Sam

‘Sam’ is a Canadian variety selected at the Summerland Experimental Station in British Columbia and released in the early 1950s.

The medium to large fruit is rounded to slightly conical or heart-shaped. Its glossy skin turns dark red to almost black when fully ripe. The stalk is fairly long and the stone medium-sized.

The dark-red flesh is firm, fleshy and has a good texture. Its flavour is mild and pleasantly sweet, although the fruit should be left on the tree long enough to develop its full eating quality. It is suitable both for eating fresh and for preserves, jams and cooking.

Harvest generally takes place during the first half of July. The fruit has good resistance to rain cracking and is also relatively resistant to rotting under normal growing conditions, although its tendency to form tight clusters may encourage brown rot when the cherries remain wet.

The tree is vigorous and hardy, with a semi-upright habit and a strong framework. It is productive and carries abundant crops distributed throughout the crown. Its fairly late flowering may sometimes allow it to escape the last spring frosts.

‘Sam’ is self-sterile and has the incompatibility genotype S2S4. Nevertheless, it is a good pollinator for many other varieties. Suitable partners include ‘Star’, ‘Annabella’, ‘Castor’ and ‘Bigarreau Ghijssens’.