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Variety fit — Arizona

Can I grow Bing sweet-cherry in Arizona?

The verdict

Not recommended

  • Some winters reach the 700+ chill hours this variety needs, but not most — expect inconsistent cropping.
  • Your zone 9b is warmer than this variety's range (zones 5–8); it may not receive reliable winter chilling.

Based on Arizona’s main growing area (85701): zone 9b, ~522 chill hours. Your exact site may differ — check your ZIP.

The numbers

Bing requirements vs. Arizona climate
Bing chill requirement700–900 chill hours
Bing hardinessUSDA zones 5–8
Arizona average chill (85701)522 hours (267–731 across 10 winters)
Arizona zone (85701)USDA zone 9b
USDA pomological watercolor of Bing sweet cherry
Prunus avium: BingUSDA pomological watercolor, Royal Charles Steadman, 1929 · USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Better sweet cherry choices for Arizona

These meet Arizona’s chill hours and zone comfortably:

Keep checking

Or the same verdict for another region:

Questions

Can I grow Bing sweet-cherry in Arizona?
Probably not — Some winters reach the 700+ chill hours this variety needs, but not most — expect inconsistent cropping.

Sources

  1. [1] Open-Meteo / Copernicus ERA5. Historical Weather API (hourly 2m temperature) — accessed July 2026
  2. [2] USDA / PRISM (Oregon State University). 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — accessed July 2026
  3. [3] Utah State University Extension (Intermountain Tree Fruit Production Guide). Varieties for Utah — Cherry — accessed July 2026
  4. [4] Raintree Nursery. Bing Cherry — variety page — accessed July 2026