Edible Landscape Plants: Fruits

Incorporate fruiting trees, shrubs and vines into your yard and you’ll enjoy the double benefits of a gorgeous landscape and luscious edible treats.

By Staff
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by AdobeStock/Xalanx

Incorporate edible landscape plants for a beautiful and delicious garden. Common fruit options are backyard fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.

To determine the best plants for your site, you’ll want to consider several factors, including your desired yield and ornamental qualities, along with your particular location’s hardiness zone and available pollination (some plants need other plants nearby for pollination). For more information about landscaping with edible plants, see Turn Your Yard Into a Luscious Landscape and How to Select Fruit and Nut Trees.

Some of the Best Edible Landscape Plants: Fruit Edition

Common nameLatin nameYieldHardiness zonesPollination needsLandscape useProminent ornamental qualities
Alpine strawberriesFragaria vesca1/2 cup per plant3 to 10Self-fruitfulGround cover or low borderLow mounds or lines of greenery
Apple and crab appleMalus spp.60 to 300 pounds per tree3 to 9Cross-pollination neededSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms, tree form
ApricotPrunus armeniaca var. armeniaca150 pounds per tree5 to 9Most varieties are self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms, tree form
Beach plumPrunus maritimaHighly variable3 to 8Cross-pollination neededPart of shrub borderBlossoms
BlackberryRubus spp.3 pounds per plant5 to 8Self-fruitfulTrain along a fence or trellis, or tie up to a poleBlossoms, leaves
Blueberry, highbushVaccinium corymbosum7 pounds per plant4 to 7Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yield and berry sizeShrub border, foundation planting or hedgeBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall, canes in fall
Blueberry, lowbushVaccinium angustifolium5 to 10 pounds per 100 square feet3 to 7Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yield and berry sizeGround coverBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall, canes in fall
Blueberry, rabbiteyeVaccinium asheii15 pounds per plant7 to 9Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yield and berry sizeSpecimen shrub, foundation planting or hedgeBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall, canes in fall
Cherry, cornelianCornus mas30 to 50 pounds per plant4 to 8Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yieldShade treeBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall, fruits in summer, bark in winter
Cherry, NankingPrunus tomentosa15 to 25 pounds per bush3 to 6Cross-pollination neededShrub border, hedgeBlossoms in spring, fruits in early summer
Cherry, sweetPrunus avium300 pounds per full-size tree5 to 9Most varieties need cross-pollinationSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms, tree form
Cherry, tartPrunus cerasus100 pounds per tree4 to 8Self-fruitfulSmall specimen treeBlossoms
Currant, cloveRibes odoratum4 to 8 pounds per shrub4 to 8Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yieldShrub border, hedgeBlossoms
Currant, red, white or pinkRibes petraeum, R. rubrum, R. sativum3 to 10 pounds per shrub3 to 7Self-fruitfulHedge, foundation planting or espalierBlossoms, leaves in summer, fruits
GumiElaeagnus multiflora10 pounds per shrub4 to 9Self-fruitfulHedgeLeaves in summer, fruits
Grapes, European wineVitis vinifera10 to 30 pounds per vine7 to 10Self-fruitfulTrain over an arbor or fenceCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
Grapes, foxVitis labrusca10 to 30 pounds per vine3 to 7Self-fruitfulTrain over an arbor or fenceCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
Grapes, muscadineVitis rotundifolia10 to 30 pounds per vine7 to 9Most varieties need cross-pollinationTrain over an arbor or fenceCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
HackberryCeltis occidentalisUnknown2 to 9Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeBark, tree form
Celtis australisUnknown7 to 9Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeBark, tree form
Celtis laevigataUnknown5 to 11Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeBark, tree form, leaves in fall
Celtis reticulataUnknown4 to 10Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeBark, tree form
HuckleberryGaylussacia baccataUnknown3 to 8Probably partially self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yieldFoundation planting or mixed shrubberyFlowers
Juneberry (serviceberry, Saskatoon, shadbush)Amelanchier spp.10 pounds per plant3 to 8Self-fruitful, except for white-fruited varietiesHedge or loose, naturalistic plantings, specimen trees or shrubsBlossoms, form of tree or shrub, fall color, bark in winter
JujubeZiziphus jujuba60 pounds per plant6 to 9Most varieties need cross-pollinationSpecimen plant or hedgeLeaves in summer
KiwifruitActinidia deliciosa50 to 200 pounds per plant7 to 9Cross-pollination neededClimbing vine for arbors and trellisesCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
Kiwifruit, goldenA. chinensis50 to 200 pounds per plant8 to 10Cross-pollination neededClimbing vine for arbors and trellisesCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
Kiwifruit, hardyA. arguta50 to 200 pounds per plant4 to 9Cross-pollination neededClimbing vine for arbors and trellisesCanopy of leafy branches, trunk (with age)
Kiwifruit, super-hardyA. kolomikta50 to 200 pounds per plant3 to 7Cross-pollination neededClimbing vine for arbors and trellisesCanopy of leafy branches,  variegated leaves, trunk (with age)
LingonberryVaccinium vitis-idaea5 to 10 pounds per 100 square feet4 to 7Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yieldGround coverEvergreen leaves, flower (two seasons), fruits
MaypopPassiflora incarnata12 fruits per plant5 to 10Cross-pollination neededClimbing vine for arbors and trellisesFlowers
MedlarMespilus germanica20 pounds per tree5 to 8Self-fruitfulSpecimen tree planted singly or in a mixed borderFlowers, fall color of leaves
Mulberry, blackMorus nigra5 to 25 pounds per plant7 to 10Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeTree form
Mulberry, redMorus rubra5 to 25 pounds per plant5 to 8Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeTree form
Mulberry, whiteMorus alba5 to 25 pounds per plant5 to 8Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeGlossy leaves
PawpawAsimina triloba25 pounds per plant4 to 8Cross-pollination neededSpecimen or shade treeLeaves all summer and in fall
Peach and nectarinePrunus persica50 to 150 pounds per tree5 to 9Most varieties are self-fruitfulSmall specimen tree, mixed borderBlossoms
Pear, EuropeanPyrus communis60 to 300 pounds per tree4 to 9Most varieties need cross-pollinationSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall
Pear, AsianP. pyrifolia, P. ussuriensis, P. {x} bretschneideri60 to 300 pounds per tree4 to 9Most varieties need cross-pollinationSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms, leaves in summer and fall
Persimmon, orientalDiospyros kaki40 to 400 pounds per tree7 to 10Some varieties are self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeTree form, fruit
Persimmon, AmericanDiospyros virginiana50 to 100 pounds per tree4 to 10Some varieties are self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeTree form, leaves in summer and fall, fruit
Plum, American hybridsPrunus spp.50 to 100 pounds per treeVariableCross-pollination neededBushy treeBlossoms
Plum, EuropeanPrunus domestica75 pounds per tree4 to 8Self-fruitful, but cross-pollination increases yieldSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms
Plum, Japanese/ChinesePrunus salicina75 pounds per tree6 to 10Cross-pollination neededSpecimen or shade treeBlossoms
QuinceCydonia oblonga75 pounds per plant5 to 9Self-fruitfulSmall specimen tree or shrub, shrub borderBlossoms, fruits
Raisin treeHovenia dulcis5 to 10 pounds per plant6 to 10Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeLeafy form
Rose hips

prickly rose

Rosa acicularis4 pounds per plant2 to 9Self-fruitfulShrub borderFlowers, fruits

dog rose

Rosa canina4 pounds per plant3 to 10Self-fruitfulShrub border, trained on fence or postFlowers, fruits

sweetbriar rose

R. eglanterea4 pounds per plant4 to 10Self-fruitfulShrub border, trained on fence or postFlowers, fruits

Moyes rose

R. moyesii4 pounds per plant5 to 10Self-fruitfulShrub border, trained on fence or postFlowers, fruits, leaves in summer

rugose rose

R. rugosa4 pounds per plant3 to 10Self-fruitfulShrub border, hedgeFlowers, fruits

apple rose

R. villosa4 pounds per plant5 to 10Self-fruitfulShrub border, hedgeFlowers, fruits
Russian oliveElaeagnus angustifolia20 pounds per plant2 to 7Self-fruitfulSpecimen tree, large hedgeLeaves in summer, fruits (‘King Red’)
SeaberryHippophae rhamnoides20 pounds per plant3 to 7Cross-pollination is neededSpecimen hedge, shrub borderLeaves in summer, fruits
Shipova{x} Sorbopyrus auricularis50 pounds per tree4 to 9Probably self-fruitfulSpecimen treeFlowers, leaves in summer
Sorbus

sorb tree

Sorbus domestica30 pounds per tree6 to 10Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeLeaves in summer and fall

whitebeam

Sorbus aria30 pounds per tree5 to 9Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeLeaves in summer and fall, fruits

Korean mountain ash

Sorbus alnifolia30 pounds per tree4 to 7Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeLeaves in summer and fall, fruits

Yu’s mountain ash

Sorbus yuana30 pounds per tree4 to 7Self-fruitfulSpecimen or shade treeLeaves in summer and fall, fruits
WintergreenGaultheria procumbensUnknown3 to 6Self-fruitfulGround coverEvergreen leaves, fruits
  • Updated on Jul 21, 2022
  • Originally Published on Dec 30, 2009
Tagged with: edible, fruit, Landscape, Trees
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