Edible landscape

Best Fruit Trees by Zone and Site Fit

Use this hub as a crawlable starting point for tree fruit, nut trees, citrus, pawpaw, persimmon, figs, peaches, apples, and similar woody crops.

Fruit trees are long-horizon purchases, so the useful question is not simply whether a tree can survive. Pollination, disease pressure, chill, rootstock, pruning access, and mature spacing decide whether it is a good home-orchard choice.

The page therefore favors records with first-bearing, spacing, and yield context before novelty fruit. Use it to build a shortlist, then check the individual profile for regional caveats.

Find fruit for my ZIP Open plant screener
Tree fruit profiles
181
Visible shortlist
24
Timing data
181

Useful setup tools

Useful supplies

Site prep / Before planting

Soil test kit or lab mailer

Check pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.

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Watering / Install at planting

Drip irrigation kit

Deliver steady root-zone moisture with less leaf wetness and less water loss.

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Maintenance / First season

Bypass pruners

Make clean cuts for harvesting, deadheading, shaping, and light pruning.

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Soil / After planting

Organic mulch

Hold soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate soil temperature, and protect shallow roots.

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How this page is built

Selection notes

Bearing horizon

Shows first-output and full-output timing so long-horizon crops are not compared like annual vegetables.

Space cost

Uses mature-size and spacing data because tree crops can consume decades of yard space.

Yield caution

Pound-return ranges are useful planning numbers, but rootstock, pruning, chill, and pest pressure can move them a lot.

Browse profiles

Fruit tree

Ashmead's Kernel apple

russeted dessert apples in fall

First output
2-4 yrs
Yield
75-150 lb/plant/year
Spacing
10-20 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
10-22 ft H x 10-20 ft W
Fruitintense aromatic flavorheritage russet apple
Fruit tree

Shenandoah pawpaw

ripens in September

First output
4-7 yrs
Yield
15-40 lb/plant/year
Spacing
10-20 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-25 ft H x 10-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifelarge mild custardy fruitnative understory tree
Fruit tree

Sunflower pawpaw

custardy fruit in early fall

First output
4-7 yrs
Yield
15-40 lb/plant/year
Spacing
10-20 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-25 ft H x 10-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifepartly self-fertile pawpawnative fruit tree
Fruit tree

Meader American persimmon

drops ripe fruit in fall

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifeself-fertile selectionnative wildlife value
Fruit tree

Methley plum

ripens in early summer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
75-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifeself-fertile Japanese plumheavy bloom
Fruit tree

Nikita's Gift persimmon

orange-red fruit in fall

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorhybrid persimmoncold-hardy kaki flavor
Fruit tree

Ume Japanese apricot

very early bloom and tart fruit

First output
3-5 yrs
Yield
60-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
13-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorJapanese apricotwinter bloom
Fruit tree

Saijo Asian persimmon

orange fruit ripens in fall

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorvery sweet astringent persimmoncold-tolerant kaki
Fruit tree

Fuyu Asian persimmon

ripens in October to November

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colornon-astringent fruitexcellent fall color
Fruit tree

Hachiya Asian persimmon

ripens in late fall

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorlarge astringent fruitexcellent for baking when soft
Fruit tree

Ichi-Ki-Kei-Jiro persimmon

non-astringent fruit in fall

First output
3-6 yrs
Yield
35-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-25 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 12-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colordwarf non-astringent persimmongood patio candidate
Citrus

Makrut lime

aromatic leaves and bumpy limes

First output
2-4 yrs
Yield
40-100 lb/plant/year
Spacing
8-15 ft apart
Mature size
6-15 ft H x 4-12 ft W
FruitVegetables & herbsculinary leavesexcellent patio citrus
Fruit tree

Black Ice plum

dark plums in midsummer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
75-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorvery cold-hardy plumlarge dessert fruit
Fruit tree

Toka plum

ripens in midsummer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
75-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifespicy bronze plumexcellent pollinator for other plums
Fruit tree

Gravenstein apple

early tart apples in late summer

First output
2-4 yrs
Yield
75-150 lb/plant/year
Spacing
10-20 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
10-22 ft H x 10-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & coloraromatic heirloom appleexcellent sauce and baking fruit
Fruit tree

North Star tart cherry

ripens in early summer

First output
3-5 yrs
Yield
40-75 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows
Mature size
8-18 ft H x 8-18 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colornaturally compact treecold-hardy
Fruit tree

Harrow Sweet pear

ripens in late summer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
80-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-25 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifefire blight resistancesweet dessert pear
Fruit tree

Intrepid peach

yellow peaches in midsummer

First output
3-4 yrs
Yield
90-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorcold-hardy flower budsproductive freestone peach
Fruit tree

20th Century Asian pear

crisp round pears in late summer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
80-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-25 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorjuicy crisp textureproductive Asian pear
Fruit tree

Belle of Georgia peach

ripens in late summer

First output
3-4 yrs
Yield
90-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorwhite freestone fruitshowy spring bloom
Fruit tree

Black Tartarian sweet cherry

dark sweet cherries in early summer

First output
4-7 yrs
Yield
60-90 lb/plant/year
Spacing
20-25 ft in-row x 25-30 ft rows
Mature size
15-30 ft H x 15-25 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorclassic pollinizer cherryrich sweet fruit
Fruit tree

Burbank plum

ripens in midsummer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
75-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitPollinators & wildlifered-skinned amber-fleshed plumheavy bearer
Fruit tree

Elephant Heart plum

large red-fleshed plums in late summer

First output
4-5 yrs
Yield
75-120 lb/plant/year
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorrich red fleshlarge dessert plum
Fruit tree

Grimes Golden apple

yellow apples in early fall

First output
2-4 yrs
Yield
75-150 lb/plant/year
Spacing
10-20 ft in-row x 12-25 ft rows
Mature size
10-22 ft H x 10-20 ft W
FruitCurb appeal & colorhistoric American applerich spicy flavor

Showing 24 of 181 matches. Open the plant screener for the full list.

Source trail

References used by this shortlist

Fruit-tree sources emphasize spacing, years to bearing, mature yield, rootstock caveats, and home-orchard planting guidance.

452 matching records NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox Reference basis for ornamental plant size, function, and right-plant-right-place screening. 361 matching records Penn State Extension - Landscaping and Gardening Around Walnuts and Other Juglone Producing Plants Black walnut and juglone sensitivity/tolerance cue for garden placement screening. 182 matching records Rutgers NJAES - Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance Deer browsing categories used as planning cues; no plant is deer proof under heavy pressure. 181 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables Container volume guidance, including large vegetables and 25-30 gallon dwarf fruit tree containers. 163 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Starting a Home Fruit Garden Fruit tree graft union, root flare, and small fruit crown placement guidance. 163 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Planting a Tree or Shrub Tree and shrub planting depth guidance, especially keeping the root flare at soil level.

Individual plant profiles show their own source links and caveats; this page shows the common references behind the current collection.

More planning paths

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Zone 7a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7a gardens. Zone 7b calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7b gardens. Zone 8a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 8a gardens. Plant now in 7a See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7a based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Plant now in 7b See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7b based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Fruit trees 7b Compare fruit trees, berries, nut trees, and woody edibles for USDA zone 7b using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, spacing, and output data. Fruit trees 8a Compare fruit trees, nut trees, citrus-adjacent plants, and woody edibles for USDA zone 8a using Plant by ZIP data. Native plants 7 Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7 gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data. Native plants 7b Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7b gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data.