[AG-EQ] Dwarf Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Any Yard, Seek Self-Fertile Types When Possible

[dogwood farm]

Dwarf Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Any Yard, Seek Self-Fertile Types
When Possible
Written by David Beaulieu

If you own a small yard, it is not practical for you to grow large
trees. But that does not mean that you can't grow your own fruit. By
planting dwarf fruit trees, you can have an attractive landscape
suitable for a small property, while also enjoying the fruits of your
labor at the dinner table. Even if you are forced to garden entirely
on a patio, you can still grow some of the smallest of these specimens
(such as dwarf lemon trees) in pots.

There is one "catch" that beginners should keep in mind: Some fruit
trees are self-fertile, but many others are not. For the latter, you
will need to grow more than one tree to achieve pollination. Make it a
point to ask nursery staff about this when buying. All of these
entries prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

01 of 11  Apple Trees
The first four trees in this list, beginning with dwarf apple trees,
all belong to the large rose family, which also includes ornamental
landscape plants, such as flowering quince shrubs (Chaenomeles
speciosa) and Washington hawthorn trees (Crataegus phaenopyrum).

A popular dwarf apple tree is the Cameron Select brand of the
Honeycrisp. It matures at 8 to 10 feet tall. Apple trees are among the
hardiest of fruit trees, and some kinds are disease-resistant. This
one grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 6.

This dwarf bears bright red fruit that is sweet, crispy, and juicy.

02 of 11  Cherry Trees
For a semi-dwarf cherry tree (Prunus avium), look for a Stella graft
that uses a Colt rootstock. The tree will reach a mature size of just
10 feet tall. This plant is suitable for zones 5 to 9. The fruit is a
dark red color and sweet.

Cherries are self-fertile, so you do not need to worry about providing
a mate for pollination. This fact makes them even better suited to
small yards than are those fruit trees that need a separate
pollinator.

03 of 11  Peach Trees
Peach trees are also in the Prunus genus (P. persica). Apricots,
cherries, peaches, and plums are all known as "stone fruits" because
they have a pit inside their fruits. Also like cherry trees, peach
trees are self-fertile.

Belle of Georgia is a dwarf peach tree that reaches 8 to 10 feet tall.
As delicate as they appear, peaches are actually quite hardy; Belle of
Georgia can be grown in zones 5 to 8. It is a white-fleshed peach that
is firm, sweet, and juicy. The skin has a red blush.

04 of 11  Plum Trees
There are a number of dwarf plum trees. If you want to go really
small, there are even types of shrubs that bear edible plums.

One such shrub is the natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa), which can be
grown in zones 9 to 11. It usually reaches 8 feet tall.

For colder climates grow the beach plum (Prunus maritima), which is
hardy to zone 3. The beach plum is the 6-foot bush that many residents
of the northeastern United States will recognize as the fruit-bearing
plant that inhabits the sand dunes along the Atlantic Ocean.

An example of a dwarf plum tree cultivar is Prunus domestica Johnson.
It grows in zones 5 through 9 and typically reaches a height of 10
feet. Johnson has red skin and sweet red flesh. It needs a pollinator,
though; as an alternative, grow the self-fertile Damson plum tree.

05 of 11  Banana Trees
Although we say banana "trees" in everyday language, scientists
actually refer to bananas as herbaceous plants. In fact, they are
considered the largest herbaceous flowering plants on earth.
Space-conscious gardeners should not let that worry them, though:
There are small banana plants (Musa spp.) suited to small yards.

The dwarf Cavendish banana tree is 8 to 10 feet tall. Grow it in zones
9 to 10. The fruit is sweet and 3 to 6 inches long. The big, tropical
leaves lend an aesthetic value to the landscape. It is self-fertile.

You can also grow them indoors.

06 of 11  Lemon Trees
Its fruits may not look like the lemons (Citrus limon) you buy in the
supermarket, but the dwarf Meyer lemon tree is one of the best
varieties you can grow if you want to produce fruit in a small space.
Their lemons are rounder than typical lemons and have some orange
color mixed in with the more usual yellow (but they do have the tangy
taste that you would expect from a lemon).

This tree is suited to zones 9 to 10. The fragrance of the white
flowers is a nice bonus. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and you can produce
lemons with it in your backyard without buying a separate pollinator.

07 of 11  Orange Trees
Oranges originated in China, a fact demonstrated by the botanical
name, Citrus x sinensis: That sinensis is Latin for "pertaining to
China." Many people wonder whether the fruit or the color first
received the name, "orange;" the answer is that the fruit did.

Dwarf Calamondin orange trees (zones 9 to 11) are self-fertile and
grow 6 to 10 feet tall. They are great plants to grow in patio pots
for citrus lovers, but their flesh is not as sweet as the flesh of the
more common oranges (the fruit is more likely to be used in the making
of marmalade, etc.). Still, they cut a striking figure, so they are
worth growing for their ornamental value alone. As a bonus, the blooms
are fragrant.

08 of 11  Tangerine Trees
If you desire sweet, orangey-tasting fruit from a dwarf tree,
tangerines are a better bet than true oranges. Citrus reticulata
(zones 9 to 11) is valued for bearing fruits that taste a bit like
oranges but are much easier to peel and much less messy to eat. A nice
thing about growing tangerine trees in a small space is that their
natural height of 10 to 25 feet can be kept at the low end of the
range simply through trimming, so there is no need to seek cultivars
that are specifically "dwarf." They are self-fertile.

09 of 11  Fig Trees
Ficus carica is self-fertile. You can keep it outdoors all year long
in zones 8 through 11; in colder climates, it is easiest to just grow
it in a pot and move the container into a sheltered spot for the
winter. Surprisingly (considering its association with warm climates),
the fig does have a chilling requirement, but it is less than 300
hours of sub-45 F temperatures.

Celestial is a dwarf type that bears small fruits with a sweet flavor
and grows to a height of about 10 feet. You can prune a fig tree so as
to keep it within whatever bounds that you have set for it due to
space limitations.

Fig trees work well in containers because they like having their roots
constricted, which is exactly what happens to plants grown in pots
("rootbound" plants). Their foliage is attractive enough to offer
ornamental value, to boot.

10 of 11  Pomegranate Trees
The taste of pomegranate seeds is a curious sweet-sour mix, but the
pomegranate is not just a novelty found in grocery store produce
sections; it is a storied fruit. "Pomegranate" literally means "seeded
apple" (from the Latin), a reference to the Romans' observation that
its outward appearance was like an apple's, while it bore many seeds
inside.

The Romans may have supplied us with its name, but the pomegranate is
most famous culturally for its connection to Greek mythology. The god
of the underworld stole Persephone away from her mother (the fertility
goddess, Demeter) and kept her for himself down in Hades. Zeus
eventually ordered her return to the world above.

But there was a problem. Once you ate any food in Hades, you could
never be free from it, and Persephone had eaten from a pomegranate
down there. A compromise was struck: Persephone would return to her
mother for nine months of the year but reside in Hades for the other
three. During those other three, Demeter was so upset that no crops
would grow, and that is why we have winter.

Punica granatum is deciduous and variously referred to as a tree or a
shrub. That is because specimens range from being 3 feet tall and
bush-like to 20 to 30 feet tall and more tree-like. They are
self-pollinating and suited to zones 7 to 10. Dwarf versions 8 to 10
feet tall are available, but their fruit is smaller than what you are
used to.

11 of 11  Almond Trees
You won't get anything edible out of a flowering almond (Prunus
glandulosa). They are beautiful ornamentals, but their only value is
their floral display in spring. There are distinct species you have to
look for if you are seeking to produce a crop.

The California almond (Prunus dulcis) is one type that produces an
edible crop. It is sold at the store as a nut, but it is not really a
nut at all. It is another type of stone fruit. It is the pit that you
are eating as a "nut."

'Garden Prince' almond is a semi-dwarf tree (it becomes just 10 to 12
feet tall) and is self-fertile. Through pruning, you can easily keep
it at 8 feet. Ripening occurs in late September to early October. But
this plant is cold-hardy only to zone 8.

Susan