Van

‘Van’ is a Canadian variety selected at the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia and has become a leading variety thanks to its productivity and the firmness of its fruit.

The medium to large cherry, depending on the crop load, is kidney-shaped to slightly heart-shaped. Its glossy skin turns very dark red to almost black when fully ripe. Its very short stalk can make picking slightly difficult.

The dark-red flesh is firm, fleshy and crisp, with coloured juice. Its flavour is well balanced, richly sweet and slightly acidic, with a pleasant aroma. The fruit is excellent for eating fresh and is also suitable for tarts, clafoutis, jams, preserves and cooking.

Harvest generally takes place during the second half of June and may continue into early July in cooler regions. The fruit has good firmness but is highly susceptible to cracking when rain occurs between the beginning of colouring and harvest.

The tree is moderately to strongly vigorous, semi-upright and well branched. It begins cropping very quickly and produces exceptionally heavy, generally regular crops. However, it tends to bear fruit in dense clusters and can easily become overloaded, resulting in smaller cherries. Regular pruning and careful crop-load management are therefore recommended.

‘Van’ is self-sterile and has the incompatibility genotype S1S3. It must be planted with a compatible variety flowering at the same time, such as ‘Burlat’, ‘Sam’, ‘Stella’, ‘Lapins’ or ‘Sweetheart’. It is incompatible with other S1S3 varieties, including ‘Samba’ and ‘Satin’.