I have a Stella sweet cherry in my backyard (50 x 130 feet). I would love to plant a dwarf serviceberry Pumila but wondered if it would cause a detrimental cross pollination problem with Stella. Thanks for opportunity to ask this question!
I live near Sarnia, ON and can’t get an answer around here.
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners with your question about ‘Stella’ sweet cherry (Prunus avium ‘Stella’) cross-pollination with Serviceberry pumila (Amelanchier alnifolia var. pumila). Although both the Stella cherry tree and the dwarf serviceberry are in the same plant family (Rosaceae), they are each of a different genus (Cherry – Prunus and Serviceberry – Amelanchier) and therefore will not cross-pollinate with one another. Most cherry trees require pollination from another cherry variety to produce fruit. These trees are called “self-unfruitful”. The ‘Stella’ variety is one of several that are “self-fruitful”, meaning they can pollinate themselves. They may also be pollinated by other cherry trees. If you are interested in reading more you can find information here sweet-cherry pollination
May 5, 2021