{"id":4977,"date":"2016-03-21T15:12:16","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T19:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/?p=4977"},"modified":"2025-06-11T11:10:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:10:36","slug":"fruit-trees-can-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2016\/03\/fruit-trees-can-plant.html","title":{"rendered":"What Fruit Trees Can I Plant?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What fruit trees can I plant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you’re planning a home orchard,<\/a> that may be the first thing you wonder to yourself. Can you plant apple trees<\/a>, or do they get too big? How about pear trees – your family loves pears, so wouldn’t a pear tree be nice? What about citrus fruit? Can you grow that in your backyard?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Fruit Trees Can I Plant?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As part of my series on planning and growing a backyard fruit orchard, today we’ll delve into the question of what fruit trees can I plant in my backyard.<\/p>\n\n\n

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 When you ask, “What fruit trees can I plant?” you’re asking an important question. You’re really asking, “What will live in my part of the country?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your part of the country experiences different temperatures and growing conditions than other parts. You know that intuitively, but you have to understand this in relation to your garden, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each area of the United States has been assigned something called a USDA Hardiness Zone, or Garden Zone. You can find your zone on the map on the USDA <\/a>website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The USDA hardiness zones are based on the average temperatures, especially the dates of the first “killing” frost in the fall and the last frost in the spring. These are just averages, of course, and can change from year to year, but in general, the USDA zones are pretty accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when you ask, “What fruit trees can I plant?” start by knowing your gardening zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Apple trees such as this one growing in my orchard in Virginia grow well from northern climates to the mid Atlantic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Temperatures to Grow Fruit: What You Can Grow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One you know your hardiness zone, you can narrow down your fruit tree selection to trees that will grow in your climate. Cooler gardening zones (lower numbers) or the more northern portions of the United States are better suited for growing apples and hybrid plums. Some cherries and pear trees will also grow well in cold garden climates. As you move further south towards the middle of the country and into the southern states like my state, Virginia, add peaches to the list, since they need milder winters. Nectarines, too, can be grown in the south. Figs can be grown in colder zones<\/a> with winter protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn’t cover every type of tree fruit, but it covers the major kinds. The list below can help keep it simple for you as you think about what you want to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your gardening zone is COOL or COLD…Zone 3 to 5 (northern United States), you can grow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n