Folfer

Folfer is supposed to produce enormous cherries.

The only problem was that, for several years, the variety itself didn't seem to have received the memo.

This French-bred, mid-to-late season variety fits very nicely into the gap between Sweet Gabriel and Areko. On the continent, Folfer is known for large fruit, good yields and qualities that make it particularly well suited to the fresh market – which was, of course, one of the reasons we planted it here in the first place.

The first few years left us somewhat doubtful.

Yields were disappointing, and some of the cherries developed unexplained cork-like patches on the skin. Eventually, we began to wonder whether Folfer simply wasn't particularly happy in our climate.

Then came 2026.

And suddenly Folfer decided to perform exactly as it had always been advertised further south in Europe.

Big crops. Large, beautiful and juicy cherries. A crisp texture, moderate sweetness and the kind of appearance that looks fantastic in a punnet. Some cork-like skin patches can still appear on individual fruit, but when the rest of the tree performs like this, they become considerably easier to forgive.

So after several years of uncertainty, Folfer now looks set to become one of our main sweet cherry varieties in the years ahead.

And then there is one characteristic that may not matter much at harvest time, but is impossible to ignore in spring.

The blossom.

Folfer produces unusually large and beautiful flower petals and may well be a contender for the finest sweet cherry blossom on our farm. When the trees are in full bloom, they genuinely stand out from the rest.

Perhaps Folfer simply needed a little time.

Now, at least, it looks as though it intends to stay.

- Exceptionally large and attractive cherries
- Crisp texture and exceptionally juicy
- Pleasant flavour with moderate sweetness
- Mid-to-late season variety – fills the gap between Sweet Gabriel and Areko
- Beautiful fruit, although some cherries can develop cork-like patches on the skin
- After several uncertain years – finally producing large and impressive crops
- French-bred variety developed for the fresh market
- On its way to becoming one of our main varieties
- Perhaps the finest sweet cherry blossom on the farm? Large and distinctive petals