The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

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Northwest Tree Fruits

In the early years of immigration and settlement, fruit varieties proliferated as seeds and seedlings brought from Europe and other parts of the world were propagated in the Northwest. Amateur and professional plant breeders contributed to the creation of others.

During the past half-century, plantings of fruit trees, especially on a commercial scale, have become less diversified, causing the number of varieties available through nurseries to decline sharply. However, renewed interest in homesteaders and backyard gardeners are showing in antique and locally adapted varieties has recently stimulated nurseries to again expand their listings.

Following is a brief list of fruit trees and their preferred habitats.

APPLES prefer a sunny location in meadows, on hillsides, along roads or on the edges of forests. Soil type is not as important as depth and drainage. Standard size trees are fairly drought tolerant.

CRABAPPLES are the most cold-hardy domesticated fruits, and are sometimes used as the rootstock for grafted apples. Crabapple fruit is suitable for cooking, jams, pickles, and ciders. Breeding experiments with the native Oregon crabapple suggests the promise of better-producing varieties for the Maritime.

APRICOTS are surprisingly tough for trees which produce such a luscious, soft fruit. Apricots are very drought resistant and can survive in rocky soils. They prefer deep soil for their extensive root system, which is the secret of their drought tolerance. Although able to withstand harsh winters, apricots tend to bloom early adn are apt to lose their crop to spring frosts if not sited correctly. Hot dry weather is best for disease-free ripening. Apricots are thus better suited to the arid Interior than to wet Maritime zones.

PEARS are almost as cold-hardy as apples and can tolerate heavy soils better than other domesticated fruits. They are also not as demanding of full sun as other fruits. The damp climate of the Maritime, however, predisposes pears to leaf diseases unless they are in full sun.

PLUMS of Asian, American and European varieties all tolerate a wide range of sites and conditions. There are plum varieties suitable for almost every Northwest site. Some plums sucker readily and are thus useful in hedgerows.

PEACHES require hot, dry climates. The trees are at their best in deep, sandy, well-drained soils. Peaches need plenty of warm weather and sunlight to ripen properly. Nectarines are similar in requirements and habits.

SWEET CHERRIES are one of the largest standard-sized fruit trees. A well drained soil is essential. Cherries need full sunlight and adequate moisture to ripen well. Mulberries are often planted adjacent to them to divert birds from devouring ripening cherries.

SOUR CHERRIES are hardier than sweet cherries. They can withstand drought and cold. Sour cherries can be kept low by pruning and are therefore useful in mixed plantings or as middle story trees.

Profiles on Lesser Known Fruits

There are a number of temperate and subtropical fruits which are not well known or widely grown but which are adaptable to the Pacific Northwest. A few of these plants will require some pampering to set fruit and ripen, but may be worth consideration by the backyard gardener with a yen for the rare and succulent in fruits.

FIGS (Caricus spp.) have been grown and ripened in the the Puget Sound region for many years. The brown turkey fig is most common and breeders in Oregon offer several superior varieties. They have also been grown in the Interior, but need special care in order to produce and ripen fruit.

PERSIMMONS (Diospyros spp.) are very popular in the Orient where hundreds of varieties have been developed over the centuries. Oriental persimmons are producing well in Ashland, Oregon, and in parts of the Puget Sound region. The hardier, American persimmon ranges as far north as Michigan and Wisconsin and is worthy of trial in the lower Columbia Basin. Persimmon is in the Ebony family and its wood is highly valued for veneer and specialty items.

MEDLAR (Mespilus germanica) is a hardy pome fruit, the size of a small apple, which requires a long season to ripen. It may be gathered green after frost and stored until it ripens. Some varieties are spiny and thus make an excellent hedge.

QUINCE (Cydonia oblondata) is a suckering plant which will form a shrub unless pruned into the shape of a tree. Its fruit is hard and astringent to taste until fully ripened. The best varieties are Mediterranean cultivars which can produce a fruit weighing more than four pounds. Quince is generally used for jams, jellies or other preserves, often mixed with apples or pears. It is hardy in any apple climate. The Japanese quince (Chaenomeles lagenaria) bears a slightly smaller and more aromatic fruit than the common quince and is widely used as an ornamental.

SAND PEAR (Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta) the Japanese apple-pear, or nashi, is shaped like an apple but tastes like a pear. It is a temperate fruit, with a range similar to apples and pears. The fruit is harvested in the fall and will store for long periods.

MULBERRIES (Morus spp.) can be grown in all but the coldest parts of the Northwest. The white mulberry (a native of China) and the red mulberry (a native of the continental U.S.) have fruit of variable quality. The black mulberry is less hardy, restricted to the milder parts of the Northwest, but it yields the best fruit. The Russian mulberry, a drought and wind resistant tree, is particularly suitable for shelterbelts. It is valuable as a decoy for birds, who will desert other fruits, such as cherries, in favor of the mulberries.

STRAWBERRY TREE (Arbutus unedo) is a relative of the madrone. Native to Chile, this evergreen ornamental shrub has fruit the size of a cherry. It has an agreeable taste with a consistency and interior similar to the kiwi. It grows well in Seattle.

WESTERN CHOKECHERRY (Prunus demissa) is a native shrubby tree found throughout the Northwest. The astringent cherry-like fruits make jellies, jams and wine.

The Future is Abundant A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

Northwest Tree Fruits

Profiles on Lesser Known Fruits

The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture