Fruiting Trees

January 3, 2022 /

 

Choosing disease-resistant plants is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy, productive garden. Resistant fruit trees are less likely to suffer from common issues like blight, mildew, rust, or rot, which means fewer losses and better harvests. Because they naturally fight off problems, you don’t have to rely on as many sprays or treatments, saving time, money, and effort. They also stay stronger during stressful weather, helping them live longer and produce more consistently. Disease-resistant varieties reduce the risk of infections spreading to nearby plants, protecting your whole landscape. They often require less pruning and maintenance because they stay healthier overall. Most importantly, these trees let you enjoy higher yields with less worry, making growing fruit both easier and more rewarding.

APPLES

Liberty

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Most disease resistant apple to four major apple diseases – apple scab, powdery mildew, apple cedar rust & fire blight. This allows trees to grow without pesticides. Added plus for home gardeners!
  • Large crunchy flesh with a sweet – tart delicious flavor and can be stored for several months letting the flavors intensify.
  • Prolific bearer
  • Perfect for fresh eating, baking, and cooking.

Enterprise

  • Non-self-pollinating
  • Resistant apple to four major apple diseases – apple scab, powdery mildew, apple cedar rust & fire blight. This allows trees to grow without pesticides. Popular choice for home gardeners for those who prefer no spray methods.
  • Firm, (little thicker skinned), juicy, and crisp, with a spicy aroma and mild tartness in the middle of the sweet/tart chart. Taste similar to a Fuji apple. They can be stored several months which allows the flavors to develop even more.
  • Great for fresh eating, baking, and cooking.

Empire

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Disease resistant to fire blight and apple cedar rust
  • Taste between a macintosh and a red, delicious apple. Empire is sweet with a hint of tartness, crisp texture and bright white flesh
  • Best for eating fresh, in salads, also great for baking, cooking, and freezing because they hold their shape well.

Crimson Crisp

  • Non-self-pollinating
  • Bold sweet tart flavor, deep red fruit with crisp, bright red with yellow flesh. Its satisfying crunch and subacid flavor make it a standout for fresh eating,
  • Excellent keeping qualities — storing up to 6 months
  • Disease-resistant apple and some resistance to fire blight
  • Tendence to bear a heavy crop
  • Delicious for fresh eating, desert, or even a rich juice

Granny Smith

  • Self-pollinating
  • Distinctive green skin and tart flavor
  • Excellent eating fresh, salads, apple pies (slices keep their shape when cooked)
  • Storage life in perfect conditions for 1 yr.

Arkansas Black

  • Non-self-pollinating
  • Resistant to cedar-apple rust and fire blight
  • You will either need two pollination partners nearby which must each be different varieties and able to cross-pollinate each other as well as the Arkansas Black, or a single self-fertile compatible pollination partner. (Granny)
  • Nearly black when ripe and is crisp, tart until in storage, when the sweetness develops
  • Best eating after 90 days.
  • Reliable producer
  • Great eaten fresh after a period of storage, baking, sauces, cider and juice

PEACHES

Contender

  • Self-pollinating
  • Med/large-sized freestone peaches
  • Deliciously sweet and juicy fruit
  • The peach is non browning, excellent quality
  • Heavy bearing
  • Skin is deep red over yellow.
  • Flesh is yellow and firm
  • Vigorous, fast growing peach tree
  • Excellent for fresh eating, in pies and preserves

Elberta

  • Self-pollinating
  • Large, freestone, juicy yellow flesh
  • Sweet, juicy, firm flesh
  • Known for producing large quantities of fruit
  • Prune to any size
  • Disease and insect resistant
  • Great for fresh eating, cobblers and pies, canning and freezing

China Pearl

  • Self-pollinating
  • Delicious white peach
  • Generally sweeter than most peaches because they have less acidity therefore a very sweet taste
  • Exceptionally hardy, large freestone, juicy peaches
  • Delicious to eat fresh, canning, freezing, and baking

PLUMS

AU Rosa 

  • Self-pollinating
  • Developed by Auburn University
  • Highly disease resistant to bacterial canker, bacterial fruit spot, bacterial leaf spot, black knot and plum leaf scale
  • Cross between a Santa Rosa and Starcher plum
  • Large, dark red skin and yellow flesh, sweet
  • Produces high yields of excellent quality fruit.
  • Ideal for fresh eating, cooking, or preserving

AU Producer 

  • Self-pollinating
  • Developed by Auburn University
  • Highly disease resistant to bacterial canker, bacterial fruit spot, bacterial leaf spot, tolerance to black knot, and resistance to bacterial and fungal disease from the Bruce variety
  • Cross between a Santa Rosa and Bruce plum
  • It’s a hardy tree, known for its vigorous growth, abundant harvests, and adaptation to various climates, particularly the Southeastern U.S.
  • Produces large, sweet, and juicy dark red-flesh and dark red to purple-skinned fruits
  • Ideal for fresh eating, cooking, or preserving

Damson

  • Self-pollinating
  • Clingstone
  • Small to medium plums
  • Heirloom variety
  • Produces heavy crops of gorgeous, very dark purple juicy fruits
  • TART and tangy profile with a hint of sweetness, making it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes. Jams, jellies, pies, and pickling
  • Good for canning, fresh eating and desserts

SPRING SATIN PLUMCOT

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Hybrid of plum and apricot
  • Produces large quantity of large, firm, red black fruit with golden red flesh
  • Very sweet, 33% sugar
  • Combines the sweetness of apricots and the tartness of plums
  • Eat fresh, or use in making preserves, baking, cooking, and sauces

EUROPEAN PEARS

Ayers

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Easy to grow and resistant to fire blight
  • Sweet, dessert-quality, yellow pear with a red blush
  • Known for their exceptional sweetness, juicy texture
  • Perfect for eating fresh, canning and even baking.

Seckel

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Disease-resistant to fire blight
  • Called sugar pear and candy pear
  • Small dessert pears that are super-sweet with a hint of spice
  • Often used in cooking and canning, but also enjoyed fresh

Moonglow

  • Non-self-pollinating
  • Resistance to fire blight
  • Resembling the Bartlett pear
  • Large, soft, juicy texture that avoids mushiness found in other varieties
  • Perfect for fresh eating, as well as used in cooking, canning, and freezing

ASIAN PEARS

Korean Giant / Olympic

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Disease resistant to fire blight and can be cultivated successfully without sprays
  • Crisp, juicy, very large fruit weighing 1 lb +
  • As with all Asian pears, fruit thinning will help maintain annual bearing and fruit size, and it will prevent limb breakage from overcropping

Shinko

  • Partially self-pollinating
  • Disease resistant to fire blight, making it a winner for no-spray cultivation and
  • Vigorous, very upright, well formed, and highly productive
  • Crops should be thinned to prevent limb breakage and maintain annual bearing 
  • The fruit is large (14-20 oz.), round and a little flat, blending the rich sweet flavor of a crisp juicy pear with a hint of apple
  • Shinko will store well for three-four months; it is an excellent winter keeper

ASIAN / EUROPEAN STYLE

Pineapple Pear

  • Self-pollinating
  • Resistance to fire blight
  • Combines the qualities of European and Asian pears – crunchy texture, sweet, delicious tropical pineapple flavor
  • Large pears having a yellow skin with red blush
  • Carries a heavy crop and store well
  • Ideal for fresh eating, baking and preserves

CHERRY

Lapins

  • Self-pollinating / sweet
  • Good overall disease resistance and crack resistance
  • Tolerates late frost, high yields, and ease of growth
  • Purple-red flesh that is sweet and firm
  • Delicious for fresh eating, baking, and preserving

Compact Stella

  • Self-pollinating / sweet
  • This semi-dwarf (10-12 ft) is great for gardeners with limited space
  • Produces large dark-red, juicy fruit that is firm and sweet.
  • Resistance to splitting
  • Delicious for fresh eating, canning, baking and preserves

Sweetheart

  • Self-pollinating / sweet
  • Heart-shaped fruit that produces on a consistent basis.
  • A late-season cherry
  • Large fruit with red flesh and dark bright red skin
  • Excellent for fresh eating, canning / preserves, cooking and sauces

Rainier

  • Non-self-pollinating / sweet
  • Large, yellow cherries with red blush
  • Very firm yellow-white flesh
  • Resists splitting and tolerates hot summers
  • It tends to be less inviting to birds because of the light skin.
  • The highest sugar levels of sweet cherries, ranging from 17-23 Brix
  • Rainier cherries are actually sweeter than dark sweet cherries such as Bings
  • They are usually the last fruit to bloom and the first to ripen
  • A delicious cherry that is wonderful for fresh eating, canning, preserves and cooking

Black Tartarian

  • Non-self-pollinating / sweet
  • Known for its intensely sweet, rich, and full-bodied flavor
  • Rated as one of the most flavorful cherries
  • The fruit is large, juicy, and has a deep red to almost black color
  • Ideal for fresh eating baking them into deserts, making preserves, jam, and liqueurs

Montmorency Sour Cherry

  • Self-pollinating / tart
  • Cold-hardy hybrid species
  • Produces an abundant crop of firm, bright red, richly tart fruit
  • Medium-large, bright red fruit that has a firm yellow flesh, clear juice, and a rich, tart flavor
  • Most popular tart cherry for pies and jam and preserve

FIGS

* A closed eye on the fruit is an important characteristic for the South. Having an opening in a fruits through rains and humidity could cause major insects and disease problems. Figs with open eyes often sour during rainy weather.

Celeste

  • Self-pollinating
  • Small to medium sized fruit with a rich sweet flavor
  • Excellent for drying
  • More, cold hardy than most other types of figs
  • It is heat tolerant
  • Pest and disease resistant
  • *Distinctive closed eye

Chicago Cold Hardy

  • Self-pollinating
  • Cold hardy
  • Heat tolerant
  • Fruits early on new growth / older wood figs will appear in early summer
  • Small to medium, black, sweet and very rich, brown to purple-colored figs
  • Delicious fresh or for preserve
  • Drought-tolerance once established
  • Beautiful container plant
  • Small to Closed Eye

LSU Purple

  • Self-pollinating
  • Medium-sized purple fruit with light raspberry colored flesh
  • Extra-sweet flavor great for eating fresh and for preserves
  • Smaller fig tree variety
  • Delicious figs twice a year
  • Bred for superior disease resistance
  • Ideal for containers
  • *Closed eye

Olympian

  • Self-pollinating
  • Cold hardy
  • Heat tolerant
  • Striped green and purple skin with red to violet flesh
  • Very large fruit, thin skin, exceptionally sweet flavor
  • Two good crops per year
  • Extra-hardy fig tree variety for both cold and coastal climates
  • Compact size and shape
  • Ideal for containers
  • *Closed eye

White Marseilles

  • Self-pollinating
  • Honey-flavored fig with a green exterior and yellow interior
  • Originated in southern France and brought to the US by Thomas Jefferson
  • Mid/late season fig and starts producing in the late summer months.
  • Fast-growing, heavy crops, medium-sized, and fresh-eating. 
  • Widely adapted, cold-hardy, and a great option for northern growers
  • *Closed eye

Black Mission

  • Self-pollinating
  • Cold hardy
  • Heat tolerant
  • Large tree
  • Large, pear shaped fruit, jet black skin with reddish-pink pulp
  • Known for their sweetness, and often ooze a syrupy substance
  • Can be eaten fresh, dried or canned
  • Beautiful container plant
  • *Closed eye

Little Ruby

  • Self-pollinating
  • Very best fig for containers!
  • Cute, bite-sized figs are red-fleshed and super-sweet
  • Quite a conversation piece as an appetizer
  • Excellent for growing indoors, in the greenhouse, or on a patio
  • The tree is quite unusual in that it will produce a surprising amount of fruit even if grown in a pot as small as a 7-gallon
  • *Closed eye

Brown Turkey

  • Self-pollinating
  • Large, purple/black skin, strawberry color flesh, pear-shaped, sweet with a hint of berry flavor
  • Late summer ripening
  • Delicious fresh but also dries beautifully
  • Breba- 2 crops
  • *Closed eye

Italian Honey

  • Self-pollinating
  • Sweet and remarkably easy to grow
  • Cold-hardy, produces generous crops of greenish-yellow figs with rich, honey-sweet amber flesh
  • Eaten fresh dried, or used in jams and pastries, these figs are simply delicious
  • Perfect for Containers: Compact and easy to manage—ideal for patios
  • *Closed eye

Desert King

  • Self-pollinating
  • Large, sweet, green skinned fig, light red colored flesh with a combination of berry and honey flavors
  • Perfect for adaptable to various conditions
  • Lengthy ripening period
  • May set a second fall crop in the warmer region. Breba crop 2
  • *Closed eye

Olympian

  • Self-pollinating
  • Sugar-flavored fig variety with large purple skin, red to violet flesh, fruit the size of tangerines
  • One of the most cold-hardy figs and has been noted to tolerate temperatures down to 0°F in some cases.
  • Breba- 2 crops
  • *Closed eye

Violette d Bordeaux

  • Self-pollinating
  • Similar in taste to Black Mission figs but is hardier and grows as a smaller tree
  • Produces small to medium purple-black flesh, a very deep red strawberry pulp fruit
  • Amazing distinctive flavor, sweetest taste and richest flavors and irresistible fragrance
  • Excellent for fresh eating, dried, and preserves
  • Considered by many, the finest tasting fig 
  • Good for home planting, dwarf tree, grows to only 6 to 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide making its size perfect as an accent tree for a small space
  • One of the best choices for growing a fig in a container on a patio or deck
  • Thrives in extreme heat, humidity, drought, and also has very good resistance to pests and disease
  • Harvest in late spring and early fall
  • Delicious for fresh eating, deserts, jellies, preserves, jam and also dried
  • Breba- 2 crops
  • *Closed eye

PERSIMMONS

Fuyu

  • Grafted / Self-pollinating
  • One of the most popular fresh eating Japanese persimmon plants in the world
  • Non-astringent, large, round, flattened fruit, reddish-orange skin when ripe
  • Fruit is seedless, excellent for fresh eating, cooking or drying
  • Bears young and yields large crops
  • Heat-tolerant
  • Shade / sun to full sun
  • Likes Loamy well drained soil
  • Likes soil pH level at 6.0 – 7.0
  • Bears in 3 – 4 years
  • Matures trees will be approximately 15 – 20′ tall x 15 – 20′ wide
  • Ripens in the fall

Suruga   Coming soon!

  • Grafted / Self-pollinating
  • Medium-sized fruit with dark orange skin and flesh
  • The sweetest of all the non-astringent varieties
  • Very large late harvest in fall
  • Attractive garden tree with beautiful full colors of red and purple
  • Ideal choice for container growing everywhere
  • Needs no fancy care to grow well
  • Carries a large crop

Hachiya 

  • Grafted / Self-pollinating
  • Hachiya is shaped like a large acorn
  • Astringent, wait until fruit is incredibly soft; a jellylike texture
  • Produces sweet, seedless (or near-seedless) fruit
  • Fruit is a deep orange red with a dark yellow flesh when it ripens

PAWPAW

Native

  • Self-fertile
  • Deer tends to avoid leaves and branches
  • Fruit is loved by a lot of animals
  • Produces the largest edible fruit native to North America
  • Plant trees no more than 30 ft apart
  • Not prone to pests or disease
  • Flavor – sweet, creamy, custard-like consistency and reminiscent of tropical fruits
  • Size and shape of a mango, pale green skin that yellows with maturity

Atwood  

  • Not self-fertile / two different cultivars are needed for pollination
  • First variety introduced from the Kentucky State University breeding program
  • Prized for its incredibly heavy crop of 150 or more fruit per tree
  • Fruity, rich, sweet banana-like flavor with creamy, custard-like flesh
  • 3″-6″ long fruit
  • Unusually high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals
  • Naturally disease and pest resistant
  • Slow growing /small tree
  • 12-15 ft. in height at maturity
  • Bloom – April
  • Ripening – September-October
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall

Chapelle  

  • Not self-fertile / two different cultivars are needed for pollination
  • Strongly resembles Shenandoah Pawpaw tree that is sweet, banana-flavor with creamy-yellow, custard-like flesh
  • The most vigorous Pawpaw variety available
  • Bloom – April
  • Ripening – September- October
  • 3″-6″ long fruit
  • Hardy to minus 20° F or below
  • Unusually high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals
  • Naturally disease and pest resistant
  • Slow growing /small tree
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall

Overleese

  • Not self-fertile / two different cultivars are needed for pollination
  • Ripens mid- season
  • Fruity, banana-like flavor with creamy, custard-like flesh
  • Bloom – April
  • Ripening – September- October
  • 3″-6″ long fruit
  • Hardy to minus 20° F or below
  • Unusually high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals
  • Fewer seeds than most cultivars
  • Naturally disease and pest resistant
  • Slow growing /small tree
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall

Shenandoah  

  • Not self-fertile / two different cultivars are needed for pollination
  • One of the largest and most flavorful Pawpaw’s
  • Weighs up to 1 lb.
  • Fruity, banana-like flavor with creamy, custard-like flesh
  • Bloom – April
  • Ripening – September- October
  • 3″-6″ long fruit
  • Hardy to minus 20° F or below
  • Unusually high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals
  • Naturally disease and pest resistant
  • Slow growing /small tree
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall

Sunflower  

  • It has been said that it is a self-pollinating variety
  • One of our most popular and reliable varieties
  • Produces a high yield crop of large (8 to 16 ounce) sweet fruit
  • Extended season that lasts longer than most other pawpaw’s
  • Unusually high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals
  • Naturally disease and pest resistant
  • Slow growing /small tree
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall
  • Bloom Time – April
  • Ripening Time – September-October
  • Hardy to minus 20° F or below
  • Foliage turns bright yellow in the fall

POMEGRANATES

Salavatski

  • Self-pollinating
  • Very Productive
  • Very large red fruit with semi soft seeds, with red arils and sweet / tart juice
  • Excellent fresh or juicing
  • Cold hardy
  • Exceptionally heat tolerant
  • Drought tolerant when established
  • Can survive temperatures down to 5 degrees
  • Deer resistant
  • Beautiful bright orange flowers for a long period of time in the spring
  • Prefers full sun for best fruit production but will tolerate some light shade
  • Adapts to almost any type of soil as long as the soil is well-drained

Surh-anor

  • Self-pollinating
  • Cold hardy
  • Exceptionally heat tolerant
  • Very Productive
  • Very sweet in flavor with red skin and clearish-yellow arils
  • Consistently produces large, sweet fruit with high sugar content
  • Great for juicing or eating right off the tree
  • Beautiful bright orange flowers for a long period of time in the spring
  • Prefers full sun for best fruit production but will tolerate some light shade
  • Adapts to almost any type of soil as long as the soil is well-drained

Parfianka

  • Self-pollinating
  • Cold hardy
  • Exceptionally heat tolerant
  • Very Productive
  • Fruit is large, a beautiful bright red
  • Sweet-tart to sweet flavor
  • Arils are large, bright red, with very small, soft, edible seeds
  • Consistently produces a heavy crop
  • Consistently rated the most flavorful pomegranate in tasting trials
  • Great for juicing or fresh eating

Russian / Afganski

  • Self-pollinating
  • Sweet but tangy flesh, great for juicing or fresh eating
  • Flourishes in frigid, tundra-like conditions down to 0 degrees
  • Thrives in the hottest and driest parts of the country
  • Grows in poor soil, even sand and gravel; avoid planting in heavy wet soils
  • Hassle-free, especially since it blooms later and avoids late freezes
  • Mature tree can produce up to 90 to 100 pounds of fruit under good conditions
  • Highly tolerant of disease, resists insects, drought and fruit splitting
  • You can plant it, forget it, pick it and enjoy

MULBERRY

 Pakistan

  • Self-pollinating
  • King of the fruiting mulberries
  • Seedless
  • Produces 3 1/2″ – 5″ long maroon to black berries
  • Sweet raspberry/blackberry/ boysenberry like flavor
  • The fruit juice does not stain
  • Pest and disease resistant
  • Refrigerator, freeze, or process as soon as possible after picking when ripe
  • Excellent for fresh eating, jams and jellies, pies and cobblers
  • Substitute mulberries in most recipes that call for blackberries or raspberries
  • *The plant has a strong root system, and should be planted away from buildings or pipes as they can create structural damage

Dwarf Everbearing Mulberry

  • Self-pollinating
  • Compact fruit tree
  • Grows as a multi-stemmed bush or as a small tree, 2 – 6 ft tall
  • Lifespan 100 years or more
  • Mulberries are packed with antioxidants, slightly higher in protein than blackberries, provide over half the daily recommended Vitamin C
  • *The plant has a strong root system, and should be planted away from buildings or pipes as they can create structural damage

White Mulberry

  • Self-pollinating
  • Unripe berries are white and can change to pale red to deep purple
  • Delicious eaten raw or cooked, used in making jams, juice, and wines
  • *The plant has a strong root system, and should be planted away from buildings or pipes as they can create structural damage

SERVICEBERRY

Autumn Brillance

  • Self-pollinating
  • Beautifull spring blooms, blueberry like fruit and then orange red fall color
  • Grow a a multi-stemmed shrub or a small tree
  • Berries resemble blueberries in taste and may be eaten fresh or used in pies, jams, and jellies

OLIVE

Arbequina

  • Self-pollinating
  • Known for its small dark brown fruit and high quality, antioxidant-rich olives
  • Originated in Spain
  • Can be planted in ground or in a container
  • Will become glossy black when ripe
  • You can eat arbequina olives as a snack, in salads or make into oil
  • They are fleshy, meaty black olives

PINEAPPE GUAVA

  • Self-pollinating
  • Delicious edible flowers and tropical fruit
  • Beautiful white flower petals with red accents & gray-green foliage
  • Sweet-tart, tropical, and floral taste of strawberries, pineapples, kiwis, apples, and mint
  • Easily trained as espalier, a hedge, or a small specimen tree for landscape or container
  • Grows around 15 ft in NC height and width; which can be trimmed to an 8×8
  • Grows easily in average garden soil that is well drained as they will not tolerate soggy soil

CITRUS

Watering is one of the keys to growing any citrus plant, particularly those grown in pots. The tree should be moist, not soggy. Put your finger into the soil at about 2 inches. If you feel dampness with your fingertip, wait to water. If it is dry, water until you see water run out of the bottom of the pot. Keep your tree healthy by misting leaves with water daily when you are running heat during the cold months.

Artic Frost Satsuma

  • Self-pollinating
  • One of the most cold-hardy citrus varieties
  • Fruit is easy to peel
  • Considered seedless
  • Produces high volumes of seedless mandarin orange/tangerines
  • Thornless

Clementine Mandarin

  • Self-pollinating
  • Hybrid of a mandarin orange and a sweet orange 
  • Easy to peel and protective
  • Deep, vibrant orange color
  • Contains between eight and twelve segments
  • Generally seedless
  • Known for its extremely sweet flavor

Persian Lime

  • Self-pollinating
  • Known as the seedless lime
  • Considered one of the most popular limes – delicious flavor, long shelf-life, and seedless fruit
  • Fruit has a balanced, tangy-sweet flavor
  • Cross between Key lime and lemon
  •  Longer shelf life compared to the more delicate Key lime. 

Myer Lemon

  • Self-pollinating
  • Believed to be a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin orange
  • Hybrid citrus fruit known for its sweeter, less acidic flavor and thin, edible skin
  • Cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange
  •  Rounder and smaller than a typical lemon
  • Skin and flesh that can range from deep yellow to orange when ripe
  • Store fresh lemons in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer to keep them fresh for a week or more
  • Juice can be frozen for up to six months