Significance

• Diseases can greatly affect the appearance or health of a sour cherry tree. Some diseases, such as cherry leaf spot, affect only the tree's aesthetic value. Others, such as brown rot and black knot disease, destroy the fruit, greatly weaken and even kill cherry trees. Planting disease-resistant varieties is the best way to ensure that sour cherry trees remain healthy and vibrant.
  
  

Considerations

• Black knot disease and other diseases remain in check where winter temperatures are cold enough to stop their progress and spread. For this reason, most sour cherry trees that are cold hardy also are disease resistant.
  
  

Types

• Northstar is a dwarf variety of sour cherry that grows to only 10 feet tall. It is very cold hardy and disease resistant. Meteor is similar to Northstar but grows to a height of 15 feet. Montmorency is considered the standard in sour cherry varieties, according to Cornell University. This very hardy tree produces a lot of healthy cherries if cared for properly.