Balaton™ Sour Cherry Bare Root

Sour cherries are often referred to as 'pie cherries' for their excellence in baking, and Balaton is considered a leader of the pack with its deliciously plump tart cherries. Though, Balaton Cherry Trees will win you over with more than just your tastebuds, as this dwarf cherry tree offers seasons of color to your landscape. Celebrating spring with its own cherry blossom festival as soft ivory flowers bloom in abundance, filling your garden with a decadent fragrance and inviting a space of tranquility to your landscape. The elegant spring flowers don't make you wait long for those mouthwatering cherries to begin ripening. By mid-summer, dark burgundy-red cherries begin to dot the tree with firm sweet-tart fruits ready to excel in the kitchen! So many cherries that you'll be able to pick a few, and eat a few, then pick a few, and eat some more! Get ready for summer pies, jams, sauces, and even wine making! The fruit is so vibrant in color that it will add that extra splash of red to your baked goods. As you're busy filling up on tasty treats, you'll find the lush dark-green foliage transitioning to a glowing warm orange as the cool fall months arrive. Balaton Sour Cherry Trees will quickly become the joy of each season in your garden and bring years of new family baking traditions to your home!

It was named after Lake Balaton, a beloved lake in Hungary, the country of origin for this tart Cherry Tree. First grown in the small Hungarian village of Ujfeherto, and grew in popularity post World War II when the Communist government sought after the finest sour cherries from the nation's collective farmlands. Balaton quickly won as the favorite, and in 1970 began being commercially grown throughout Hungary. Then in 1984, it was introduced to the United States by Dr. Amy Lezzoni, a horticulturist and cherry breeder from Michigan State University. Her Hungarian colleagues wanted to honor this tree's heritage with a name reflecting its country of origin - which they said was "about the only thing an American can pronounce (on a map of Hungary) is Lake Balaton." Much gratitude to be given to the country of Hungary for the beautifully delicious Balaton Sour Cherry Trees!

Balaton Sour Cherry Trees are self-pollinating, though will produce a much larger harvest planted with a pollinating counterpart like North Star or Montmorency to cross-pollinate with. Plant in multiples creating a grove of vibrant spring flowers and enough flavorful cherries to share!