The 7 Best Fruit Trees for Small Spaces
Thinking about making some additions to your yard, patio, balcony, or garden? If you like the idea of edible landscaping–trees that look good and give you delicious fruit as well, there are plenty of options you can select from. To make choosing the best tree for your compact space, we’ve selected our 8 favorites that will add fruit and beauty to your life.
1 Black Chokeberry
Chokeberry may not be the first fruiting plant that comes to mind when you think of a delectable snack, but it can be! These berries may not be the best raw, but they can be transformed into jellies, jams, and syrups.
Characteristics
The black Chokeberry is a very versatile and attractive bush that grows up to 6 feet in height. It likes acidic soil and will do well in full or partial sun as well as in the shade. They do best in zones 3 through 8 if you’re planning to keep yours outdoors.
Colors
And if you are looking for color, you will love the white and pink blossoms in the spring, the deep green foliage of the summer, the berries as they turn from green to red to purple then black, and the leaves as they turn to orange, red and purple in the fall.
Fruit
Each bush can produce up to 40 pounds of berries that are delicious as jams and jellies or smoothies. And who says that something that tastes good can’t be great for your health? With more antioxidants than blueberries, the fruit can help fight cancer and slow age-related loss of memory.
2 Dwarf Meyer Lemon
Small but mighty: the Dwarf Meyer Lemon has earned its reputation as ideal for small spaces with its excellent fruit and compact size.
Characteristics
Fresh lemonade? Your Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree will provide you with fresh lemons throughout the year. It will grow up to 10 feet tall and is a wonderful choice for a spot on your patio. If the weather turns cold in the fall, just bring it in until things warm up again in the spring.
You can plant it in a container so you can move it in and out depending on the weather or plant it next to your patio if you are in zones 9 to 11. In the yard, it can provide a nice focal point or you can plant them as a hedge to provide a little privacy.
Colors
You will love the fragrant white blossoms and the deep green foliage. Pollinators will love the blossoms, too. And don’t worry about bare branches come winter because this tree is an evergreen–holding onto its leaves throughout the year.
Fruit
The juice is sweeter than most lemons and contains a hint of mandarin orange flavor, making it the winner of many taste tests. This heavy-producing variety will give you lemons during most of the year, so you always have them for lemonade, adding to your iced tea or whatever recipe that calls for lemon juice. Your body will never lack vitamin C either.
3 Garden Delight Nectarine
As its name implies, the Garden Delight Nectarine truly is a delight to grow! This petite tree is a treat for those without expansive yards.
Characteristics
The Garden Delight Nectarine is a great dwarf fruit tree, growing to 6 feet but still providing a bumper crop. You can grow it outside in zones 6-9 or inside in zones 4-8. It isn’t fussy about where it sinks its roots, so if your soil isn’t the best, it will still be happy. It will work well on or near your patio or if you need a little privacy, you can use a few of these as a screen. Plant it in a pot, and enjoy it inside or out–depending on the weather.
Colors
In the spring, you will enjoy the dark green foliage and the bright pink blossoms. The butterflies and bees in your area will enjoy the blossoms as well. As the fruit ripen, they will be bright yellow with a touch of red, so be ready to feast your eyes on them before you feast on their delicious flesh.
Fruit
You will harvest a nice crop of large fruit. It is a freestone variety, so it will be easy to serve as a dessert or to eat straight from the tree. Plant one or more this year and you will be enjoying the sweet, juicy fruit before you know it.
4 Golden Jubilee Peach
A sweet and celebratory peach tree: The Golden Jubilee is a gardener's dream! This versatile tree does well in zones where others may struggle to thrive.
Characteristics
You can’t go wrong with a Golden Jubilee Peach tree. They grow up to 14 feet tall and thrive in zones 5 to 8. They aren’t worried about your soil because they can adapt to pretty much anything you care to plant them in. They will grow quickly and are disease resistant. Just make sure that you place them where they will get plenty of sun.
Colors
Picture delicate pink blossoms against a background of dark green leaves. You will be able to enjoy that scene every spring. And you will be providing food for pollinators far and wide. The yellow and red fruit almost seem to be blushing because they are so beautiful. In the fall the deep green foliage will transform to an attractive yellow. You and your family will enjoy three seasons of color.
Fruit
The freestone fruit is hard to beat. It is sweet and juicy, and you will have a hard time getting enough of it into the kitchen to can, freeze and cook because you will be so tempted to eat it straight from the tree. Add one to your yard and you will be having peach juice dripping from your chin before you know it. Add a second or third for better harvests.
5 Mutsu Apple
The Mutsu Apple is a blend of home-growers and product market’s favorites: The Golden Delicious and Indo. Plus, this small tree offers delightful fall foliage!
Characteristics
It will grow to 15 feet in height in just about any soil that you might have. Just remember to plant it in full sun. Once the root system is established, you won’t have to worry about watering it, unless it is very hot and dry. It is great for zones 4 to 8, and you should be able to start harvesting fruit in 3 to 5 years.
Colors
They have white blossoms in the spring that will pull pollinators to your yard from far and wide. As spring turns to summer, the foliage will turn dark green before turning to yellow in the fall. But just before the seasons change, you will be picking the yellow to yellowish green fruit from the tree’s boughs.
Fruit
You can expect bumper crops of crisp, juicy and tart fruit. The large, round fruit has creamy white flesh that is great eaten fresh or cooked in pies or other desserts. You will be glad that you have one or more of these as part of your edible landscape.
6 York Elderberry
The York Elderberry is a fast-growing elderberry that will keep you stocked with an amazing superfood!
Characteristics
The York Elderberry will reach 12 feet before you know it because it is an easy-to-grow and fast-growing plant. Plant it in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil, rich in humus and you will quickly be enjoying the literal fruit of your labor. They do best in zones 3 to 9. You can use them as stand-alone bushes or install them as a screen or edible hedge.
Colors
You will enjoy three seasons of color with these. In the spring, they will be covered with white blossoms that will slowly transform to green then deep purple berries as they ripen. The green foliage will change to red and orange in the fall as the weather cools. And don’t forget the added colors of the butterflies and other pollinators that they will attract.
Fruit
You can expect up to 30 pounds of delicious fruit per bush, but remember, for the best crop, you will need to add a partner. You, and the birds in your neighborhood, will love the sweet, rich flavor of the small berries. As you harvest them, start thinking about how you are going to use them. Toss some on top of your breakfast cereal, turn them into jam, maybe a pie or other dessert, but don’t forget about using them for syrup on top of pancakes or french toast for a delicious and nutritious breakfast.
7 Dwarf Strawberry
Before you raise an eyebrow at a strawberry being mixed in with shrubs and trees, know that this rare beauty is a tree! While its name may be deceiving, you will quickly fall for its easy-ti-grow nature and unique fruit!
Characteristics
While not well known, the Dwarf Strawberry would make a great addition to your edible landscape. It grows up to 10 feet in height and will do well in full or partial shade, and it loves well-drained loam. They do best in zones 7 to 9. They are easy to grow and once their roots are established, need little water.
Colors
They are a stunning focal point when planted in the yard, and they also make a great screen or hedge. They have deep green foliage that provides a lovely background for the small white blossoms and the gorgeous red fruit. You will enjoy watching the many pollinators that the spring blossoms attract, as well as the birds that visit to try the tasty fruit.
Fruit
The red, strawberry-shaped fruit is delicious and great for jam, pies, and wine. If you don’t want to eat all of them, the birds in your area will be happy to help. Plant them within sight of your patio and see which of your feathered friends likes them the most. Order one or more of these and start to enjoy their beauty along with their Vitamin C-filled fruit.
Small-But-might Fruit Trees
While it is nice to have an attractive yard, isn’t it better to have one that is both attractive and delicious? With these fun, festive, and petite trees, you will be living it up with fruit that you can use in a variety of ways!
