If by "dwarf" stella, you mean Compact Stella, the blossoms are white--at least mine are. My Stella is also on dwarfing rootstock, but the rootstock to dwarf the tree would not have any effect on the flowers.

Thanks, Steve in los osos, for such a quick reply! Yes, I think the same tree is referred to as either "compact" or "dwarf". I don't know about my new tree's rootstock. I'm more inclined to keep and plant the tree, knowing yours blooms white. Interesting that you grow it in California; one source specifically recommended it for Michigan! How old is yours, and how does it do for you?

My tree is now in its second season, and yes it is a stretch, especially as I am right at the coast. Officially we do not get sufficient winter chill for anything but the new low-chill cherries like Minne Royal and Royal Lee (I also have those).

But I thought I would experiment with growing the tree in an area that gets no sun from late Fall through Winter. "No sun" here means deep and very cold shade. So I'm trying to cheat on the chill effect. This year it seems to have worked. Both the Compact Stella and a Lapins have bloomed, about a month after the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee pair. They are not as floriforous as the latter two, but the bloom is respectable for second year, I think. No bees yet, so I've been hand-pollinating. I have fruit set on the low-chill trees, but it's too soon to tell if the others will actually set fruit.

It was also an unusually dry and cold winter, with temps regularly going down into the 30's, so this may be anomalous.

Only time will tell!

I'm sure the Stella would do fine in Michigan, or a Lapins, for that matter.