Carmine Jewel Cherry vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Carmine Jewel Cherry vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus x kerrasis Carmine Jewel

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Carmine Jewel Cherry
Opata Cherry Plum

Carmine Jewel Cherry is a hardy deciduous shrub and hybrid variety of the University of Saskatchewan Sour Cherry. It produces dark, black cherries with small pits that are good for pies and wine making. The hardiest of the dwarf sour cherry varieties, Carmine Jewel Cherry is a beautiful accent or landscape/orchard tree.

Carmine Jewel is often the first cherry ready in the summer.

Opata Cherry Plum is considered to be one of the best tasting Cherry Plum varieties. It has a pleasant, sweet flavour and a hint of acidity. They ripen in mid to late August and are well suited to fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

The fruit is closer to a plum than a cherry but is smaller than most plums.The Opata Cherry Plum’s skin is red/green whereas the flesh is yellow-green. The flesh is freestone with a juicy, firm texture. Similar to other stone fruits, it does not store for very long.

The Opata Cherry Plum is a hybrid between a Western Sand Cherry and a Japanese (Chinese) Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

Carmine Jewel Cherry Quick Facts

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $16.99 - SAVE UP TO 23%
Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 2.0 m (7 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: orange
Berries: large dark purple cherries
Fruit size: 3.5g
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Flavor: tart - best for pies and jams
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Harvest: late July to early August
Harvest: mid to late August
Flowers: white
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium




Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry