Early Royal Cherry

Cerasus regalis præcocæ - Early Royal Cherry

In the 18th century, this prestigious cherry was given English nicknames "Cherry Duke", "May Duke".

However, as early as 1767, the Chartreux nursery referred to it by the French name "Cerise royale ancienne" (Old Royal Cherry), highlighting its nobility and ancient lineage.

This appellation reflects the enthusiasm of gardeners for a fruit that, according to Poiteau, deserves to be waited for until it is "almost black" to reveal its full excellence, a patience that the hurried Parisians of the 19th century already refused to observe.

The Royal Cherry tree is a vigorous tree with large, short branches, initially upright then horizontal, bearing remarkably thick, shiny yellowish-green buds, turning coppery in the sun.

Its numerous, oval, and thick leaves, a beautiful green on top and hairy underneath, measure three to four inches.

The conical, reddish fruit buds give rise to three to six large white flowers that turn red as they fade.

The fruit, large and rounded, depressed at both poles, measures 22 to 24 mm in diameter. Its shiny skin, initially brownish-red, becomes almost black when fully ripe. The flesh, calendula-colored then purplish-black, offers a sweet and very pleasant juice, marked by a slight bitterness reminiscent of the morello cherry.

Ripe in mid-July in the open air, and from mid-June when espaliered, this cherry was often picked too early out of impatience, a regrettable habit that deprived one of an excellent fruit.

This plate is extracted from the Traité des Arbres Fruitiers by Pierre-Antoine Poiteau and Pierre Jean François Turpin, a botanical encyclopedia published between 1807 and 1835, a major reference in 19th-century naturalist illustration.

It combines the rigor of scientific drawing with a rare artistic sensibility, characteristic of the great plates from the golden age of illustrated botany.