{"product_id":"stella-cherry-tree","title":"Stella Cherry Tree","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n  \/* Base Container *\/\n  .ss-split-container {\n    width: 100%;\n    max-width: 1400px;\n    margin: 40px auto;\n    font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, \"Helvetica Neue\", Arial, sans-serif;\n    color: #444;\n    line-height: 1.8;\n    font-size: 16px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Core Split Layout *\/\n  .ss-split-layout {\n    display: flex;\n    flex-wrap: wrap; \n    gap: 50px; \n    align-items: flex-start; \n  }\n\n  \/* Left Side: Description *\/\n  .ss-split-desc {\n    flex: 5.5;\n    min-width: 300px; \n  }\n\n  \/* Left Side H2 Optimization *\/\n  .ss-split-desc h2 {\n    margin: 35px 0 12px 0;\n    font-size: 1.15em; \n    color: #111;\n    font-weight: 700;\n    letter-spacing: 0.02em;\n  }\n  \n  \/* Remove top margin for the first H2 *\/\n  .ss-split-desc h2:first-of-type {\n    margin-top: 0;\n  }\n  \n  .ss-split-desc p {\n    margin: 0 0 16px 0;\n    color: #555;\n    text-align: justify; \n  }\n\n  \/* Right Side: Spec Card *\/\n  .ss-split-specs {\n    flex: 4.5;\n    min-width: 300px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Modern Card Design *\/\n  .ss-specs-card {\n    background-color: #faf9f6; \n    border-radius: 16px;       \n    padding: 35px 40px;        \n    border: 1px solid #f0f0f0; \n  }\n\n  .ss-specs-card h3 {\n    margin: 0 0 20px 0;\n    font-size: 1.1em;\n    color: #111;\n    border-bottom: 2px solid #dc143c; \/* Crimson border to match the cherry aesthetic *\/\n    display: inline-block;\n    padding-bottom: 5px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Clean List Structure *\/\n  .ss-spec-list {\n    list-style: none;\n    padding: 0;\n    margin: 0;\n  }\n  \n  .ss-spec-item {\n    display: flex;\n    padding: 14px 0;\n    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.04); \n  }\n  .ss-spec-item:last-child {\n    border-bottom: none;\n  }\n\n  \/* Label Styling *\/\n  .ss-spec-label {\n    flex: 0 0 40%;\n    font-weight: 600;\n    color: #333;\n    padding-right: 15px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Value Styling *\/\n  .ss-spec-value {\n    flex: 1;\n    color: #666;\n  }\n\n  \/* Mobile Adaptation *\/\n  @media (max-width: 900px) {\n    .ss-split-layout {\n      flex-direction: column;\n      gap: 30px; \n    }\n    .ss-split-desc, .ss-split-specs {\n      flex: 1 1 100%;\n      width: 100%;\n    }\n    .ss-specs-card {\n      padding: 25px 20px;\n    }\n    .ss-spec-label {\n      flex: 0 0 35%;\n    }\n  }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"ss-split-container\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"ss-split-layout\"\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdiv class=\"ss-split-desc\"\u003e\n      \u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePremium Stella Cherry Tree (Prunus avium 'Stella')\u003c\/strong\u003e is arguably the most important advancement in modern home-orchard cherry growing. Before Stella, gardeners needed two different varieties to ensure pollination; Stella changed the game by being the first truly self-fertile sweet cherry tree. This means you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of large, dark-red, heart-shaped cherries from a single tree. Starting your orchard journey with a \u003cstrong\u003e1-2 ft. starter tree\u003c\/strong\u003e allows you to cultivate a deep, native-anchored root system directly in your garden's soil. This foundational care is essential for long-term health, ensuring that your tree matures into a robust, heavy-bearing specimen that provides your household with fresh, orchard-grown cherries for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n      \u003ch2\u003eGrowth Rate \u0026amp; Habit\u003c\/h2\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eStella is a vigorous, upright grower that is relatively easy to train into a balanced, open-center or central leader canopy. It is well-regarded for its early and consistent bearing habits, often producing fruit at a younger age than many other sweet cherry cultivars. The foliage is a deep, healthy green, and the tree maintains a tidy, manageable shape that fits perfectly into suburban backyards or larger orchard rows. Annual pruning in late winter is highly recommended to encourage optimal fruit size and ensure healthy airflow through the branches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n      \u003ch2\u003eHarvest \u0026amp; Fruit Quality\u003c\/h2\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eStella cherries are celebrated for their exceptional size, dark crimson skin, and firm, juicy, sweet flesh. They are widely considered \"dessert quality\"—perfect for fresh eating, baking into pies, or preserving. Because the tree is self-fertile, it acts as a reliable pollinator for other mid-season sweet cherry varieties, often increasing the overall yield of any nearby cherry trees in your landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n      \u003ch2\u003eWatering and Feeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eConsistency is key for your starter tree's establishment. Keep the root zone evenly moist during the active growing season, providing a deep, deliberate soak once a week—this is far more effective than frequent, shallow surface watering and encourages deeper root penetration. Apply a balanced, organic fruit tree fertilizer in early spring as the buds begin to swell, providing the foundational nutrients required to support the tree’s rapid growth and ensure a successful, high-quality fruit set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n      \u003ch2\u003eLight \u0026amp; Hardiness\u003c\/h2\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eTo produce maximum sweetness and overall tree vitality, place your Stella Cherry in a location that receives full sun—aim for at least 6 to 8 hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight daily. This is critical for both the health of the tree and the sugar concentration of the fruit. Reliably hardy in USDA Zones 5-8, this cultivar is a resilient, cold-hardy performer that thrives in environments with a distinct winter dormancy period, returning with renewed, heavy-bearing energy each spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n    \u003cdiv class=\"ss-split-specs\"\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"ss-specs-card\"\u003e\n        \u003ch3\u003eTree Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n        \u003cul class=\"ss-spec-list\"\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eBotanical Name\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003ePrunus avium 'Stella'\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eStella Cherry Tree\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eTree Type\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eSweet Cherry \/ Starter Tree\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eShipping Size\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eApprox. 1 - 2 ft. tall (Starter Tree)\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eHarvest Season\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eEarly to Mid Summer\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eGrowth Habit\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eUpright, vigorous, spreading\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eGrowth Rate\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eVigorous\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eHardiness Zone\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003e5 - 8\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eMature Size\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003e12 - 15 ft. tall and wide\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eSun Exposure\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eFull Sun (6-8+ hours daily)\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eWatering Needs\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eModerate (Consistent moisture)\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eSoil Type\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eRich, organic, well-draining soil\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n          \u003cli class=\"ss-spec-item\"\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-label\"\u003eSpecial Features\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv class=\"ss-spec-value\"\u003eSelf-fertile; world-famous dessert quality\u003c\/div\u003e\n          \u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003c\/ul\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Soil Song","offers":[{"title":"1-2 feet","offer_id":49289844031711,"sku":"SMYT-S","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/0120\/8543\/files\/stella-cherry-tree-6984976.webp?v=1779515645","url":"https:\/\/mysoilsong.com\/products\/stella-cherry-tree","provider":"Soil Song","version":"1.0","type":"link"}