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NC State Extension describes two main types of cherries grown for fruit: the sweet cherry, Prunus avium, and the sour or tart cherry, Prunus cerasus, both in the rose family. In USDA FoodData Central, a cup of pitted raw sour red cherries lists about 99 micrograms RAE of vitamin A (11% of the FDA Daily Value), against about 5 micrograms for a cup of pitted raw sweet cherries. Below: the cherry varieties USDA lists, what FDA calls a maraschino cherry, and USDA tables with FDC IDs and FDA percent Daily Value. Our cherries guide covers the fruit in general.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- NC State Extension lists the sweet cherry as Prunus avium and the sour or tart cherry as Prunus cerasus, two species in the rose family.
- In the same Extension source, sweet cherry fruit is a fleshy drupe, yellow or red with a large pit, and the tart cherry tree is much hardier in winter than sweet cherry trees.
- FDA's compliance policy guide uses the name maraschino cherries for cherries dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.
- Per cup in USDA data, pitted raw sour red cherries list the most vitamin A of the cherry entries here (about 99 micrograms RAE), and pitted raw sweet cherries the most fiber and potassium (3.2 grams and 342 milligrams).
- USDA lists about 67.2 grams of total sugars per 100 grams of sweetened dried tart cherries, against 8.5 grams for raw sour red cherries.
Types of cherries: sweet and tart species
The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox describes the sweet cherry, Prunus avium, as a deciduous tree in the rose family (Rosaceae) grown for its edible fruit, and the fruit as a fleshy drupe, yellow or red, with a large pit or stone. The same Extension toolbox gives two common names for Prunus cerasus, sour cherry and tart cherry, and describes red drupes in summer that are often used to make tart cherry pies.
According to NC State Extension, the tart cherry tree is much hardier in winter than sweet cherry trees and is self-pollinating. Among the tart cherry cultivars NC State Extension lists is ‘Montmorency’; double-flowering cultivars, the same source notes, are grown as ornamentals and not for fruit.
In NC State Extension’s descriptions, both species bear drupes, fleshy fruits with a single large pit or stone. Our stone fruits guide sets cherries next to peaches, plums and apricots, and our types of berries guide explains why the UC ANR Extension column cited there counts cherries as drupes and not as berries.
Cherry varieties in USDA data
USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) has no entries for named cherry varieties, so the cherry varieties in its tables are grouped by type and form instead:
- Sweet cherries: raw, plus canned versions packed in water, in juice or in syrups of different strengths.
- Sour red cherries: raw, frozen without added sugar, and canned in water or in syrup.
- Dried tart cherries: one entry, sweetened.
- Maraschino cherries: one canned, drained entry; FDA’s definition follows below.
What FDA calls a maraschino cherry
FDA Compliance Policy Guide section 550.550 regards “Maraschino Cherries” as the common or usual name of cherries “which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.”
The same FDA guide says labels for maraschino cherries must list the ingredients, including those in the packing syrup, and declare any artificial coloring, artificial flavoring and chemical preservative. When maraschino cherries go into another food, the FDA guide says they should appear on that food’s label as “cherries artificially colored red and flavored”, with the preservative named if one is present.
In USDA SR Legacy, drained canned maraschino cherries list about 165 calories and 38.8 grams of total sugars per 100 grams, with 0.0 milligrams of vitamin C and 21 milligrams of potassium.
Cherry types ranked per serving in USDA data
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries and USDA’s own portion for each entry: one cup of pitted raw or frozen cherries, and a quarter cup of the sweetened dried ones. The percent Daily Value (%DV) compares each amount with the FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4 and older: 28 grams of fiber, 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 4,700 milligrams of potassium and 900 micrograms RAE of vitamin A. Total sugars have no FDA Daily Value, so that column shows grams only. Rows are ranked by vitamin A.
| Cherry (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Fiber | Vitamin C | Potassium | Vitamin A | Sugars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherries, sour, red, raw (173954) | 1 cup pitted, 155 g | 78 | 2.5 g (9%) | 15.5 mg (17%) | 268 mg (6%) | 99 mcg (11%) | 13.2 g |
| Cherries, sour, red, frozen, unsweetened (171718) | 1 cup frozen, 155 g | 71 | 2.5 g (9%) | 2.6 mg (3%) | 192 mg (4%) | 68 mcg (8%) | 14.0 g |
| Cherries, tart, dried, sweetened (171708) | 1/4 cup, 40 g | 133 | 1.0 g (4%) | 7.7 mg (9%) | 150 mg (3%) | 56 mcg (6%) | 26.9 g |
| Cherries, sweet, raw (171719) | 1 cup pitted, 154 g | 97 | 3.2 g (12%) | 10.8 mg (12%) | 342 mg (7%) | 5 mcg (1%) | 19.7 g |
Sour red cherries lead on vitamin A in USDA data: about 99 micrograms RAE per cup raw (11% of the FDA Daily Value) and 68 micrograms frozen, against 5 micrograms for a cup of raw sweet cherries. Raw sour cherries also list more vitamin C per cup than raw sweet cherries in USDA SR Legacy, about 15.5 against 10.8 milligrams, while sweet cherries list more fiber (3.2 against 2.5 grams), more potassium (342 against 268 milligrams) and more total sugars (19.7 against 13.2 grams). A quarter cup of sweetened dried tart cherries, 40 grams in USDA data, lists about 133 calories and 26.9 grams of total sugars. Our lists of foods high in vitamin A, high potassium fruits and low sugar fruits put these numbers next to other foods.
Fresh, frozen, canned and dried cherries gram for gram
Portions differ in weight, so this table uses the per-100-gram values in USDA SR Legacy and adds the canned water-pack and maraschino entries. Rows are ranked by vitamin A.
| Cherry (USDA FDC ID) | Calories | Water | Sugars | Fiber | Vitamin C | Potassium | Vitamin A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherries, tart, dried, sweetened (171708) | 333 | 16.6 g | 67.2 g | 2.5 g | 19.3 mg | 376 mg | 141 mcg |
| Cherries, sour, red, raw (173954) | 50 | 86.1 g | 8.5 g | 1.6 g | 10.0 mg | 173 mg | 64 mcg |
| Cherries, sour, red, frozen, unsweetened (171718) | 46 | 87.2 g | 9.0 g | 1.6 g | 1.7 mg | 124 mg | 44 mcg |
| Cherries, sour, red, canned, water pack, solids and liquids (173955) | 36 | 89.9 g | 7.6 g | 1.1 g | 2.1 mg | 98 mg | 38 mcg |
| Cherries, sweet, canned, water pack, solids and liquids (173957) | 46 | 87.0 g | 10.3 g | 1.5 g | 2.2 mg | 131 mg | 8 mcg |
| Cherries, sweet, raw (171719) | 63 | 82.2 g | 12.8 g | 2.1 g | 7.0 mg | 222 mg | 3 mcg |
| Maraschino cherries, canned, drained (167766) | 165 | 57.3 g | 38.8 g | 3.2 g | 0.0 mg | 21 mg | 2 mcg |
Per 100 grams in USDA SR Legacy, sweetened dried tart cherries list the most vitamin A here, about 141 micrograms RAE, with only 16.6 grams of water left, against 86.1 grams in raw sour cherries. The canned water-pack and frozen entries list less vitamin C than the raw ones in USDA data: about 2.1 milligrams per 100 grams for canned sour cherries, 1.7 milligrams for frozen sour cherries and 2.2 milligrams for canned sweet cherries, against 10.0 and 7.0 milligrams raw. Raw sweet cherries list more calories than raw sour cherries in USDA data, about 63 against 50 per 100 grams.
Labels, packaged cherries and other notes
- Daily Values: the FDA Daily Values in the tables (21 CFR 101.9) are label reference values, not personal targets.
- Packaged cherries: canned, frozen, dried and maraschino products vary by recipe and can differ from USDA averages, so the Nutrition Facts label on the package is the figure for that product.
- Tart cherry drinks: our tart cherry juice guide covers that drink.
- Varieties missing from USDA: SR Legacy has no separate entries for ‘Montmorency’ or other named varieties, so their values are not shown.
- Values vary: USDA SR Legacy figures are averages; variety, growing area and ripeness change the numbers for any single cherry.
- Related fruit: our sibling page on types of grapes covers table, wine and muscadine grapes, with links to our grapes and raisins guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two main types of cherries?
NC State Extension lists the sweet cherry, Prunus avium, and the sour or tart cherry, Prunus cerasus; both are in the rose family and bear drupes.
Are sour cherries and tart cherries the same?
Yes. NC State Extension gives sour cherry and tart cherry as common names for the same species, Prunus cerasus, and USDA uses both words in its entries.
Which cherry type lists more vitamin A?
Per cup in USDA data, raw sour red cherries list about 99 micrograms RAE of vitamin A, against about 5 micrograms for raw sweet cherries.
What does FDA call a maraschino cherry?
FDA’s compliance policy guide uses the name for cherries dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.
How do dried tart cherries compare with raw ones?
USDA SR Legacy lists about 333 calories and 67.2 grams of total sugars per 100 grams of sweetened dried tart cherries, against 50 calories and 8.5 grams for raw sour red cherries.
Is ‘Montmorency’ a sweet or a tart variety?
NC State Extension lists ‘Montmorency’ among the cultivars of Prunus cerasus, the sour or tart cherry.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Types of Grapes: European, American and Muscadine With USDA Data, Cherries Benefits: USDA Cherry Nutrition, Sweet vs Tart and Pits, Stone Fruits: What Counts as a Drupe, With USDA Nutrients, Types of Berries: Kitchen Names, Botany and USDA Nutrients.