Fruit trees that bloom easily...(may we pick your brain)

Since the post on crabapple...I am curious which fruiting trees bloom readily each year...over ones that go years without blooms.

Difficulties ones have found with a possibly variety of fruiting tree. I realize location may also play a factor as in zones. But...an overall idea of which fruiting trees are less problematic is what I am curious about.

I notice pomegranate to have nice flowers and don't seem to have much problem related to disease and pests.

Cadillactaste said:

Since the post on crabapple...I am curious which fruiting trees bloom readily each year...over ones that go years without blooms.

Difficulties ones have found with a possibly variety of fruiting tree. I realize location may also play a factor as in zones. But...an overall idea of which fruiting trees are less problematic is what I am curious about.

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Apples, Plums, Pears, and Cherries grow here and are pretty darn sturdy if kept well. The "trick" to your question is do you want them in the landscape or in pots and do you want ornamentals or standard growing varieties. When I am in doubt here I usually call an Arborist who has a landscape crew here over 30 years rather then ask the nurseries as they seem to sell a lot that does not to well in the zone sold in. Standard varieties here need less attention and seem to be more tolerant than the same specimen in an ornamental variety. For example a Black Cherry tree here is not prone to black knot while a Kwanzan Cherry is getting a haircut and treatment here for black knot in the Spring. But both need specific trimming and care routines to do well. Location, location, application...
Another consideration at purchase would be to get a self pollinating variety.

Grimmy

Fruit is special (on both bonsai and landscape plants), and as such, special treatment is normally required. All of the fruiting varieties that I can think of require some sort of extra care. Fruit is always under attack from animals, insects and fungus. Fruit trees require specialized fertilizing compared to the average bonsai, needing specific nutrients and having specific timing requirements. Even watering requirements can differ as trees are setting fruit: too much/little water . . . oops, there goes your fruit. They also seem more susceptible to pathogens, perhaps being weakened from bearing fruit. Some need specific pollinators, while others require certain pruning techniques or timing to maximize fruit production. Want to keep your tree healthy, better thin those flowers or fruit. Root pruning that aging pomegranate, better get some expert advice. The list goes on.

In other words, you can't get something for nothing. At least not when it comes to fruit.

My advice, pick your favorite and learn its quirks. It may take a while (even a decade), but it can be worth it.

Indeed Stan has good advise. I was over confident several years ago as we had a Orchard and with the Landscape Crew taking care of it seemed easy. Since then I have several potted varieties and have learned far more then I wanted to when comes to maintenance, pest control, and what makes them "happy". He also hit it pretty close to my experience as it will be 10 to 12 years before I am happy with them.

Grimmy

Thanks...it. Would be for bonsai...down the road a few years. Food for thought just in what you shared...many thanks!

Cadillactaste said:

Thanks...it. Would be for bonsai...down the road a few years. Food for thought just in what you shared...many thanks!

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If that is the case I would suggest you get an Apple Pear from a big box store in the Spring and just repot it first season and learn. Down the road you will have a decent piece of stock to work on and already know how to care for it.

Grimmy

Many flowering and fruiting varitieis are grafted trees - so before you buy anythig you should look for a graft union. It is best not to use grafted material for flowering or fruiting bonsai. It can be done but it is more difficult.

In my opinion and in this order, in terms of easily flowering every year...

1. Japanese flowering quince - many varieities...
2. Crabapples
3. Flowering plum, cherry and apricot
4. Wisteria

Check out Evergreen Gardenworks for many flowering trees. It can and does take a number of years before any tree will flower.

ps. I did not consider azalea in the list above...but they also flower regularly....

Good luck.....Tom

Depends on your definition of "fruit."

If you mean something you can eat, the suggestions made so far are fine. Add Vaccinium (blueberries).

If you mean any tree/shrub that bears A fruit of some kind, I'd suggest Cotoneaster as most reliable in terms of flowers and fruit, followed by Pyracantha, or Nandina.

Tom, glad to see you giving quince the nod. back a few generations ago, quince fruit was used
as a popular jelly and would have been known for it's fruit. Now quince is more associated with the blooms.

My little chojubai has fruit about half the size of a gulf ball. I've seen fruit on chinese quince more the size of a baseball.

Many of my various varieties of quince are begining to show color in the swelling blooms.

GrimLore said:

If that is the case I would suggest you get an Apple Pear from a big box store in the Spring and just repot it first season and learn. Down the road you will have a decent piece of stock to work on and already know how to care for it.

Grimmy

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Oh...I don't wish to pick one up this year...but to research it more. Wanting to know more in what general direction to look to for research.

This year, my plans are to pick up a couple of rosemary herbs. I doubt it can winter in my gazebo...but I plan on tossing one out there at the beginning next years winter...as well sitting one in the Lego room basements window for wintering, (cooler room since in the basement with light from the window.) I've no real thoughts past that...and to just care for what I have.

jkl said:

Depends on your definition of "fruit."

If you mean something you can eat, the suggestions made so far are fine. Add Vaccinium (blueberries).

If you mean any tree/shrub that bears A fruit of some kind, I'd suggest Cotoneaster as most reliable in terms of flowers and fruit, followed by Pyracantha, or Nandina.

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Thanks, no not something I can eat, but one that bears possible fruit and flowers. Thanks!

GrimLore said:

Indeed Stan has good advise. I was over confident several years ago as we had a Orchard and with the Landscape Crew taking care of it seemed easy. Since then I have several potted varieties and have learned far more then I wanted to when comes to maintenance, pest control, and what makes them "happy". He also hit it pretty close to my experience as it will be 10 to 12 years before I am happy with them.

Grimmy

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Yes I agree with you, proper maintenance like fertilizer, proper watering and pest control play important part for better growth of any plant.

Great list Tom.

Darlene,
I would try flowering & fruiting trees that are hardy to a zone or two north of where you live. This will make winter care easier.

Most members of the apple & flowering crab apple genus, Malus and the cherry-plum-apricot genus, Prunus - and the pear genus Pyrus, need 7 to 20 years to bloom the first time from seed. This is why landscape nurseries use grafting, they graft from mature trees onto younger root stock, and get flowers the next year. Cuttings from trees already old enough to flower will flower as soon as they are physically healthy enough to support flowering. Often second or third year after the cutting roots. Evergreen has a marvelous assortment of cutting grown Malus and flowering Quince, Chaenomeles, and Prunus. Younger cuttings are very inexpensive. Most are vigorous that you can get decent size in 5 to 10 years.

My list would pretty much start with Flowering Quince, Chaenomeles. That has been the most successful for me living between Chicago and Milwaukee. All my flowering quince were wintered outdoors this winter, they experienced -17 F, and they are all budding out nicely, even a few flowers coming. They were mulched over, and under a bench, 3 sides tarped, north side open. Snow shoveled on top. So they are remarkably winter hardy. the cultivar Chojubai is currently the darling of the group, and demand is so high for it right now that it has become hard to get at affordable prices. There are other cultivars that are easy to get (Evergreen Gardenworks) and are just as good for bonsai as Chojubai. Look for 'Hime', and Kan Toyo. Both have leaves as small as, or with 'Hime' smaller than 'Chojubai' and very nice fine twigging. Excellent for Shohin. Others I really like are 'Iwai Nishiki - dark double red flowers and a growth habit and size like Toyo Nishiki which can be used for shohin, though flowers are too big to be in proportion up through to about 2 foot tall. 'Kuro' - deep red single flowers and easier to grow as bonsai than 'Kurokoji'. And of course 'Toyo Nishiki', the more robust growing cultivar with multicolored blooms, usually white, white & pink, or mostly pink, less often a branch will have red flowers. Big fruite. Good for any size bonsai you wish.

No matter how much I try, azalea are difficult, I started with 10 whips, I'm down to 4 after 5 years. If rain is insufficient, and I have to supplement water, the azaleas seem to decline for me, regardless of the potting mix. My municipal water source is moderately alkaline and our local soils are limestone derived. Unless I install either a rain barrel storage system of suffient capacity just for the azalea, or an RO system, I doubt I could ever overcome this issue.

Crab apple is proving really hardy for me, even with minimal protection, just put it under the bench, mulched a little, and it is budding out nicely after a long, bitter winter (-17 F)

So my list would start
Chaenomeles - Flowering Quince
Malus - any of the crab apples
Crategus - the hawthorns - if you use the USA natives, you will have good disease resistance and excellent cold hardiness.

I am experimenting with many others, but those are the only 'proven winners' in my collection of sticks in pots.

I'd echo jkl's suggestion of pyracantha and would be in my short list...maybe second only to quince but definitely ahead of malus. First could be Chinese quince actually.

If you want cheap and easy, then go with a crabapple. Perfect for your area, and readily available.

Japanese or Chinese quince are excellent suggestions too.

JKL, speaking of pyracantha they have been a thought of mine for down the road. I've got three of them that are planted along a wooden fence and they grow very well here. Do folks that train pyracantha for bonsai leave those "wicked" thorns on it or do they do something with them? Those things are not forgiving if you know what I mean.

sbarnhardt said:

Do folks that train pyracantha for bonsai leave those "wicked" thorns on it or do they do something with them? Those things are not forgiving if you know what I mean.

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I tried cutting the thorns off mine when I first started styling it, but couldn't keep up, and inevitably I'd find the ones I missed anyway. When wiring initially, I got to a point where I could anticipate and work around them, with the worst scrapes actually occurring on the back of my hands.

Now I don't bother trying to cut them off, but it's also been developed to a point where it's mainly clip & grow. They're rewarding trees, fast-growing, and always have a good plume of foliage to hide some imperfections.

Mine is in full bloom right now!

sbarnhardt said:

JKL, speaking of pyracantha they have been a thought of mine for down the road. I've got three of them that are planted along a wooden fence and they grow very well here. Do folks that train pyracantha for bonsai leave those "wicked" thorns on it or do they do something with them? Those things are not forgiving if you know what I mean.

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they make good small bonsai too

Gardenias have nice flowers and pretty seed pods. In Japan at Taisho en they are kept outside and get covered in snow....but I hear those are used by now to the cold...though gardenia is tropical.
I was told the variety with the single flower has more/better berries...but I have them both.