I like the fruits, as does one of my four kids - but everyone else I've offered them to declined to try them again - or anything else 'different' that I bring in for folks to try. Seems most place it in the 'cranberry-flavored cardboard' category. Certainly tart and somewhat astringent when still firm, but if you wait until they're very dark red(for the red varieties) and beginning to shrivel a little, they're quite tasty. If nothing else, they make a nice ornamental - first thing to bloom here in the spring; there are three nice ones, probably 15 ft tall, in a municipal park that are covered in the tiny little yellow flowers in late Feb/early March; look not too much unlike large Forsythia bushes. I have a hard time beating the birds to the fruits.

A Bing cherry tree growing in southern California will do reasonably well the first several years, just enough to get your hopes up. After that, it will start dwindling away, more & more each year. And will eventually look so sad you'll remove it. If you want a tree that will grow and produce cherries, ask at your nearest independent garden center which cherry will do well where you live. Several will. But only if you obtain the correct kind. Ask when it/they will be available. (In SoCal, bareroot tree fruits are generally available during Jan. & Feb; sometimes in Dec.) As for the flowering cherries and other trees that require substantial amounts of chill -- total hours between 32 and 45 during Dec, Jan & Feb, but subtracting all hours above 65F -- will grow but will bloom erratically & will leaf out erratically. So save yourself a lot of grief and grow "low-chill" fruit tree(s) suited to your region. The large garden centers know which ones they are. But you need to ask. One big problem: Just because a garden center in your region sells a specific fruit tree doesn't mean it will thrive there. Jean, who gardened in Long Beach, CA, for 30-some years.

Jennifer, There are many factors that I would consider in choosing varieties of pears or cherries. The rootstock as well as the scion variety should be considered. Factors like amount of pruning needed (and your pruning skill), disease resistance (and possibly pest resistance), planting location (dry or wet area, windy or protected area, etc), productivity (how much fruit you would like from each tree), usage (fresh eating, cooking, storage, etc), pollination requirements (generally you'll need at least two compatible varieties to pollinate each other), and taste are but a few of the factors that usually go into consideration when choosing a variety. The reasons that so many varieties exist is that different choices are best for different situations and different preferences. There really are not perfect choices, and what's right for you, may not be what others have chosen. When I picked out my trees, I concentrated first on disease resistance. After choosing possibilities that would be more likely to avoid some of the most common disease and problems, I narrowed the choices down from there. The primary disease associated with pears is fireblight. I would strongly urge you to ensure that the varieties you choose are resistant to that disease. Other common diseases/problems that affect pears include pear decline, leaf spot, cedar-apple rust (don't let the name fool you), scab, black rot, and bitter rot. For a more complete list, take a look at this list of pear diseases: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pear_diseases Prunus (the genus that contains cherries) is a fairly disease-prone genus. Sweet cherries are even more prone to problems than sour cherries are. Bacterial blight/canker and rain cracking are among the most common cherry issues. For a more complete list, take a look at this list of cherry diseases: http://www.apsnet.org/online/common/comment/cherry.asp I will try to write more later. This is just a fraction of the tip of the iceberg. But before I go to bed, I'll give you a few varieties (there are many many more) that you might consider based on disease resistance / common-problem avoidance: (European) Pears: Magness Moonglow Potomac Seckel Warren Semi-dwarfing & Full-size Pear Rootstock (hopefully, more on this later): OHF87 betulifolia OHF333 Sweet Cherries: Black Gold Black York Regina Sam Sour Cherries: Montmorency Northstar Surefire Semi-dwarfing & Full-size Cherry Rootstock (hopefully, more on this later): Mahaleb Mazzard

Don't count on anything that you buy from a Lowes, HD, WalMart or even local nurseries to automatically do well in your zone. Check them out on the internet first. Businesses that sell plants are in business to make money. Even many nurseries will sell you plants that are not suited to the local climate. If they are responsible nurseries they will tell you that the plant you are buying will be an annual in your zone, meaning it's going to die come winter. Cheryl