Plant a few top fruit trees for backyard orchards on your property, and your taste buds will thank you. There is nothing quite like fruit trees in the landscape to delight the eyes and nose with springtime blossoms. And there’s nothing a wonderful as biting into freshly picked homegrown apple or peach. That’s why we’ve chosen the top fruit trees for backyard orchards that will grow almost anywhere.
Selecting the right kind of fruit tree to grow in a landscape comes down to two main factors: the varieties of trees that grow well in your area and your own personal taste.
According to Ed Laivo, fruit tree specialist for Natural Hills Nursery, the top fruit trees described below have proven to be dependable growers in the widest range of climates and are better than others when it comes to consistent fruit production and flavor of the fruit.
Here are Laivo’s top recommendations for backyard fruit trees that will produce bushels of delicious fruit, year after year.
Top Fruit Trees are Available at NatureHills.com for Fall Planting!
Top Fruit Trees: Honeycrisp Apple Tree
What’s better than biting into a Honeycrisp apple from a local market? Well, biting into a fresh apple picked from your own Honeycrisp Apple tree! Just the thought of that tangy sweetness and solid crunch is enough to make your mouth water.
A Honeycrisp Apple Tree is a wise investment in your family’s health—and a great addition to any property. A flurry of pink blossoms covers the tree in early spring. Then yellowish green apples cover the tree in late summer and ripen with a red blush in September. But the fruits don’t immediately drop when ripe, so you can take your time in picking them.
This variety needs full sun and well-drained soil for optimal growth. To maximize fruit production, plant another apple tree close by to aid in pollination (such as Gala, Granny Smith, Empire or McIntosh ). This semi-dwarf tree reaches 15-20 feet tall, but it can easily be held to any size with pruning so it can fit comfortably into virtually any yard. A Honeycrisp Apple Tree grows well in USDA Zones 4-9.
Lapins Cherry Tree
Our list of top fruit trees for backyard orchards also includes Lapins Cherry tree. A Lapins Cherry is one of the largest and juiciest of the sweet cherries, which makes a Lapins Cherry Tree a great choice for backyard growing. In addition, this variety provides multi-seasonal interest in the landscape.
In April, the tree is covered with brilliant white blossoms. When the blossoms fade, the fruit that follows in July is sweet, large, and dark-red to purple with light red flesh. Finally, in the autumn the Lapins Cherry tree brings beautiful autumn color as the green leaves turn orange, yellow and red.
Lapins Cherry trees are self-fruitful and do not require a pollinator to set fruit in most regions. Plus, a Lapins Cherry tree is also a good choice for those who need a pollinator for other cherry tree varieties.
The large cherries are one inch across, and the flexible skin resists splitting. The flavor is divine (often referred to as Bing-like) and is both incredibly juicy and sweet. The fruits are delicious right off the tree and wonderful for baking, juicing or drying.
The Lapins Cherry tree (which is a cross between a Van Cherry and a Stella Cherry) is cold hardy to -20 degrees F. It is also well adapted to warmer coastal climates. Choose a location with full sun and soil that holds moisture without becoming soggy. The tree grows to 20 feet tall, but it can be pruned to fit smaller spaces.
Harken Peach Tree
The Harken Peach tree is best known for the superior quality of mid-season peaches it produces. Harken bears a regular crop of top-rated freestone peaches suitable for fresh eating, canning and baking. Each delightfully fuzzy, large peach has bright red and yellow-mottled skin. The flesh is yellow, very sweet and resistant to browning. For optimal storage, pick the fruit just before it is table ripe.
The Harken Peach tree is admired almost as much for its beauty and fragrant blossoms as it is for its fruit. The delicate peach blossoms appear in late winter or early spring along the subtle grey branches, even before the leaves emerge. Harken Peach is an extremely vigorous tree, attaining a mature size of about 18 feet with an equal spread.
Harken is self-fruitful, so you can start with just one tree if you like. It is noted for its fruit production in areas with lots of spring rain, and the tree is adapted to USDA zones 5-9. Buy a Harken Peach Tree
Top Fruit Trees: Warren Pear Tree
It’s not very often you get a fruit that is praised by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Alice Waters and Martha Stewart as the most delicious pear in the world. Celebrity testimonials are just one reason the Warren Pear is so highly sought after. Warren Pear is an outstanding semi-dwarf pear tree that brings a late summer harvest of sweet, juicy fruit even in areas where pears are traditionally difficult to grow.
Originally found in a neglected orchard in Mississippi (not a state usually associated with pear growing), these hardy trees are resistant to fire-blight and other diseases that so often plague pears in warm winter areas. The medium sized, yellow fruit has a lively green tint and an occasional red blush. The pears are beautiful dangling amid the sturdy upright branches of a mature Warren Pear tree. This is one of the finest-flavored pears available for home growing. Warren Pear grows in USDA zones 5-10. Buy a Warren Pear Tree
Santa Rosa Plum Tree
Last but not least on our list of top fruit trees for backyard orchards is Santa Rosa Plum. A Santa Rosa Plum tree is one of the most widely planted plum varieties. Quite simply, it has become the “plum standard” by which all other plums are judged. Plant one in the front yard where your friends and neighbors can share in the beauty of its blooms and the abundance of fruit. Lovely pink and white blossoms set the stage in springtime for the Santa Rosa Plum tree’s delectable harvest in late July or August. The red-hued, purple skin of these lovely plums conceals a layer of red blush, then sweet, yellow flesh surrounding the center pit.
The medium-large slightly firm plums are perfect for canning, freezing, cooking, drying—or eating right off the tree. Santa Rosa’s flavor is sweet with a slight tangy edge, perfect for a variety of uses.
Santa Rosa Plum Tree grows 15-25 feet in height, but it can be held to any size with simple pruning. It’s a relatively hardy tree and is particularly adapted to areas with hot summer temperatures. It’s self-fruitful, so there’s no need to plant another plum tree to enjoy a healthy harvest. Santa Rosa is quite often the recommended pollenizer for many popular plum varieties.
Top Fruit Trees for Smaller Spaces
If you don’t have enough space for a full-sized tree, you can still have a fruit tree. Semi-dwarf and dwarf varieties of fruit trees are widely available at local nurseries and from online providers. They grow well in containers, and are perfect for patios and smaller gardens.
Read 7 Perfect Patio Fruit Trees for Small Spaces for more information.
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