Regina Sweet Cherry
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Regina cherry pollination guide: S-genotype (S1S3, Group II), late bloom overlap, compatible partners (Kordia, Skeena, Sweetheart), and orchard care.
Regina is Self-Incompatible (Needs 1 Partner)
Group II, same as Van — the reference case for a name-list miss: different-looking, widely planted, mutually sterile. The S-genotype compute makes this pairing structurally impossible to recommend. Regina needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 4–6 to set a reliable crop.
- S-Genotype / Genetics
- S1S3 (Group II)
- Required Companions
- 1 Compatible Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 5 (Late-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late Season
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Sweet and sour cherry flowering periods are classified into numbered bloom groups (1 through 5). Cross-pollination requires overlapping bloom timing between genetically compatible cultivars.
Any compatible cherry cultivar flowering within Group 4 to 6 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (6)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attika | Group 4 | Adjacent Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
LapinsGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
SkeenaGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
SweetheartGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
TehraniveeGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (1)
These cherry varieties overlap in flowering time with Regina but cannot fertilise it due to shared S-allele genetic incompatibility groups.
Utah Giant's S-genotype is not recorded. For this crop compatibility is computed from S-alleles, so it cannot be offered as a partner without one.
Regina Sweet Cherry Pollination & Export Production
Regina is the premier late-season commercial dark sweet cherry developed at the Jork Fruit Research Institute in Germany (Rube × Schneider's Späte Knorpel). Yielding large, firm, dark red-black fruit with an elongated stem and balanced, rich sweetness, Regina is the global benchmark for late-harvest export quality, field crack tolerance, and post-harvest shelf life.
Genotypically, Regina is in Incompatibility Group II with the S1S3 genotype. It is self-incompatible and mutually sterile with Van (S1S3). Regina is cross-compatible with Kordia (S3S6, Group VI) and self-fertile universal donors like Skeena (S1S4′), Sweetheart (S3S4′), and Lapins (S1S4′), which provide compatible pollen.
Regina flowers very late in Bloom Group 5, effectively evading spring frost hazards in cool temperate fruit belts. Because most sweet cherries bloom in Groups 2 and 3, pairing Regina with late-blooming partners like Kordia (Group 4) or Skeena (Group 4) is critical to secure overlapping blossom periods and achieve full commercial yields.
Key Orchard Considerations for Regina
Regina demonstrates some of the highest crack resistance of any commercial cultivar, making it exceptionally reliable in rainy, maritime climates during harvest.
Because Regina blooms late in Group 5, standard mid-season pollinizers will have finished flowering. Interplant late-blooming Skeena or Kordia at a 10–15% ratio.
Fruit maintains crisp flesh firmness and bright green stems for weeks under cold storage, enabling long-distance export shipping and extended retail shelf presence.
Take Regina from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Regina against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.