Cherry tree for Robins

HoneyBerry · Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:23 pm

I want to plant some cherry trees to attract robins to my yard. I am not sure which variety would be the best choice. I live in Puyallup WA, which is just south of Seattle. I'm not sure which zone, but I think I'm in zone 7 or 8. I don't want to make a bad choice. I want an heirloom organic dwarf or semi-dwarf variety. My primary goal is to attract birds, primarily robins, but I want the cherries to be good for me to eat as well. I prefer eating cherries fresh over making pies. Does anyone have experience with cherry trees and some suggestions?

CharlieBear · Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:41 pm

about the only place to get dwarf cherry trees in the NW is Raintree right in your state. Note semi-dwarf cherry trees in the NW can get up to 25 ft tall or more depending on the variety and where it is planted. I have dwarf cherry trees and some of them have reached 15 ft, while others of the same variety didn't get anywhere near that tall. You are west of the cascades so avoid things like Bings, Sweetheart and the like. Warning cherries can be hard to establish west of the cascades and pie cherries are even worse due to climate change. They are generally prone to disease unlike 25-30 years ago. You will have to prune them well, dormant spray after the leaves fall off and ideally spray with either a sulfur or copper fungicide in the spring when the buds swell. Even so, the new growth may get curly leaf, aphids and so forth on most varieties you can buy on the market today. Ideally you want to get 2 different varieties to pollinate each other, even self fertile don't bear well alone. I have tried 7 varieties over the last 10 years and have had the least problems with the Black Gold and Sweatheart cherry pair. I am just a little south of you, so my climate is very much like yours.

applestar · Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:11 pm

If you plant a cherry variety that will attract robins, they will EAT them.

One fruiting tree that will definitely attract robins is mulberry. My tree is a frenzy of wildlife and bird activity but particularly, I think every single Robin in the neighborhood visits the tree including fledglings.

For sweet, fresh eating cherries, I planted yellow/white varieties which the birds tend to ignore, so I don't have to net the trees or otherwise protect the fruits. Emperor Francis and White Gold pair to pollinate each other, which I grow in 2 ft x 10 ft area as fan espalier trained/pruned 6 ft trees.

Another fruit that robins will go crazy over and are easy to grow -- as well as easier to protect for your own eating -- are strawberries. I have beds of wild strawberries that are left unprotected for the birds, and others as well as cultivated large fruited strawberries that I claim for my family

(but robins steal some to my annoyance)

HoneyBerry · Sat Jul 18, 2015 4:21 pm

Not sure why my replies did not post.

HoneyBerry · Sat Jul 18, 2015 4:29 pm

Thank you CharlieBear and applestar. Very helpful suggestions. I don't care if the robins eat all of the cherries. I don't have time to pick them all anyway. I used to have robins hopping around my yard. Not sure why they are gone. I'm trying to lure them back. I'm still considering cherry but I am also condidering other trees. I don't have time for a fussy tree and it seems like cherry would be fussier than other choices that I have.

CharlieBear · Mon Jul 20, 2015 12:03 pm

warning it is hard to get a mulberry to fruit here west of the cascade. For the last 3 years mine has looked like it would bear and then suddenly, it all fell off. Mulberries are very large except contorted and weeping varieties and I find that they need far more pruning and up keep then most of the fruit trees I have, here in the NW

HoneyBerry · Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:00 pm

I won't be doing mulberry. I'm going to do more research.

applestar · Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:27 pm

What about goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora) or sweet aronia? Previous active member here from San Juan Island used to say they grow really well in his garden.

And goumi is a nitrogen fixer, too. It's on my wishlist but I want to find a really good eating cultivar from my local area. He got his from a nursery local to Washington State.

HoneyBerry · Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:30 am

I just looked these up. Never heard of either. Goumi looks wonderful. That would probably work. I have a small berry garden and Sweet Aronia would work there. I currently have 3 Honey Berry bushes, 2 Black Currant bushes, 1 Lingonberry shrub and some Strawberries. I'm might add Blueberry bushes in the fall. The Strawberries did nicely at first, but are becoming overpowered by the Honey Berry bushes. I need to spiff things up in the fall.
Thank you for your suggestions!