Where can I grow cherry (Low-chill sweet)?

Prunus avium / P. cerasus · Fruit · Perennial

Cherry (Low-chill sweet) is a great fit (80+) on 2.3 million sq mi of land in 52 countries, 44% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Cordoba, Argentina and Yunnan, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (61%) and too much winter chill: blooms early into frost (20%).Cherry (Low-chill sweet) is a great fit (80+) on 5.9 million km² of land in 52 countries, 44% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Cordoba, Argentina and Yunnan, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (61%) and too much winter chill: blooms early into frost (20%).

Great fit (80+): 2.3M sq mi5.9M km²; 4% of land
Worth a try (50–79): 1.1M sq mi3.0M km²; 2% of land
Great fit without irrigation: 1.4M sq mi3.6M km²; Rain alone is enough
Countries: 52; With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

1
🇺🇸Texas, United States
Great fit on 114k sq mi295k km² · worth a try on 30k sq mi77k km²
For example Kerrville (100), Georgetown (98)
2
🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina
Great fit on 44k sq mi115k km² · worth a try on 2,800 sq mi7,300 km²
For example Córdoba (100), Villa María (100)
3
🇨🇳Yunnan, China
Great fit on 44k sq mi113k km² · worth a try on 9,500 sq mi25k km²
For example Kunming (100), Baoshan (100)
4
🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina
Great fit on 43k sq mi111k km² · worth a try on 11k sq mi29k km²
For example San Nicolás de los Arroyos (100), Chivilcoy (100)
5
🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia
Great fit on 42k sq mi108k km² · worth a try on 7,100 sq mi18k km²
For example Tamworth (100), Dubbo (100)
6
🇺🇸Georgia, United States
Great fit on 37k sq mi96k km² · worth a try on 8,100 sq mi21k km²
For example Augusta (98), Dublin (98)
7
🇿🇦Free State, South Africa
Great fit on 35k sq mi91k km² · worth a try on 1,600 sq mi4,100 km²
For example Botshabelo (100), Virginia (100)
8
🇺🇸California, United States
Great fit on 30k sq mi78k km² · worth a try on 29k sq mi74k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Oakland (100), San Luis Obispo (100)
9
🇨🇳Fujian, China
Great fit on 28k sq mi73k km² · worth a try on 14k sq mi37k km²
For example Tantou (95), Fuqing (91)
10
🇿🇦Western Cape, South Africa
Great fit on 27k sq mi71k km² · worth a try on 6,800 sq mi18k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Stellenbosch (100), Atlantis (100)
11
🇨🇳Guangxi, China
Great fit on 27k sq mi70k km² · worth a try on 13k sq mi34k km²
For example Hezhou (92), Hechi (92)
12
🇿🇦Eastern Cape, South Africa
Great fit on 24k sq mi63k km² · worth a try on 9,400 sq mi24k km²
For example Queenstown (100), Aliwal North (100)
13
🇲🇽Chihuahua, Mexico
Great fit on 24k sq mi61k km² · worth a try on 12k sq mi30k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Cuauhtémoc (100), Nuevo Casas Grandes (100)
14
🇦🇷Santa Fe, Argentina
Great fit on 21k sq mi55k km² · worth a try on 3,600 sq mi9,300 km²
For example Rosario (100), Rafaela (100)
15
🇦🇺Western Australia, Australia
Great fit on 21k sq mi55k km² · worth a try on 500 sq mi1,300 km²
For example Albany (100), Kalgoorlie (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

🇺🇸United States296k sq mi767k km² · 14% of its land
🇦🇷Argentina181k sq mi469k km² · 30% of its land
🇿🇦South Africa147k sq mi379k km² · 44% of its land
🇨🇳China133k sq mi345k km² · 6% of its land
🇦🇺Australia91k sq mi235k km² · 29% of its land
🇲🇦Morocco59k sq mi154k km² · 37% of its land
🇲🇽Mexico57k sq mi149k km² · 9% of its land
🇺🇾Uruguay50k sq mi129k km² · 89% of its land
🇱🇾Libya40k sq mi103k km² · 37% of its land
🇪🇸Spain36k sq mi94k km² · 17% of its land

Best-suited towns

100%Ideal
Mersin
🇹🇷 Turkey
100%Ideal
Soweto
🇿🇦 Gauteng, South Africa
100%Ideal
Algiers
🇩🇿 Algeria
100%Ideal
Tarsus
🇹🇷 Mersin, Turkey
100%Ideal
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
100%Ideal
Roodepoort
🇿🇦 Gauteng, South Africa
100%Ideal
Córdoba
🇦🇷 Cordoba, Argentina
100%Ideal
Chuxiong
🇨🇳 Yunnan, China
100%Ideal
Blida
🇩🇿 Algeria
100%Good fit
Maseru
🇱🇸 Maseru District, Lesotho
100%Good fit
Annaba
🇩🇿 Algeria
100%Good fit
Adana
🇹🇷 Turkey

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region. Scores assume irrigation where rain falls short; Needs irrigation marks towns that need it.

What cherry needs

Winter chill (9 winters in 10): Ideal 28–50 portionsWon't grow below 18 portions or above 70 portions
Coldest night of the year (average): Ideal at least 0°FIdeal at least -18°CWon't grow below -11°FWon't grow below -24°C
Frost-free days: Ideal at least 150 daysWon't grow below 120 days
Degree days above 50°FDegree days above 10°C: Ideal at least 1,440 °F·daysIdeal at least 800 °C·daysWon't grow below 900 °F·daysWon't grow below 500 °C·days
Days above 95°FDays above 35°C: Ideal at most 40 daysWon't grow above 100 days
Yearly rain: Ideal 20–39 inIdeal 500–1,000 mmWon't grow below 12 in or above 71 inWon't grow below 300 mm or above 1,800 mm

Rain near harvest splits sweet cherries. Spring frosts at bloom are the main yield risk.

Sources: Fadón et al. 2020, Chilling and heat requirements of temperate stone fruit trees (Prunus sp.) (Agronomy); FAO ECOCROP: Prunus avium.

What stops it elsewhere

Not enough winter chill61%
Too much winter chill: blooms early into frost20%
Winters get too cold15%
Too many heat-stress days2%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. This map is for Cherry (Low-chill sweet) only. “Irrigated” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rainfed” counts them. Tap any square to see everything that grows there.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.