Variety traits

Winter hardiness of sweet cherry

Prunus avium (L.) L.

A complex biological trait that determines the ability of sweet cherry to survive and bear fruit under low winter temperatures, temperature fluctuations, and the subsequent recovery of tissues.

In the reference 48 varieties crop Sweet cherry, where this is mentioned in the description.

The winter hardiness of sweet cherry is evaluated based on four components: resistance to early frosts, maximum frost resistance during dormancy, tolerance to temperature fluctuations, and the ability to reacclimate after thaws. Assessment methods include field observations of the state of the cambium, wood, and buds, as well as laboratory artificial freezing of tissue samples in climate chambers to determine the critical temperature for organ death.

High winter hardiness in sweet cherries is characterized by the ability of cultivars to withstand frosts down to –35 °C, whereas with low values, even a temperature of –30 °C can cause complete death of reproductive buds and damage to the vascular system. The level of winter hardiness directly affects the regularity of fruiting, the longevity of the trunk and scaffold branches, and also depends on the rootstock, with resistant cultivars possessing denser bark, which reduces the risk of frost cracks.

General information about the subject — on the page Winter hardiness.

Sources8

Varieties of Sweet cherry mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.