Sweet Cherry in Zone 5a & 5b
Prunus avium
Yes, sweet cherry grows in zones 5a and 5b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Apr 26–May 3.
When to plant sweet cherry in zone 5b
Zones 5a and 5b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Apr 26–May 3 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest in year 5 |
Spacing: about 50 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 16-20 ft.
Before you plant: Sweet cherry has a winter-hardiness note for zone 5b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 5b
These go outside within two weeks of sweet cherry in zone 5b, so one planting day can cover them.
- AppleApr 26–May 3
- ApricotApr 26–May 3
- Aronia (Black Chokeberry)Apr 26–May 3
- ElderberryApr 26–May 3
- Goji BerryApr 26–May 3
- Honeyberry (Haskap)Apr 26–May 3
Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is the fresh-eating cherry, distinct from tart cherry, a separate species covered in its own profile and grown mostly for baking rather than fresh eating. Most sweet cherry varieties need a second, compatible variety nearby to fruit.
How sweet cherry fits zone 5's season
Zone 5b's frost-free window runs about 148 days, from May 10 to October 5. Sweet cherry takes about 4 growing seasons to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Sweet cherry is hardy in zones 5-8, so in zone 5b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 18 ft of spread at maturity.
Sweet Cherry planting windows in every zone
Zone 5b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5a & 5b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Apr 26–May 3 | First real harvest in year 5 |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Apr 11–Apr 18 | First real harvest in year 5 |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 27–Apr 3 | First real harvest in year 5 |
| 8a & 8b | Buy as a start | Mar 11–Mar 18 | First real harvest in year 5 |
Good companions
No well-established companions for sweet cherry.
Where to buy sweet cherry starts
Sweet cherry is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing sweet cherry" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Sweet Cherry in USDA zone 5b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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