Two-in-one cherry tree - Prunus cerasus Bigarreau Burlat and Napoléon

The Bigarreau Burlat and the Bigarreau Napoléon cherries are grown on the same tree to offer gardeners an abundant harvest of cherries between late May and July. Flowering in unison, these two varieties grafted in a Y-shape onto the same rootstock pollinate each other. 'Burlat' is an early and productive variety, yielding large, sweet fruits with firm, crunchy flesh and dark red skin, of excellent taste quality. The 'Napoléon', recognisable by its red and yellow skin, is better suited for processing. This very ornamental, "two-in-one" cherry tree offers a dazzling white flowering in March-April, followed by beneficial shade in summer. Production becomes optimal when the tree is 6-7 years old.

Its excellent cold resistance and adaptability to all types of soil, except overly clayey ones, allow the cherry tree to thrive in all regions. It finds its place planted on a lawn, at the back of a flower bed, within an orchard or a fruit hedge.

This tree combines two grafts:

- A Bigarreau Burlat Cherry graft: this variety produces large, sweet, juicy and flavourful fruits with shiny, dark red skin and firm, crunchy flesh. It is early and productive, with harvests starting from late May. The harvest can vary in abundance from year to year. It is an excellent dessert cherry.

- A Bigarreau Napoléon Cherry graft: a vigorous variety, producing heart-shaped fruits with white, juicy flesh and yellow skin tinged with red, which attract few birds. Flowering begins in late March, and harvest starts from early June. These cherries are excellent prepared in syrup, brandy or in a clafoutis, for example.

Prunus avium belongs to the Rosaceae family, like the Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus). Also known as the Wild Cherry or Bird Cherry, it is native to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, and has been present in Europe since the Neolithic period (Polished Stone Age). 

The cherry tree is a vigorous tree with a semi-upright silhouette, spreading with age and reaching about 5 to 6 metres in height and 3 to 5 metres in spread at maturity. It produces numerous shoots and is distinguished by its reddish wood. Its habit adapts equally well to free forms on standard or half-standard stems as to low goblet shapes. Its deciduous foliage consists of large, 6 to 8 cm long, alternate, obovate, irregularly toothed, glossy green leaves, turning orange-brown in autumn. The semi-late flowering, between late March and mid-April, is before the appearance of the leaves, making it vulnerable to spring frosts. The white, single flowers, grouped in clusters, measure 2 to 3 cm in diameter and can be destroyed at -2 to -3°C. It is therefore advisable to plant the cherry tree in a sheltered location, facing west and protected from cold winds. However, the abundant flowering usually ensures good fruiting. Very decorative in spring, it is also honey-producing and nectar-rich.
The cherry tree is hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -20°C and adapts to all regions, including at altitude. It is self-sterile or self-incompatible, requiring the proximity of two varieties for cross-pollination for fruit production.

Bigarreau cherry trees offer a variable harvest from year to year, with an alternate bearing phenomenon allowing the tree to replenish its reserves. Fruiting begins quickly, around 3 to 4 years, with optimal production after 6 to 7 years. A mature tree (10 to 20 years old) produces an average of 25 to 50 kilos of fruit per year. The cherries, attached to the branches by a short 3 to 4 cm petiole, are harvested from early June for the Bigarreau Napoléon and until late July for the Bigarreau Burlat. They must be picked when ripe, with their stalk, to ensure good storage. They are fragile, so should be carefully harvested manually or with a pole.
These juicy and sweet cherries can be eaten raw or are perfect in cooking, in clafoutis, cakes, crumbles, tarts, fruit salads, as well as with white meats. They are also suitable for processing into jams, fruits in syrup and preserves. Rich in vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants, calcium, copper and iron, they are a healthy choice. Their shelf life is short, just a few days in a cool place or refrigerator, but they can be frozen after washing, drying, stemming and removing the stone.