Sweetheart Sweet Cherry
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Sweetheart cherry pollination guide: self-fertile S3S4′ genotype, late harvest, universal donor dynamics, and commercial block management.
Sweetheart is Self-Fertile (Universal Pollen Donor)
Self-fertile (S3S4′) and a universal pollen donor. Blooms mid-late but ripens very late — bloom order and ripening order are decoupled in cherry, so never infer a partner from harvest window. As with Lapins the Van pairing is asymmetric: Sweetheart pollen suits Van, but Van pollen on Sweetheart is half-functional (shared S3). Partners: Staccato, Skeena, Lapins.
- S-Genotype / Genetics
- S3S4' (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 | 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 |
TehraniveeGuideUniversal Donor | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| 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 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 Sweetheart 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.
Sweetheart Sweet Cherry: Late Season Cropping & Pollination
Sweetheart is an elite late-season sweet cherry developed at the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia (Van × Newstar). Ripening approximately three weeks after Bing, Sweetheart produces large, bright red, heart-shaped fruit with firm, crisp flesh and balanced sweetness, effectively closing out the fresh cherry harvest window with premium market returns.
Sweetheart carries the S3S4′ genotype (Group SC), making it fully self-fertile. It requires no companion pollinizer to set full commercial yields and functions as a universal pollen donor for all sweet cherries flowering during its bloom period, accepting or donating pollen freely across commercial orchards without restriction.
Sweetheart flowers in Bloom Group 4 (mid-to-late spring). Crucially, bloom timing and harvest timing are decoupled in sweet cherry: Sweetheart blooms mid-to-late but ripens very late, pairing as an effective pollinizer with mid-late bloomers like Regina and Skeena to ensure heavy late-season crops.
Because of its prolific cropping nature, regular spur renewal pruning is recommended to maintain optimal fruit diameter and high brix levels at harvest.
Key Orchard Considerations for Sweetheart
Ripens after most commercial sweet cherries have finished, allowing growers to capture premium late-season retail prices when market supplies are low.
Sweetheart sets heavily on fruiting spurs. Prune aggressively in late winter to remove weak wood and maintain fruit sizing above 9.5-row diameter.
While moderately split-tolerant, late-hanging fruit remains on the tree during summer storms. Utilize air-blast sprayers to blow water droplets off clusters.
Take Sweetheart 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 Sweetheart 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.