Summer Sun Cherry Trees

• Variety: Summer Sun, the sweet Cherry for a cold garden
• Latin name: Prunus avium 'Summer Sun'
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden, bush and half-standard, and pot-grown in 10 litre pots
• Rootstock: Colt
• Mature size: Kept at 3 to 4m with pruning. 4 to 5m if left alone. Allow 6m between trees
• Fruit: Large, firm, red to black, sweet, cropping in late July
• Pollination: Group D. Not self-fertile: it must have a partner
• Habit: Moderately vigorous, upright and spreading
• Where it does well: Cold, frosty gardens, the North and Scotland
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS Award of Garden Merit: Yes (2004)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Summer Sun carries very good crops of firm, dark, sweet Cherries in late July on a moderately vigorous, upright tree that stays small enough for a garden. It crops after a poor summer and it suits cold, frosty places, which is why it is the Cherry to plant in the North. It is not self-fertile, so plant a partner with it.

Summer Sun Cherry Trees

Big, sweet, dark eating cherries with firm, slightly crunchy flesh.

Summer Sun is a reliable cherry tree that will still crop well after a gloomy summer. It's also recommended for cold, frosty spots.
It's quite a compact tree, suitable for small gardens.

Browse our range of cherry trees or the full variety of fruit trees.

Pollination Partners for Summer Sun Cherries:
Summer Sun is not self fertile and needs a pollination partner nearby to crop well.
It's in pollination group D, and the groups are set out in the cherry tree pollinating table.

The partner to choose is Stella: it flowers in the same group and will pollinate almost any sweet Cherry. Stella is one of the most common cherry trees in the UK, so there's a good chance one will be local.

Rootstocks:
Our Summer Sun cherry trees are all grown on "Colt" rootstocks.
Height: keep it at 3 to 4 metres with pruning, or let it go to 4 or 5 metres.

Growing Summer Sun Cherry Trees:
Rich soil is important: dig in plenty of good manure and compost before planting.
Soil drainage must be good.
The more sun your trees get the better your crops will be.
Cherry trees are targets for birds, so netting them is a good idea.
Only prune cherries in summer.

Details about delivery sizes: Guide to Fruit Tree Sizing.

History & Trivia

A Norfolk variety, it has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

7.5 to 12 litre Potted Trees: These trees aren't meant to be kept in pots. They'll be fine for up to 12 months (until planted in the ground) as long as they're well watered (but not over watered).

Planting Companions

Summer Sun needs a Cherry to pollinate it, and Stella, linked above, is the simplest answer: it flowers in the same group, it pollinates almost any sweet Cherry, and it crops on its own as well. The other varieties, and the groups they sit in, are with our Cherry trees. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Cherry Tree from Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Summer Sun Cherry tree is grafted onto Colt rootstock, and maidens are pre-pruned before despatch. Bareroot trees are guaranteed for 12 months, and so is a potted tree delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Summer Sun need a pollination partner?

Yes. It sets no fruit alone. Stella is the one to plant with it.

When does it crop?

Late July, and it crops well even after a dull summer.

How big does the tree grow?

On Colt rootstock you can keep it at 3 to 4 metres with pruning. Left alone, it grows to 4 or 5 metres.

Is it a good Cherry for a cold garden?

Yes. It is the one we recommend for frosty gardens and for the North and Scotland.

When do you prune a Cherry tree?

In summer, after picking, and never in winter, when a cut is most likely to let disease in.

How do you keep the birds off?

Net it. Birds find ripe Cherries before you do, and a fan against a wall is far easier to net than a free-standing tree.

Can you keep the potted trees in their pots?

Not for long. They are grown to be planted out. Watered, and never left standing wet, they will keep in the pot for up to a year.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot trees are delivered from November to April, while they are dormant. Pot-grown trees can be delivered and planted in any month when you find them in stock.