Pink Candles Nanking Cherry vs Porthos Cherry - TreeTime.ca

Pink Candles Nanking Cherry vs Porthos Cherry

Prunus cerasus Porthos

Prunus tomentosa Pink Candles

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Porthos Cherry
Pink Candles Nanking Cherry

Porthos Cherry is a cold-hardy dwarf sour cherry that features white spring flowers followed by large, dark red fruit in mid-to-late summer. Among sour cherries, Porthos is exceptionally sweet with well-balanced acidity. These cherries are ideal for fresh eating, freezing, baking, winemaking, and preserves.

Porthos Cherry was developed by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program as part of the Musketeer series and released in 2022. They recommended growing dwarf sour cherries as a shrub rather than a small tree. The shrub form tends to bear fruit earlier and is less susceptible to winterkill.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting with additional varieties for cross-pollination can increase yields.

The Pink Candles Nanking Cherry is a small deciduous cultivar of the Nanking Cherry with attractive pink flowers that then form edible fruit. The flowers emerge close to the branches resembling a pink candle, giving this cultivar its name. The berries are scarlet in colour with a sweet and slightly tart flavor. It fruits mid to late July, and the fruit size and flavor can vary greatly.

The Pink Candles Nanking Cherry is a good choice for use in hedges. It is closely related to plum trees so it can pollinate certain plum species.
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Porthos Cherry Quick Facts

Pink Candles Nanking Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: semi upright, compact
Spreading: suckering - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: white
Bloom time: mid to late spring
Fruit: deep red
Berries: small
Flavor: sweet with balanced acidity
Flavor: sweet, tart
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: porthos sour cherry