Montana’s New Cherry: A Rival to the Beloved Flathead?

One of the things Northwest Montana is best known for is its delicious little red gem—the Flathead Cherry. These cherries have earned quite the reputation for their exceptional flavor, thanks to the region's pristine glacier-fed waters, fertile soil, and ideal growing conditions.

The combination of warm days, cool nights, and clean mountain air helps produce some of the sweetest, juiciest cherries you'll ever taste.

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Of course, I'd also like to think that we just do things a little better here in Montana, and that's why Flathead Cherries have become so famous.

Whether you're enjoying them fresh off the tree, baked into a homemade pie, or turned into jams, there's nothing quite like it.

Big news! A new cherry variety has been developed and it might just be even better than the beloved Flathead Cherry. Gasp.

HoneyberryUSA, which is based out of Minnesota, announced the release of the 'FE' pie cherry. Before you get upset that this seller is NOT in Montana, the patent-pending 'FE' pie cherry WAS developed here in Montana.

"The journey to the 'FE' (patent pending) cherry began in the 1960s when Frances McCartney (known affectionately as "Momma McCartney") planted a grafted North Star cherry tree in her garden in Great Falls, MT. A new variety was discovered after suckers were left to grow to replace the original grafted portion of the tree that was dying." - HoneyberryUSA.

As the story goes, more suckers were planted in Bozeman sometime in the 90s, and the trees produced a darker cherry and sweeter flavor. Like the original cherries, they are extremely cold hardy and can easily survive Montana's harsh winters.

While we can't say for sure that it surpasses the classic Flathead Cherry, it's safe to say a serious rival has arrived. If you would like more information, you can check it out HERE.