Stella Cherry Trees

• Variety: Stella, the self-fertile black Sweet Cherry
• Latin name: Prunus avium 'Stella'
• Use: Eating
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden, bush and half-standard
• Rootstock: Colt
• Mature size: Kept at 3 to 4m. 4 to 5m if left unpruned
• Pollination: Group D. Self-fertile, and a universal donor for other Sweet Cherries
• Picking: Late July
• Fruit: Large, dark and rich. Heavy, regular crops
• Best soil and site: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, with shelter
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS Award of Garden Merit: Yes (1993)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Stella is a self-fertile Sweet Cherry with large, dark, rich fruit in late July, and heavy, regular crops. On Colt it is kept at 3 to 4 metres, it pollinates other Sweet Cherries as a universal donor, and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Stella Cherry Trees

The all-time favourite sweet cherry tree, Stella cherries are big, dark red and delicious.

The only thing you can say against it's that it's too popular: most supermarket cherries are Stellas. But when you grow them at home, you can pick them at the perfect time, and they'll be much better than the ones in the shops.

Stella is a spreading tree, suitable for growing in the North & Scotland.

Browse our range of cherry trees, or all our fruit trees.

Delivery season: Bareroot plants are delivered from late autumn to spring, November to April. Pot grown plants, year round.

Pollination Partners for Stella Cherries:
Stella will make fruit all by herself.
She is in pollination group D & makes a good pollinator for most cherries, any tree in group C, D or E of the cherry tree pollination table.

Rootstocks:
Our Stella cherry trees are all grown on "Colt" rootstocks.
Height 3 to 4 metres as usually kept, and 4 to 5 metres if left unpruned.

Growing Stella 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.

Planting Companions

Stella needs no partner, and it is the partner we name for several Cherries that do: Summer Sun, Kordia, Penny and Vega. Lavender nearby brings more pollinating insects in a cold spring. 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 Stella is on Colt, and maidens are pre-pruned before despatch for the form you choose. Bareroot trees are lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Stella need a pollination partner?

No. It is self-fertile, so one tree on its own will crop. Its crops are heavy and regular.

Will Stella pollinate other Cherry trees?

Yes. It flowers in group D and is a universal donor, so it has no incompatibility with other Sweet Cherries. It is the partner we name for Summer Sun, Kordia, Penny and Vega.

How big does the tree grow?

On Colt, you can keep it at 3 to 4 metres with summer pruning, and it reaches 4 to 5 metres if left alone. All our Sweet Cherries are on Colt.

When do you pick Stella?

In late July. It also warns that the fruit is prone to splitting in wet weather, which is worth knowing before you plant in a wet district.

When should you prune a Cherry tree?

In summer, never in winter. Stone fruit takes in silver leaf through winter cuts, so do your pruning while the tree is in leaf.

Can you grow it as a fan?

Yes. Cherries are best suited to fan-training, so that you can net them against birds. Buy a maiden: we pre-prune it before despatch.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.