Sweet Cherry Pollinators: Chart and Self-Fertile Varieties
Updated on 10/28/2026
Most sweet cherry varieties cannot set fruit with their own pollen. They need another, genetically compatible variety that blooms at the same time. A badly chosen pollinator is a common reason why a cherry orchard blooms heavily but crops poorly.
Below are the basic rules and a pollination chart for the 36 sweet cherry varieties in the Raludor catalogue, sorted by ripening time.
Why sweet cherries need a pollinator
Sweet cherry has a self-incompatibility system controlled by S-alleles. Pollen carrying the same S-allele as the pistil is stopped before fertilisation. Each variety carries two S-alleles.
Varieties with the same two alleles form an incompatibility group and cannot pollinate each other, even when they bloom together. The JKI database describes more than 70 such groups across about 1,700 varieties.
The exception is the S4' allele. Varieties that carry it are self-fertile and can generally pollinate varieties from any group, provided bloom overlaps. Lapins, Sweet Heart, Skeena and Staccato are in this category.
Three rules for choosing a pollinator
- Genetic compatibility. The pollinator must have a different S-genotype from the main variety.
- Overlapping bloom, not similar harvest. Sweet Heart blooms early but ripens among the last. Bloom time is what counts.
- More than one pollinator. Bloom shifts from year to year. In large orchards, two different pollinators reduce the risk of a season without fruit set.
Self-fertile cherry varieties in the catalogue
Royal Tioga, Sweet Aryana, Pacific Red, Sweet Lorenz, Grace Star, Sweet Saretta, Lapins, Sofia, Sweet Stephany, Royal Helen, Sweet Heart, Skeena and Staccato set fruit with their own pollen. They can be planted in solid blocks without pollinator rows and can serve as pollinators for varieties that bloom at the same time.
Self-fertile does not mean bee-free. Pollen still has to move from the anthers to the stigma, and insects do that job in self-fertile varieties too.
Sweet cherry pollination chart
| Variety | Ripening vs Burlat | Bloom | Pollination |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS 280 | −10 days | early | Nimba, Pacific Red |
| Nimba | −5 days | early | Pacific Red (partly self-sterile) |
| Early Bigi | −5 days | early | Burlat, Lapins, Sweet Heart |
| Sweet Dave | −3 days | mid | Sweet Aryana, Sweet Lorenz |
| Burlat | reference | mid | Satin, Summit |
| Royal Tioga® | +3 days | very early | self-fertile |
| Sweet Aryana | +3 days | mid | self-fertile |
| Pacific Red | +5 days | early | self-fertile |
| Sweet Lorenz | +6 days | mid | self-fertile |
| Royal Hazel | +7 days | early | Royal Lynn, Royal Tioga |
| Royal Bailey | +7 days | early | Samba, Sweet Heart |
| Rocket | +8 days | mid | Frisco, Burlat, Santina, Chelan |
| Giorgia | +9 days | late | self-fertile* |
| Sweet Gabriel | +10 days | mid | Burlat, Satin, Grace Star, Rainier |
| Karina | +12 days | late | Kordia, Fertard |
| Folfer | +12 days | early to mid | Ferdouce |
| Frisco | +13 days | mid | Burlat |
| Tamara | +14 days | early to mid | Regina, Skeena, Kordia, Carmen |
| Royal Lafayette | +14 days | early | Folfer, Sweet Saretta, Royal Helen |
| Ferdouce | +14 days | early | Folfer |
| Samba® | +16 days | very early | Nimba, Early Red, Vanda, Tamara, Sweet Heart |
| Grace Star | +16 days | mid to late | self-fertile |
| Sweet Valina | +20 days | mid | Burlat, Satin, Grace Star, Rainier |
| Areko | +21 days | late to very late | Kordia, Carmen, Rubin, Irena, Henriette |
| Ferrovia | +22 days | late | Giorgia, Van, Canada Giant; also good with Kordia, Regina |
| Sweet Saretta | +23 days | early | self-fertile |
| Kordia | +24 days | mid | Ferrovia, Regina, Van, Areko, Grace Star |
| Lapins | +25 days | early | self-fertile |
| Sofia® | +25 days | mid | self-fertile |
| Sweet Stephany | +27 days | mid | self-fertile |
| Regina | +30 days | late | Irena, Carmen, Kordia, Rubin |
| Royal Helen | +32 days | late | self-fertile |
| Sweet Heart® | +35 days | early | self-fertile |
| Fertard | +37 days | late | Regina, Summit |
| Skeena | +41 days | late | self-fertile |
| Staccato | +43 days | mid | self-fertile |
Ripening is given in days relative to Burlat, which ripens at the end of May in the Raludor calendar. Bloom time and pollinators come from the Raludor variety sheets. For Sweet Saretta, bloom time follows the University of Bologna sheet.
* The Raludor sheet lists Giorgia as self-fertile, but public sources do not confirm it. Until it is confirmed, plant a compatible late-blooming variety next to Giorgia, for example Ferrovia, which lists Giorgia among its pollinators.
Common pairings
Regina blooms late and is self-sterile. Recommended pollinators: Kordia, Karina, Carmen, Irena and Rubin. The differences between Regina and Royal Helen are covered in Royal Helen or Regina.
Kordia needs Ferrovia, Regina, Van, Areko or Grace Star. Kordia and Regina pollinate each other and are often planted together.
Karina blooms late and is pollinated by Kordia and Fertard. In Belgium, Karina itself is used as a pollinator for Kordia and Regina.
Ferrovia is pollinated by Giorgia, Van and Canada Giant, and good crops are also reported with Kordia and Regina.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the pollinator by harvest date. Two varieties picked in the same week can bloom several days apart.
- A single pollinator row at the edge of the block. Bees work mostly along the row. Pollinators need to be spread through the orchard.
- Ignoring frost. If the pollinator blooms earlier than the main variety, a frost can destroy its flowers even when the main variety escapes.
Browse all sweet cherry varieties in the catalogue or send us your variety list through the contact page. We check the pollination plan before the order.
Frequently asked questions
Is Regina cherry self-fertile?
No. Regina is self-sterile and needs a late-blooming pollinator such as Kordia, Karina, Carmen, Irena or Rubin.
Which pollinator suits Kordia cherry?
The Raludor sheet lists Ferrovia, Regina, Van, Areko and Grace Star. Choose the one that blooms closest to Kordia on your site.
Which pollinators does Karina cherry need?
Karina is pollinated by Kordia and Fertard. It blooms late, so its partners must bloom late as well.
Do self-fertile varieties need a pollinator?
They do not need another variety. They still need bees or other pollinating insects.
How many pollinator varieties should I plant?
There is no single number. For commercial orchards we recommend at least two pollinator varieties spread between the rows, with the exact layout set when the orchard is designed.
Technical sources: RosBreed, cherry cross-compatibility, JKI, S-genotypes of sweet cherry cultivars, BC Tree Fruit Production Guide, pollination chart, University of Bologna, Sweet Saretta and the Karina study.