Danube Cherry

Prunus cerasus x avium ‘Danube’

Danube is a Hungarian sweet-tart, morello-style cherry hybrid, known in its homeland as Erdi Bötermö. A favorite in Hungary for its sweeter flavor, Danube is equally good for pie making and fresh eating, an uncommon feature in tart cherry varieties. Introduced to the United States through University of Michigan, this fruit produces deep, wine-red juice.

Danube is partially self fertile and reaches its full potential with pollinizer, which should be chosen with care since Danube is a very early bloomer for a sweet cherry, with Almaden Duke as a pollinizer, or very late for a sweet cherry- Morello is a good choice.

It is self fertile and productive and ripens in early July. On Gisela 5 rootstock.

Gisela 5 is a dwarfing rootstock, 50% of standard size, that induces heavy early fruit production. Trees can be maintained at 10 to 12 feet tall. Gisela 5 is more forgiving of shallow soils and a better choice than the even more dwarfing Gisela 3 for people with enough room for this somewhat larger tree.

Cold Hardy to USDA Zone: 4

Mature Height: 12′ (Dwarf)

Sun: Full Sun

Ripening Time: July

Pollination: Partially Self-Fertile

Read our Cherry Growing Guide