jwm: Yes, Rainier is a Bing/Van cross, but that genetic change resulted in a cultivar that will pollinate Bing. Starkrimson is called Lapins by everyone but Stark Bros., and will undoubtedly supply some pollen too. I hope you are able to raise these large crisp cherries in Alabama without cracking. They are sure hard to raise here in N. Virginia, with its combination of heat and humidity during the ripening period. Lapins is softer and should be easier. Sweet cherries seem to be a delicate task just about anywhere they are raised. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

aerialz: I see by one of your companion posts that you seem to be located in LA, which I take to be Louisiana. Bayou country. If you can successfully raise Bing and Black Tartarian cherries in that climate, they should be called miracle fruit. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Didn't want Chills excellent logic to get lost in the drain cycle here. If you get a self-fruitful sweet cherry, you can't lose. It's like type O Blood. A universal donor. It will pollenize whatever you've got planted and itself, too, provided that the bloom times generally overlap. For the east coast, where sweet cherries are challenging anyway because of the summer humidity which causes cracking and other disease issues, there has been the suggestion that Lapins is a good choice (I'm in the high desert, so I'm only repeating what others have said.) For the record, on those occasions when Jellyman has childed me for something or other, my reaction is to feel kind of honored. Few are more knowledgable--not to mention, generous with their expertise--than Don and I am grateful for his participation here, curmudgeonliness (sp?) and all. Don

The answer is no! Mango trees don't need cross pollination. That being said, I've seen bees, flies and other insects pollinating my flowers. Mine are still very young, and the freeze we had in Jan killed all my blooms...almost killed my trees too. Except my container Glenn, I have a few tiny(pea) size fruits on that one. How old is your Carrie and do you grow it in a Container or in ground? Sometimes age has a lot to do with how many fruits they have. The older/mature it gets, the more fruits you should start getting. Here's a few info on Carrie Mango...according to this website Here is a link that might be useful: Carrie Mango