Tart Cherry in Zone 5a & 5b
Prunus cerasus
Yes, tart cherry grows in zones 5a and 5b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Apr 26–May 3.
When to plant tart 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 4 |
Spacing: about 50 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 12-16 ft.
Before you plant: Tart 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 tart 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
Tart cherry (Prunus cerasus), also called sour or pie cherry, is a separate species from sweet cherry and a distinctly different growing experience: self-fertile, more cold-hardy, and more compact, grown almost entirely for cooking rather than fresh eating since the fruit is tart straight off the tree.
How tart cherry fits zone 5's season
Zone 5b's frost-free window runs about 148 days, from May 10 to October 5. Tart cherry takes about 3 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.
Tart cherry is hardy in zones 4-8, so in zone 5b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 15 ft of spread at maturity.
Tart 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4a & 4b | Buy as a start | May 1–May 8 | First real harvest in year 4 |
| 5a & 5b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Apr 26–May 3 | First real harvest in year 4 |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Apr 11–Apr 18 | First real harvest in year 4 |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 27–Apr 3 | First real harvest in year 4 |
| 8a & 8b | Buy as a start | Mar 11–Mar 18 | First real harvest in year 4 |
Good companions
No well-established companions for tart cherry.
Where to buy tart cherry starts
Tart 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 tart cherry" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Tart Cherry in USDA zone 5b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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