A fruit born to endure extreme frost and win over the palates of pie cherry lovers. The “FE” pie cherry is the latest addition to the patented varieties (pending approval) from HoneyberryUSA, a U.S. company specializing in cold-hardy berries. This new soft-fleshed cherry is now available at the company’s headquarters in Bagley, Minnesota.
The “FE” is much more than a new commercial variety: it is the result of over 60 years of observation, passion, and natural selection that began in the garden of Francis Elizabeth McCartney, fondly remembered as "Momma McCartney." In the 1960s, in Great Falls, Montana, she planted a grafted North Star cherry tree. When the grafted part began to decline, she let natural suckers grow, which over time proved to produce fruit with darker flesh and even richer flavor.
In the 1990s, new specimens were planted in Bozeman, also in Montana, where they showed further adaptability and organoleptic quality. But it was in 2014 that an industry expert, a family friend, recognized in those trees a unique potential, calling them the “King of Cherries” and encouraging the propagation of the variety.
The result of this long journey is now the “FE” (an acronym honoring Francis Elizabeth), a Prunus cerasus suited to extreme climates, able to withstand temperatures below -45 °C (-49 °F). The tree grows to 2.5–3.5 meters (8–11.5 ft) in height and can exceed 8 meters (26 ft) in width.
Its cherries weigh between 4 and 5 grams, with a Brix level ranging from 17 to 21, ideal for those seeking a perfect sweet-tart balance for pies, fresh eating, or winemaking. The flesh has an unusual yellow-pink color that darkens with processing or freezing, while the skin and juice are bright red.
HoneyberryUSA, based in Bagley, is known for cultivating and distributing fruits suited to USDA Zone 3, such as haskap, currants, saskatoon, hardy kiwis, and seaberries. Each summer, it also opens its gates to the public with its U-Pick Farm.
With the “FE” cherry, the company expands its offering and provides an interesting opportunity even for European growers seeking hardy varieties suitable for cold climates. An innovation that could also find space in the Italian processing cherry market, still searching for high-performing varieties in mountainous or inland areas.
Source text and image: bemidjipioneer.com
02 Jun 2025
A study on postharvest treatments with calcium and silicon reveals how to improve firmness, color and acidity of Bing cherries grown in Mexico. The results show reduced weight loss and enhanced commercial and sensory quality of the fruit during cold storage.
22 May 2024
As the main supplier in the southern hemisphere. today Chile has planted about 73 thousand hectares. The growth is projected to mean that in the coming years about 5,000 hectares could be planted per year, considering a near horizon of 100 thousand hectares planted before 2030.
07 Jul 2026
Dormancy, winter chill, cultivar and rootstock choice, pollination and climate-risk management shape sweet cherry yield and quality in Spain, from the Jerte Valley to Zaragoza, across high-value fresh-market orchards facing frost, heat, rain, cracking and yield risk.
07 Jul 2026
A Moldova study shows that pruning Kordia sweet cherry on MaxMa 14 after harvest or in early autumn improves canopy balance, flower bud density, fruiting spurs and yield, reaching average production of 19.8 kg per tree and giving growers guidance for modern orchards
