage
- Broad Beans
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Calabrese
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chard
- Cherries
- Chillies
- Chives
- Comfrey
- Coriander
- Courgettes
- Cucumbers
- Damsons
- Dill
- Endive
- Florence Fennel
- French Beans
- Garlic
- Gooseberries
- Grapes
- Honeyberries
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lavender
- Leeks
- Lemon Balm
- Lettuce
- Loganberries
- Mint
- Onions
- Oregano
- Pak Choi
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Pears
- Peas
- Peppers
- Plums
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Quince
- Radish
- Raspberries
- Redcurrants and Whitecurrants
- Rhubarb
- Rocket
- Rosemary
- Runner Beans
- Sage
- Shallots
- Sorrel
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Summer Savory
- Swede
- Sweetcorn
- Tarragon
- Tayberries
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Turnip
- Winter Savory