Developed right here in washington state, and named after our most famous peak, these sweet, elegant cherries are goldenyellow with a red blush. It was developed in 1952 at washington state university by harold fogle, and named after mount rainier. Varieties cherry wsu tree fruit washington state university. Seattle is a very green city with several lakefront parks where cherry blossom is simply gorgeous. However, this product is stored and available in other seasons from local sources. Despite snow in seattle, cherry blossoms on track for. Washington dcs cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on april 1, 2019. July is the perfect month for picking this gorgeous. Rough california cherry season ends as pnw begins orchards. Northwest growers anticipate solid cherry season packer. The primary tart cherry producing state is michigan, which typically accounts for nearly 75 percent of tart cherry production. Washington state crop harvest calendar when fruit and vegetables. Washington cherries are early casualties of trumps trade.
Department of agriculture policy, washington state fruit. Two main types of cherries are produced in the united states. Washington state for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins and other crops. Washington grown vegetable seasonality chart by healthier us school challenge vegetable group categories produce green arugula. Washington state cherry harvest avoids anticipated delay. The northwest cherry season lasts from the first week of june until the end of. Washington state is known worldwide for large commercial crops of apples and potatoes.
Whats in season in april 2020, and other timely information. Cherry blossoms outside gerberding hall are nearly in full bloom. Washington cherries from rainier fruit the taste of. You can find some ideas for other things to see and do in dc here. Round 2 of uw cherry blossom season is underway michelle ma. Washington grown season 6 episode 6 cherries youtube.
The earlier dates are more applicable to southwest washington and the later dates for more northerly or colder areas. By the way, the best online informational resource for finding upick farms yearround in washington or anywhere else is. Whiting, talks about his research program, youtube video, 2011. Most cherries in washington are grown in the yakima valley with chukars hometown of prosser at the epicenter. Best time to see cherry blossom in seattle 2020 when. If you want to see the cherry blossom in all its glory, check out green lake park, one of seattle residents favorite spots for a spring stroll.
Temperatures cold enough for snow in seattle have delayed the university of washington cherry blossoms that usually begin peeking out in late february. This site is the source for all of the latest news and information about cherries from the northwest including. Washington state grows more sweet cherries than any other region in the nation. Its far too early to know when dcs cherry blossoms will bloom in 2020.
Feel free to reach out to any of the companies provided on the shippers list. Its that time of year again when washington, dc comes alive in cheerful shades of pink and white, marking the onset of spring and a time of renewal and celebration in the nations capital. Despite snow in seattle, cherry blossoms on track for typical season michelle ma. Californias loss was washingtons gain in last years cherry market. This is the variety that becomes the maraschino cherries you buy at the store. Northwest cherry growers washington state fruit commission. Cherries are one of the freshest produce items available.
Late june is when the shipping of these cherries begins. With the cherry harvest underway, what to expect in 2019. The state of washington is definitely the rainier state. Gisela cherry rootstocks, webpage with links to cherry pruning videos. A large yellow cherry with a red blush, rainier is an offspring of the bing. As the current years cherry blossom season gets closer, we try to keep an eye on things and update this page with any changes.
One of our readers, ko, recommends thompsons farm in naches, a 45acre farm with cherries, apples, and stone fruits for upick, and they are already open for cherry season. Rainier cherries washington state magazine washington. It gets its name after the highest peak in the state of washington. However, many other popular fruits and vegetables are grown. Washington growers prepare for cherry season ideal weather conditions have provided a nice platform for washington cherry growers as they look ahead to the harvest in less than a. While other items such as apples have found ways to be available all season long. Washingtons cherry crop could set record the seattle times. You can pick local crops to enjoy during the growing season, as well as preserve some for your winter pantry and. The peak season last year was roughly march 30april 21, 2019. On average, they bloom around the last week of march into the first week or april, but it can also be. Monthbymonth upick crops around puget sound greater.
Take the train to cherry blossom season in washington, dc. Growing regions scattered throughout washington, oregon, idaho, utah, and. Cherry season sweet cherries, including the popular bing and rainier varieties, are available from may to august. Blossoms on the iconic university of washington quad cherry trees will begin emerging soon, with. Whiting, wsuiarec, presentation, wsha annual meeting, 2014. According to the washington state department of agriculture, sweet cherries are the states number six cash crop with a value of about a half billion dollars. Eric patrick, promotions director for the washington state fruit commission, yakima, said the late season cherries are important in the states cherry marketing. Were predicting the 2020 season to be a bit earlier than last year, from march 21 april 12, 2020. Of course, weather changes, season variations, variety of a crop planted and other factors profoundly affect the dates, so this is a general guide only. Washington states pick your own farms and orchards for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins and more. Chelan fresh washington state cherries cherry varieties. Ripened on the tree, cherries are generally harvested, packed and on the shelf of your favorite retailer within 2 days. Growers werent sure what to make of the shortfall out of california this season. Were expecting a great crop, hitting nearly 20 million boxes, and look.
When you think rainier geographically, your mind should go straight to that pacific state. Washington, california, and oregon are the primary sweet cherry producing states, accounting for more than 95 percent of the quantity produced nationwide nass 2018 cherry report. Developed in 1952 at washington state university, the rainier cherry is a cross between the bing and the van. Washington state grows more sweet cherries than any other state. It is a cross between the popular bing cherry and the van cherry. Washington state crop harvest calendar when fruit and. New high quality cherry varieties, particularly the selffruitful introductions, combined with the availability of dwarfing rootstocks such as gisela 5, and innovations in training systems, have led to great advances in cherry culture for both home growers and orchardists in recent years. Washington state apple, cherry industries wary of trade. Cherry harvest is underway in washington state with what growers think could be a stellar year as california winds down a disappointing. The 2018 season ended as one of the best on record with some of the best quality and flavor in nearly 30 years and the 2019 crop looks to be a repeat of 2018. Washington, california, and oregon are the primary. Northwest horticultural council pacific northwest sweet cherries cherry fact sheet 2018 sweet cherry production volume.
They are sweet with a thin skin and thick creamyyellow flesh. Growing cherries of any variety is a fickle business. Experts at washingtons premiere cherry grower, rainier fruit, say their cherries will be available midjune with volume building quickly. The northwest cherry season lasts from the first week of june until the end of august. Mark stennes a grower for chelan fresh talks about the process of picking cherries. With a creamy yellow flesh, this delicate cherry is at its very best when eaten fresh. Washington state is known worldwide for large commercial crops of apples and. We grow these yellow mediumsized cherries for the commercial market. White gold, recently introduced from cornell, is a selffertile variety that needs no pollinator. Cherry hill orchard and market is your go to stop for you pick cherries, peaches, raspberries, apricots and more located in spokane, wa. Washington state cherry harvest avoids anticipated delay washington state cherry growers avoid significant weather damage and anticipated delay to harvest season.
Cherry harvest is going strong in north central washington. Listed by product name, this guide outlines the months that each fruit or vegetable is typically grown and harvested from farms throughout the pacific northwest. The washington state fruit commission is a nonprofit organization that provides grower education, research, and promotional support of stone fruit across the united states and foreign countries. Fogle of washington state university in prosser, washington. Monthbymonth upick crops around puget sound greater seattle. Welcome to the home of world famous northwest cherries. Cherry season peaks in july with the sweet morsels gracing grocery store shelves across the u. The washington state fruit commission northwest cherry growers is a state agency promotion office. Round 2 of uw cherry blossom season is underway uw news. Well visit the oldest rainier cherry orchard in the world and see how they. Cherries have the shortest period between flower blossom and harvest of any tree fruit 6075 days. Washington is the nations foremost producer of sweet cherries, with oregon and california following it. I am lucky because my home state of michigan is the number 1 tart cherry grower in the united states. The citys annual cherry blossom season is just about in full bloom, with experts predicting the peak to occur between march 20 and april, culminating with the national cherry blossom festival.
Sour, or tart cherries have a much shorter growing season, and can be found for a week or two, usually during the middle of june in warmer areas. Cherry season which typically runs from june 15 to aug. Washington is the largest supplier of cherries in the united states, and exports them to places like china, korea, australia, brazil and japan. Developed in washington state, these cherries have a sweet and delicate flavor. Ap cherry and apple growers in washington state are worried their exports to china will be hurt by a growing trade war that escalated monday when that country raised import. Tart cherry season runs from early july to early august. The california cherry commission estimated that the states cherry crop will be down significantly from last. Northwest cherry growers is working on several cherry. Lifes a bowl of cherries and we see just how sweet that is in this episode. Virtual and driving tours to see cherry blossom trees in. Rainier cherries love to grow big and are aptly named by the highest mountain peak in washington state, mount rainier. Opportunities to improve sweet cherry production efficiency, m. Parking cherry blossom viewers should park in lot e1 and follow the signs to walk to the quad.
In 1952, washington state university researcher harold fogel crossed bing and van cherries to produce the nowloved rainier cherry. You can pick local crops to enjoy during the growing season, as well as. Types of cherries grown in northern michigan king orchards. Northwest cherry growers include 2,500 growers across wa, or, id, ut and mt. Today, washington state is the top producer of sweet cherries in the country. Rainier cherries have a distinctive appearance among sweet cherry varieties. The rainier cherry, named after washington states famous volcanic peak, was created in 1972 by crossbreeding the bing and van varieties.