Black Gold Cherry is a large, disease-resistant sweet cherry cultivar from New York Fruit Testing that produces deep red, almost black fruit with exceptional flavor and reliable productivity. Hardy in zones 5 through 9, this mid-season variety reaches 12 to 16 feet tall and thrives in full sun with moderate water. What truly sets it apart is its late bloom time and self-fertile nature, allowing it to set abundant crops even in challenging East Coast climates where rain at ripening time would typically spell disaster for other cherries.
Full Sun
Moderate
5-9
192in H x ?in W
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High
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This deep red cherry combines firm flesh with a flavor that Raintree Nursery describes as particularly delicious, and it produces generous yields without requiring a pollinator. Late blooming protects the flowers from late frosts common in northern gardens, while its moderate tolerance to rain during ripening makes it genuinely practical for humid regions where other sweet cherries fail. The cultivar's disease resistance removes a major headache from cherry growing, especially for gardeners who've watched fungal problems decimate other varieties.
Black Gold Cherry is grown fresh for eating out of hand, where its firm texture and deep flavor shine. The dark color and sweetness also make it excellent for preserving, though the source material emphasizes its qualities as a fresh market fruit rather than specifying particular preserving traditions.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Transplant cherry whips or grafted trees in early spring or fall, choosing a location with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Space trees 25 to 30 feet apart to accommodate mature size of 12 to 16 feet tall. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, backfilling with native soil amended with compost. Water thoroughly after planting and mulch around the base to retain moisture while the roots establish.
Pick Black Gold Cherry when the fruit reaches its deep red, almost black color and feels slightly soft to gentle pressure. Harvest in mid-summer as the variety reaches peak ripeness, cutting or gently twisting fruit from the branch rather than pulling downward to avoid damaging spurs. Cool harvested fruit promptly to slow respiration and maintain firmness.
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“Black Gold Cherry emerged from the New York Fruit Testing program, a legacy of systematic variety evaluation and breeding that shaped modern fruit gardening in North America. Breeders selected for the traits that matter most to real growers in challenging climates: late bloom timing to dodge spring frosts, disease resistance to survive humid summers, and self-fertility to produce fruit without relying on compatible pollinators. This cultivar represents decades of work to make cherry growing viable where it had previously been unreliable.”