Cherry (Prunus) Stella Colt

Stella is one of Britain's most popular sweet cherries and a great choice if you only have room for one tree. Bred in Canada in 1968, it was the first of the modern self-fertile cherries and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It gives heavy, dependable crops of large, rich, dark red cherries in late July, after a mass of white spring blossom that bees adore. Stella is also one of the best pollinators around, so it's the ideal partner for self-sterile varieties such as Penny.

Grown on Colt rootstock, Stella makes a sturdy, semi-vigorous tree of around 4m. Annual pruning keeps it smaller and well shaped. It also takes well to fan-training against a sunny south or west-facing wall, which saves space and makes netting against birds simple. Plant in full sun in a sheltered spot, in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and stake firmly while the tree establishes. Stella's fruit can split after heavy rain, so steady watering through dry spells helps to keep the crop in good condition. Prune in summer after harvest rather than in winter, to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Fully hardy (RHS H6). The fruit is delicious, but the stones and leaves shouldn't be eaten, so keep those out of reach of children and pets.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.