Prunus avium Moreau - Cherry Tree

The ‘Bigarreau Moreau’ Cherry Tree is an old variety with medium vigour, and sometimes irregular productivity. Its large heart-shaped cherries, almost black when ripe, are a delight to taste. Fairly resistant to splitting, its cherry has firm, juicy, flavourful, and sweet flesh. The tree blooms beautifully in spring, and its fruits are harvested from late May to early June, at full ripeness. This self-sterile cherry tree requires the presence of a nearby companion to produce fruit. November is the most suitable month to plant a cherry tree in the garden.

The Cherry Tree, Prunus avium in Latin, belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 feet) in height at adulthood. Its rounded habit provides a beautiful shaded space, very pleasant during summer. Its alternate and toothed leaves are shiny and dark green in colour, then they turn a lovely reddish hue in autumn before falling. Cherries are rich in vitamin C, minerals, and trace elements.

The ‘Bigarreau Moreau’ (also known as Bigarreau Sandrin, Souvenir des Charmes) was obtained around 1895 in Charmes, in the Rhône department of France, and commercialised by the Moreau nurseries in Villefranche sur Saône in 1909.

The tree has a slightly upright habit and will reach about 6m (20ft) in height and 4.50m (15ft) in width after 10 years, depending on the growing conditions. It blooms between the end of March and the beginning of April and has good resistance to late frosts. Numerous small white flowers, grouped in pairs or charming little clusters, bloom on its bare branches. Despite abundant flowering, this variety is unable to self-pollinate and needs to be associated with another variety of Bigarreau cherry that blooms at the same time to bear fruit: choose 'Napoleon', 'Van', or 'Marmotte'. Its relatively quick fruiting occurs around 3 to 4 years.

Very hardy in most region, the ‘Moreau’ Cherry Tree withstands winter cold more easily than summer drought. The flowers are damaged during spring frosts, so it is recommended to plant cherry trees in a sheltered location, facing west and protected from cold winds in regions that experience fairly significant late frosts. On the plus side, the very abundant flowering often leads to satisfactory fruiting. The cherry is a charming small tree, at once delicious, ornamental, resistant to diseases, and almost maintenance-free. Only the fruit fly needs to be monitored: set up sticky cardboard traps or pheromone traps as soon as cherries form on the tree. The cherry tree can be planted on a lawn, at the back of a bed, or within an orchard.