Sweet cherry Stavropol Beauty

Developed at the Stavropol Experimental Station for Horticulture. Obtained by crossing the yellow Denisena and black Dayer varieties. Breeders: A.I. Seredenko and V.V. Starikh. Regionally approved in the Stavropol Krai in 2000.

Medium-early ripening, medium-growing tree. Crown is broad-pyramidal, close to round, raised, medium density. Main branches are medium-growing, thick, branching at an angle over 50°, medium budding capacity. Shoots are medium, straight, brown, covered with gray film-like coating, bare. Leaves are large, elongated, narrowly oval, long-pointed, green, slightly wrinkled, leaf margin double-toothed. Petiole is medium, light green. Inflorescence is umbel, flower large, white. Most productive flowering shoots in age 2–5 years.

Fruits are very large, weight 9.0 g, one-seeded, flat-oval, slightly narrowed toward apex. Skin is medium, smooth, dark-red, almost black, easily removable with strong waxy coating. Calyx is wide, small. Fruit apex is rounded, slightly elongated. Stomach suture is barely noticeable, weakly expressed, does not crack. Fruits are dark-red, almost black with purple hue. Flesh is red, dark-red with white net-like veins at maturity, dense, semi-fibrous, juicy, tart-sweet, excellent taste. Juice is dark-red. Stone is medium, smooth, rounded, slightly tilted toward the dorsal suture, medium detachment from flesh. Seed is bitter. Pedicel is medium, detachment from fruiting branch is good, dry detachment. Fruits contain 14.3% dry matter, 12.2% sugars, 0.64% acids. Transportability of fruits is high. Fruits are excellent taste, universal use.

Flowers relatively late, self-sterile, best pollinators: Golyubushka, Dayer, Franz Joseph. Medium-late ripening period (third decade of June). Very early fruiting, begins fruiting at 3–4 years after planting. Bears fruit on flowering shoots and annual growth. At ages 7–8 years, average yield is 40–45 kg/tree; at 10–11 years — 75–85 kg/tree. Good winter hardiness of tree and flower buds. Leaves and fruits are relatively resistant to coccomycosis; fruits — to cracking during rainy weather.

Forms a moderately spaced tiered crown. Requires good light, soil, warmth, and moisture. Responsive to fertilization and rejuvenating pruning. Requires disease and pest control measures.

Advantages of the variety: high winter hardiness of tree and flower buds, compact crown, large transportable fruits, minimal shedding at maturity, resistant to cracking and coccomycosis, dry detachment, suitable for commercial cultivation and processing.

Disadvantages: self-sterile, requires planting of pollinator varieties for normal fruiting.