| Sweetheart cherry | |
| Species: | Prunus avium |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Hybrid: | Van × Newstar |
| Cultivar: | Sweetheart |
| Breeder: | David Lane |
| Origin: | Summerland, British Columbia, Canada |
The Sweetheart cherry is a cultivar of cherry. It is a hybrid of the Van and Newstar cultivars first developed in Canada.[1]
The Sweetheart cultivar was developed at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia. The cross was made in 1975 and selected in 1982, and the variety was officially released in 1994.[2] It has since been used as a parent cultivar for several new varieties, including Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign.[3] The American Society for Horticultural Science awarded Sweetheart their Outstanding Fruit Cultivar award in 2012.[4] [5]
Sweetheart is a self-fertile cultivar which can be used as a "universal pollinator" for other cherry varieties with similar bloom time.[6] The flowers bloom about 2-3 days before Bing.[1] It is a very heavy producer, with overcropping being a potential issue.[7] The tree is highly susceptible to powdery mildew.[8]
Sweetheart is a late-season cherry, ripening about 20-22 days after Bing cherries. The fruit is of moderate size, with red flesh, and dark bright red skin.[1]