Fruit tree categories

You might also want to browse our fruit tree collections.

Crab apples for saleMalus

Crab apples are very closely related to apples but the fruit is much smaller in size.   Crabapple trees produce a lot of blossom in spring, and the brightly coloured fruits hang attractively on the tree throughout autumn, so crab apples are often grown for their ornamental value.  The fruit is too bitter for eating fresh, but is very useful in the kitchen for making jams and other fruit preserves.  Crab apple varieties are generally very disease resistant, and are therefore often used in breeding programmes for new apple varieties - and they usually make excellent pollinators for other apple varieties.

Damson trees for salePrunus insititia

Damsons trees belong to the species Prunus insititia, which also includes Bullaces, St. Juliens, and Mirabelles.  Damson trees originate from Damascus in Syria and the name comes from the term "Damascene plum".  This might suggest they need a Mediterranean climate, but in fact damson trees grow very easily in cold climates or situations where other plum tree species might not flourish.  In the UK the centre of commercial damson production is the Lyth valley in Cumbria, north-west England, notable for its wet climate.

Damsons are primarily grown for culinary purposes - they have a distinctive rich flavour, similar but quite different to plums, and are superb for jams, jellies, crumbles, and pies.  If you can find the space it is definitely worth having at least one damson tree in your fruit tree collection, and if you live in an area with a wet maritime climate damson trees are a reliable source of fresh fruit where other fruit trees may not succeed.

Mirabelle trees for salePrunus insititia

Mirabelle trees are a type of plum, and mirabelles are a common sight in French markets in August.  The fruit is very small, the size of large cherries, and typically either bright red or golden yellow.  Mirabelles can be eaten fresh, but are primarily used for making jams and similar preserves, as well as fruit tarts.  They are also the variety most often used in plum brandy and similar plum-based spirits.

Mirabelles are sometimes called French Cherry Plums, since most of them originate from France, but they are not true Cherry Plums (Prunus cerasifera). Instead they are usually classified as Prunus insititia, along with Damsons and Bullaces (although they are sweeter than these fruits), but are sometimes also classified as a variety of the common European Plum (Prunus domestica v. syriaca).  Regardless of the classification, their culinary applications, fruit appearance, hardiness, and usefulness for fruiting hedges as well as free-standing trees means they have much in common with both Damsons and Cherry Plums.

Although originating in the Middle East before being brought to France in the Middle Ages, Mirabelle trees are hardy and grow well throughout Europe.  Like the other minor plum species, they have good disease resistance.  Mirabelles will cross-pollinate with most early-flowering plums and damsons.

 

Apricot trees for salePrunus armeniaca

Apricots trees belong to the species Prunus armeniaca, and originate from central Asia, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years.  Apricot trees naturally prefer a continental climate and most commercial production takes place in Turkey, southern Europe, and California.

Apricots have excellent nutritional and medicinal properties, and they contain more concentrations of beneficial compounds than most other fruit.  They are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A.

Apricot trees are easy to grow in warm climates but can be challenging in temperate climates such as much of the UK and northern Europe.  The main problem is not winter cold - Apricots are very hardy - but inconsistent and variable weather, especially in winter and spring.  Apricot trees prefer a simple regime of cold winters (with 500-700 hours below 5 degrees centigrade) and hot sunny summers, and do not like either the cold of winter or the heat of summer to be interrupted.  Nevertheless, even in a temperate climate, if you can provide a south-facing wall for a fan-trained specimen then you have a reasonable chance of success.

As climate change has brought water shortages to the dry south-east of the UK there has been increasing interest in growing Apricot trees, because they generally have good drought tolerance.

Peach and Nectarine trees for salePrunus persica

Peaches are a luxurious fruit originating in the Far East and now grown throughout warm temperate regions.  Peach trees prefer a continental climate, especially warm or hot summers.

Nectarines are smooth-skinned sports or mutations of peaches, and nectarine trees are grown in the same way although their requirements are slightly more demanding.

Peach and nectarine trees can be grown successfully in the UK - peach trees are somewhat easier though.  However if you want to be reasonably sure of success the best method is to grow as a fan on a south-facing wall, or in a patio container which can be moved indoors during winter.

Peach-leaf curl is a serious fungal disease of peaches and nectarines.  It is transmitted by fungal spores which are active during late-winter / early-spring and are carried in splashes of rain drops.  It can be readily avoided by covering wall-trained trees over winter and early spring with a frost fleece or similar.  Peach or Nectarine trees grown in patio containers can also be protected simply by keeping them indoors over the winter.

Hazel & Filbert trees for sale

Hazel nuts make an easy and low-maintenance addition to any orchard.  There are two closely related species, Corylus avellana, which is the common hazel native to the UK, and Corylus maxima, also known as the Filbert.  The main difference is in the length of the husk surrounding the nut - cobnuts have a short husk whilst filberts have a long husk.  Filberts arguably have a slightly superior flavour but there is not a lot in it.

Unlike fruit trees, hazel trees often grow as multi-stemmed bushes.  As a result, they can provide useful shade or shelter for other areas of the garden.  Most hazels need a pollination partner of a different variety, and it is therefore a good idea to buy 2 separate varieties together.

Our hazels are supplied as 2-year bushes grafted on their own roots, and should start to produce nuts 2-3 years after planting - at which point they will be 2m or more in height.

Quince trees for saleCydonia oblonga

Quince trees produce are versatile pear-like fruits used for culinary purposes, notably jellies.  A small amount of stewed quince also gives an interesting lift to many apple-based recipes.  Quince trees prefer warm climates, and are well-suited to the southern UK and central Europe, but some quince varieties are adapted to cooler areas.  Quinces should stored in a cool dark place after picking, to allow the fruit to mature and the aromatic flavour to develop - they can be used after a month or so.

Family fruit trees for sale

Family fruit trees consist of multiple varieties (usually 2 or 3) grafted on to the same stem.  This allows you to grow several different varieties in a relatively small space, and the varieties are chosen to be compatible with each other in their blossom and fruiting seasons.