What State Grows The Most Cherries

Okay, picture this: you’re staring down a bowl of cherries. One is a perfect, dark maroon gem. The other is a pale, sad-looking thing that tasted like a wet sock. You start wondering—who is the Cherry King of America? Which state grows so many of these little ruby beauties that they could fill a pool and swim in them?

Let’s Settle This Cherry Beef

If you’re guessing California, you’re wrong. (Sorry, sunshine state—your avocados are safe.) The real answer is Michigan. That’s right, the Mitten State. The place of lakes, cars, and that guy who eats a hot dog with a fork.

Michigan grows about 75% of all the tart cherries in the United States. I’m talking tens of thousands of tons. If you dumped all the tart cherries grown in Michigan into the Great Lakes, they’d turn them into a giant, sour Slurpee.

But Wait—There’s a Sweet Rival

Here’s where it gets tricky. There are two cherry species: sweet cherries (the ones you eat raw and pretend are healthy) and tart cherries (for pies, jams, and making your face pucker like you bit a lemon). Michigan dominates tart. But the sweet cherry crown? That goes to Washington State.

Washington grows more than half of the sweet cherries in the country. Think Bing cherries, Rainier cherries—the ones that cost $8 a pound and taste like candy. So Michigan is the Tart Queen, and Washington is the Sweet King. They’re like the Marvel vs. DC of fruit, but friendlier.

And California? It’s like the cool cousin who shows up with a bag of mixed cherries and says, “I’m from here too, guys.” It comes in third for both types. Still impressive, but no crown.

The Weird Science Behind Cherry Land

Why Michigan? It’s not just the cute mitten shape. The state sits on the 40th parallel north, which is apparently the Goldilocks zone for cherries—not too hot, not too cold. Plus, the soil is basically volcanic ash and limestone left over from ancient glaciers.

Imagine that: you’re eating a cherry that grew on soil that was once ground up by a mile-thick block of ice. Your pie is a history lesson. Also, Michigan has the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City every summer. Yes, there is a parade, a cherry-pit-spitting contest, and a queen named Cherry Royal. I am not joking.

Meanwhile, Washington’s sweet cherries thrive because the state’s desert-like summers are perfect for slow ripening. The mountains block rain, so the cherries get all that sugar without getting waterlogged. Basically, it’s a fancy spa for fruit.

A Few Surprising Facts to Blow Your Mind

Did you know that Turkey grows more cherries than the entire USA combined? That’s right. If America is a cherry, Turkey is the whole cherry orchard. But we’re talking states here, so we’ll ignore that humble brag from across the Atlantic.

Also, one single cherry tree can produce 7,000 cherries in a season. That’s about 117 pounds. So if you ever feel useless, remember: you can’t photosynthesize sunlight into 7,000 snacks. Take the W.

And here’s the kicker: Montmorency tart cherries (the Michigan favorite) are scientifically proven to reduce inflammation, help you sleep, and cure hangover anxiety? Okay, maybe not the last one, but they have melatonin. So eating a handful of these is basically nature’s Ambien.

So Who Wins?

Look, if you’re making a pie, you want Michigan. If you’re making a fruit salad that makes you look fancy, you want Washington. But if you ask me, the real winner is the person eating the cherries. Because you can just drive to any grocery store, buy a bag of cherries that traveled 2,000 miles, and complain about how expensive they are.

But next time you pop a cherry in your mouth—tart or sweet—do a tiny victory dance for the states that grew it. Michigan and Washington are the cherry-powerhouses, locked in a delicious, sticky rivalry. And California? It’ll be okay. It has avocados.

Now go enjoy a cherry. Just don’t eat the pit. That’s not a snack—that’s a cyanide surprise.