Knights Early Black Cherry Trees

Prunus Knights Early Black - Early Season

An excellent old heritage cherry tree that is still loved by gardeners in Europe and the US. A Knight's Early Black cherry is smaller than a modern one, but your tree will make plenty of them. The juicy, dark red purple flesh is firm and very slightly chewy. The flavour is richly fruity, mildly sweet and deliciously aromatic.

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

Features

• Self Sterile.
• Pollination group B.
• Crops in mid-late June.

Pollination Partners for Knights Early Black Cherries:
Your trees must be pollinated to make fruit.
Early Rivers, Merton Glory, Amber Heart and Van are all good pollination partners.

Rootstocks:
Our Knights Early Black cherry trees are all grown on "Colt" rootstocks.
Maximum height 4 metres.

Growing Knights Early Black 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 very good idea.
Only prune cherries in summer.

History & Trivia

Bred by Thomas Andrew Knight (1759-1838), who was one of the founders of the Horticultural Society of London, which became the Royal Horticultural Society in 1861.

His family money came from the iron business, but Thomas was passionate about plants. He inherited a mansion with 10,000 acres, where Knight's Early Black was one of many new varieties his staff created.

Knights Early Black's parents were 'May Duke' and 'Yellow Spanish' AKA 'Bigarreau', and in turn it's one of the parents of Merton Bigarreau.