Selah Sweet Cherry (Washington 3-13)
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Selah cherry pollination guide: self-fertile S3S4′ genotype, universal donor capability, bloom overlap, and commercial orchard management.
Selah is Self-Fertile (Universal Pollen Donor)
Self-fertile (S3S4′), inheriting S4′ from its Stella parent.
- S-Genotype / Genetics
- S3S4' (Group SC)
- Required Companions
- 0 (Self-Fertile)
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Mid 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 2 to 4 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (20)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Canning, Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Dessert | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
StellaGuideUniversal Donor | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, All-Purpose | Test Cross |
SunburstGuideUniversal Donor | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
Attika | Group 4 | Adjacent Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Adjacent Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (3)
These cherry varieties overlap in flowering time with Selah 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.
Vibrant'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.
Vindskörsbär (Victor)'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.
Selah Sweet Cherry Pollination & Commercial Strategy
Selah (Washington 3-13) is a modern, high-performance dark sweet cherry released by Washington State University. Bred specifically to provide a firmer, crack-resistant, self-fertile alternative to Bing, Selah produces large, dark mahogany fruit with rich sweetness and exceptional shipping endurance for domestic and export commercial markets worldwide.
Genetically classified in the Self-Compatible group (SC) with the S3S4′ genotype, Selah is fully self-fertile. It sets a complete commercial crop without cross-pollination and acts as a universal pollen donor for all sweet cherry varieties flowering across its bloom window, donating viable pollen freely and reliably.
Selah flowers in Bloom Group 3 (mid-season). Its combination of self-fertility, generous pollen production, and superior fruit firmness makes it an ideal anchor variety for modern high-density plantings seeking reliable production, reduced management complexity, and excellent commercial packout rates across seasons.
Growers planting Selah benefit from reduced labor and equipment requirements during bloom, as dedicated pollinizer rows and pollinator hive density can be managed more efficiently.
Key Orchard Considerations for Selah
Selah shows significantly improved resistance to rain-induced splitting compared to Bing, reducing commercial cull rates during wet pre-harvest periods.
Fruit holds firm texture on Gisela rootstocks, enabling efficient mechanical sorting, hydrocooling, and long-distance container shipment.
Exhibits spreading branch growth with strong crotch angles. Prune to maintain vertical light channels into the fruiting zone for uniform fruit coloring.
Take Selah 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 Selah 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.