Which sour (tart) cherry varieties perform well in Iowa?

Question:

Which sour (tart) cherry varieties perform well in Iowa?

Answer:

‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor’ are two of the best performing sour cherry varieties in Iowa.  Both varieties were introduced by the University of Minnesota and possess excellent cold hardiness.  ‘Northstar’ is a dwarf tree that commonly grows 8 to 10 feet tall.  Its fruit have a mahogany red skin, red flesh, and are 3/4 inch in diameter.  ‘Meteor’ is a semi-dwarf tree.  Trees may eventually reach a height of 10 to 14 feet.  The fruit of ‘Meteor’ are slightly larger than ‘Northstar’ and have a bright red skin and yellow flesh.  Another possibility is ‘Mesabi.’  ‘Mesabi’ is a cross between a sweet and tart cherry.  Its red-fleshed fruit are sweeter than ‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor.’