Bing
California’s major fresh-market cherry variety is the Bing. It is well known as a large, dark red cherry with superb flavor and firm, juicy flesh. It is described as sweet, acidic with excellent flavor, juicy, firm and crunchy. Bing cherries mature mid-season. It is the predominant variety available from California for the majority of the month of May and into early June.
Brooks
The Brooks variety was developed by the University of California. It is a large, firm red cherry that tolerates hot climates. The Brooks variety is sweet, rich and well balanced with a firmness close to that of the Bing. Brooks ripens ahead of Bing and is available in the early weeks of California cherry harvest which begins in mid-April.
Chelan
The medium-sized Chelan™ cherry is tasty when picked at its best tart flavor. Ripening 11 to 14 days ahead of Bing, Chelan™ is firm and attractive with mahogany red skin and medium to dark red flesh. It has a mild, sweet flavor and is firm. (U.S. Plant Patent No. 8545)
Coral
Coral is a low-acid cherry with glossy dark flesh and very sweet flavor that is similar to Bing. Maturing in early midseason 5 days after Chelan, this export-quality fruit is firm and large to very large.
Rainier
Rainier is a large, yellow cherry with a red blush and light yellow flesh. Exquisitely flavored with high sugar levels, this is a premium niche variety that ripens just after Bing.
Tulare
Tulare is a large, dark red, early season variety with good flavor that ripens 8 to 9 days ahead of Bing, but may not be as firm as Bing. It is predominantly available in the early cherry season in California which begins in mid-April.