Black Tartarian

Black Tartarian (originally Ronald's Large Black Heart) is an heirloom cultivar of cherry. It was brought from Circassia to England in the 1700s by a man named Hugh Ronalds, and from England it was brought to the United States in the 1800s.^[1]

Black Tartarian cherry
Image of Black Tartarian cherries, from the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Genus	Prunus
Species	Prunus avium
Cultivar	'Black Tartarian'
Origin	Circassia, pre-1700s

The fruit of the Black Tartarian is about one inch in diameter, with a unique taste and texture, but too soft for commercial shipping.^[2] It is primarily grown as a pollinizer for other cherry varieties.^[3]

Plant facts

The Black Tartarian cultivar is best suited for USDA Zones 5–7. It is a very vigorous, heavy-bearing variety, but is primarily used as a pollenizer for other dark, sweet varieties of cherry.^[1]