Autumn 2024 planting seasonPre-order now for EU delivery December 2024 - March 2025

Early Rivers cherry trees

Prunus avium
Early Rivers is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Very early
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

Early Rivers is a traditional English dark red cherry variety, raised by the famous Rivers Nursery in Hertfordshire in the 1860s.

The flavour is very good, and this is one of the earliest cherries available - ripening in early June in the south of England.

Bio / Organic  fruit trees

Early Rivers organic cherry trees for sale

  • 11 yeartree on Gisela 5 rootstock25.00€
    Medium tree (2m-3.5m after 10 years) Bare-root
  • 21 yeartree on Gisela 6 rootstock25.00€
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years) Bare-root
    Sold-out
  • 31 yeartree on Mazzard Alkavo rootstock23.25€
    Very large tree (5m-6m+ after 10 years) Bare-root
    Sold-out
  • 4Half-standard (2 years)tree on Gisela 6 rootstock34.00€
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years) Bare-root
    Collection only - contact us
EU delivery countries
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
Delivery chargesClick here to view estimated delivery charges. We can deliver to most countries in the EU. However our 2-year trees and some pot-grown trees are too big or unsuitable for mail-order and are only available for collection direct from the nursery. Please contact us if you wish to order.

Growing and Training

Early Rivers is a useful variety because it is very early ripening. However it flowers early and needs another compatible early-flowering variety to pollinate it.


Early Rivers characteristics

  • Gardening skillExperienced - Fairly straightforward as long as you have another early-flowering pollinator.
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group1
  • Picking seasonVery early
  • Season of use1-3 days
  • Food usesEating fresh
  • Summer average maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Fruit colourRed - dark

Similar varieties

  • Blanc Nez
    A bigarreau -type white cherry from northern France.
  • See also Lapins
    Lapins
    An excellent modern sweet cherry. Easy to grow, with heavy crops of good-flavoured cherries.
  • See also Regina
    Regina
    Regina is a new late-season sweet black cherry, with a good flavour and resistance to splitting.
  • Verchocq
    Verchocq is a traditional white cherry, maturing in early July.