Summit

‘Summit’ is a Canadian variety renowned for the spectacular size and attractive heart shape of its cherries.

The fruit is large to exceptionally large and can exceed 30 mm when the tree’s crop load is properly managed. It has a characteristic heart shape and glossy skin that turns dark red when fully ripe.

The pale-red flesh is fleshy, moderately firm and juicy. Its flavour is richly sweet, balanced by a pleasant acidity, with excellent eating quality when the fruit is picked fully ripe. ‘Summit’ is mainly intended for eating fresh and for local markets, as its large fruit must be handled carefully.

Harvest generally takes place from the first to the second half of June, approximately two to three weeks after ‘Burlat’. In cooler regions, it may continue until the end of the month.

The tree is very vigorous, upright and relatively sparsely branched. It begins cropping fairly quickly, and yields can range from moderate to very heavy, provided that it receives sufficient winter chilling and good pollination. Long, moderate pruning is preferable, as severe pruning may lead to irregular cropping.

The fruit is susceptible to cracking at the beginning of colouring, but becomes less vulnerable as it approaches full maturity. The variety is also highly susceptible to brown rot on both blossom and fruit.

‘Summit’ is self-sterile and has the incompatibility genotype S1S2. Suitable pollinators include ‘Sunburst’, ‘Regina’, ‘Skeena’, ‘Rubin’, ‘Fermina’ and ‘Ferdiva’. It is incompatible with other S1S2 varieties.