Skeena Sweet Cherry
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Skeena cherry pollination guide: self-fertile S1S4′ genotype, late bloom overlap, universal donor role, and commercial orchard management.
Skeena is Self-Fertile (Universal Pollen Donor)
Self-fertile (S1S4′) and a universal pollen donor. Blooms mid-late, pairing well with Regina at the late end. Partners: Lapins, Sweetheart, Regina.
- S-Genotype / Genetics
- S1S4' (Group SC)
- Required Companions
- 0 (Self-Fertile)
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (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 3 to 5 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (17)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attika | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
LapinsGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | 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 |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Canning, Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Dessert | Test Cross | |
| Group 5 | Adjacent Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
SelahGuideUniversal Donor | 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 |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (2)
These cherry varieties overlap in flowering time with Skeena 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.
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.
Skeena Sweet Cherry Pollination & Late-Season Performance
Skeena is an exceptional late-season self-fertile sweet cherry bred at the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia. Featuring very large, kidney-shaped, dark mahogany-black fruit with firm, dense flesh and rich flavour, Skeena has quickly become a premier export variety in modern high-density orchard systems across North America and Europe.
Genetically classified in the Self-Compatible group (SC) with the S1S4′ genotype, Skeena is fully self-fertile and sets heavy crops without a companion. As an S4′ carrier, it acts as a universal pollen donor for all compatible sweet cherries flowering across its bloom window, ensuring pollination security in multi-variety blocks.
Skeena blooms in mid-to-late spring (Bloom Group 4). This slightly later flowering date pairs with late-blooming commercial cultivars like Regina and Kordia, making Skeena an invaluable dual-purpose crop and pollinizer tree in modern late-season commercial blocks, effectively evading early spring frost events.
In commercial trials, Skeena demonstrates superior crack tolerance under summer rain, giving growers vital crop security during harvest weeks.
Key Orchard Considerations for Skeena
Skeena shows outstanding resistance to rain splitting at harvest maturity, offering critical crop security during unpredictable summer rain storms.
Flowering in Bloom Group 4 provides valuable frost avoidance compared to Group 2 varieties, improving blossom survival in cooler valley orchard locations.
Performs well on semi-dwarf Gisela rootstocks. Maintain a balanced leader system with regular stub renewal to sustain large fruit size and vigor.
Take Skeena 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 Skeena 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.