The Silva cherry is a columnar tree of Canadian selection, bred in 1988. The tree is characterized by a compact, pyramidal, or oval crown reaching a height of up to 3.5 meters and a width of about 1 meter. The variety is known for its weak growth vigor, making it suitable for cultivation on fertile soils with drip irrigation. Silva cherries have medium winter hardiness and high disease resistance, and they are not prone to fruit cracking, which significantly eases care and improves yield quality. Silva cherry fruits are large, weighing from 8.5 to 14 grams, sometimes reaching 22 grams with proper pruning. They have a dark red or ruby-red color with dense, cartilaginous, and juicy flesh that differs in medium density and a rich flavor with pronounced sweetness. The fruit skin is dense, ensuring good transportability and allowing the harvest to be stored in a refrigerator for up to three weeks without quality loss. The fruit shape is round, and the peduncles are very long, which facilitates harvest collection. The Silva variety ripens in medium terms — the second half of June or the third decade of July, depending on climatic conditions. The cherry is self-fertile and can be grown both in single plantings and in orchards with pollinators, for example, the Helena variety. Thanks to its high yield, reaching up to 15 kg per tree, and excellent taste qualities, this variety is valuable both for industrial cultivation and for private gardeners seeking a stable and quality harvest.
