How Big Does a Minnie Royal Cherry Tree Grow?

Size

• When mature, a Minnie Royal sweet cherry tree attains a height of 25 to 30 feet tall and 12 feet wide. It is considered a medium to large-sized cherry tree, and grows to a size too large for the average backyard garden setting. Through annual pruning each summer, Minnie Royal may be maintained at a height of 8 to 15 feet. This allows for easier picking of fruits from a ladder as well as better access to branches to correct wounds or address disease or pest issues.

Rootstock Effects

• Minnie Royal trees are propagated by cuttings to preserve the genetic qualities in new generations of trees. These cuttings are grafted onto various cherry tree rootstocks, such as Viking, Mahaleb, Mazzard or Citation. Each rootstock improves an aspect to the Minnie Royal portion of the grafted plant. Improvement include resistance to nematodes, improved tolerances to wet soils, increased growth vigor or production of larger sized cherry fruits. The rootstock Mahaleb is known to cause slight dwarfing in the Minnie Royal and other sweet cherry tree varieties. Growth and mature size varies on Minnie Royal trees grafted on different rootstocks, and how well that root system grows in the climate and soils of that landscape. Rootstock Colt causes 70 to 80 percent dwarfing if the cherry tree is grown in clay soils.

Growth Characteristics

• The natural silhouette of the Minnie Royal sweet cherry tree is vigorous but upright. A full-sun garden site in any deep, fertile but moist, well-drained soil promotes the best growth of sweet cherries. Stunted or slower growth results in infertile soils or those that are overly wet and slow to drain, increasing chances for root rot and other diseases. Inadequate light can lead to plant stress, making aphids, scale and mites more problematic, often causing leaf curling or stunted tip growth.

About the Fruits

• Minnie Royal cherry tree is a worthwhile orchard companion tree to Royal Lee cherry trees, as they act as cross-pollinators for each other. Minnie Royal cherries ripen a glossy velvet red to deep red, about 10 days earlier in the season compared to standard Bing variety. Minnie Royal fruit's flesh is sweet, flavorful, juicy but firm.