I�m located in a commercial cherry growing area. Standard rootstock is Gisela5 a dwarfing (theoretical on paper) with a low yield frost damage or pollination problems some trees grow like crazy. First of all during the young stage the first two years training the branches down. Growth restriction even on Gisela5 is done by pruning after harvest, a second cut is done by root pruning in the next early spring. At a depth of 16 inch on one side of the tree and 23 inch away from the trunk heel the roots. This technique is only applicable if you can watering the soil. Depending your rainfall, soil quality and weed grass vegetation. I know half of the root tearing away sounds rigorous but on this way you can keep your trees 7- 8 ft tall. High density apples, cherries and pear orchards root pruning is a recommendation. This technique is also suitable for a single tree, especially in a postage stamp garden.

On My wish list is a Japanese persimmon called Hana Gosho. Its fruit if the store rarely has it. It sells at $7 per pound. As for Cherry you may look at Black Tarkanian. I have one and I very happy with it. It is self pollinating but it can pollinate other cherry trees.

Yes, both are delicious if properly grown. As far as messy, I'd say it falls in the minor to very minor category, especially for a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree. The biggest issues in terms of the mess will be if you don't cover them and birds get into them, or you have a bad spell of really wet, cool to warm, and humid weather and you don't spray and get an outbreak of brown rot. In those cases, you will end up with a lot of rotting fruit on the ground, but still not up the level of mess made by, say, a mulberry or many types of ornamental crabapples.

Lapins, Stella, Black Gold... Be prepared for possible early spring frost/freeze problems (they like to bloom early) and fruit that splits (too much rain around ripening time). Animals also love them, as do insects. I've got several on Gisela 5(i think) and they are roughly 7ft tall with no pruning after 3 years. You don't really say if you want sweet or sour. Some of the sour are on the sweet side of things... although i don't think they can compare to the sweets quite yet.