When Does a Lapins Cherry Ripen?

Virginia: Zones 6 and 7

• Virginia's temperate climate lies within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 and 7. Summer weather normally arrives early in Virginia, with late-May temperatures in the 70s and 80s and June temperatures in the 80s and 90s. Lapins cherries typically ripen in mid-June in Virginia. In Blacksburg, in the western zone 6 mountains of Virginia, Lapins usually ripens between June 10 and June 25, which is the middle to end of the season there for dark sweet cherries.

Massachusetts: Zones 5 and 6

• Lying within USDA zones 5 and 6, Massachusetts has four distinct seasons. Weather in the spring is often cold and damp, but summers are warm and sunny. In 2010, after a cold spring, Lapins cherries ripened beginning on June 21 in Amherst, site of the University of Massachusetts Center for Agriculture. This puts Lapins ripening in the middle to end of the dark sweet cherry season.

Missouri: Zones 5 and 6

• Like Virginia, Missouri also lies within USDA zones 5 and 6. However, sweet cherry varieties such as Lapins are marginal in Missouri, often suffering blossom damage from late frosts. In southeast and east central Missouri, Lapins ripens in early summer.

Oregon: Zones 6 Through 8

• Cherries are an important cash crop in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Oregon. Despite the moderate winter temperatures, cherries ripen later there than in other parts of the country because of the cool spring and summer weather. Cherry-picking season in Oregon runs from the beginning of July into August, with Lapins ripening in mid-July, toward the end of the season for dark sweet cherries.

The Bottom Line

• The ripening date for Lapins cherries varies, depending on your location. In the central Midwest, harvest time is early June. In the Mid-Atlantic, Lapins ripens in mid-June. In the Northeast, you can expect ripe fruit in late June. And in the Pacific Northwest, you'll have to wait until mid-July to pick your Lapins cherries.