Montmorency Cherry

The 'Montmorency' Cherry is a form of the old European Kentish cherry commonly grown in nineteenth-century American gardens. At Monticello, cherries were the third most common fruit tree following apples and peaches, and in 1811 Jefferson's South Orchard contained forty-eight cherry trees. One of the most remarkable archaeological finds at Monticello occurred in 1981 when four wine bottles filled with preserved cherries were uncovered in a kitchen yard dry well. 'Montmorency' shows snow-white flowers in spring and produces large, juicy, tart, bright red fruits in late spring through early summer. Its acidic flavor makes it an excellent cooking cherry.