FRUIT SUGGESTIONS
FOR SOUTHEASTERN GARDENS
The list on these pages includes many of our favorite fruit plants. These are selections that have grown well for us in eastern North Carolina and coastal Virginia and which add beautiful color and form, in addition to flavor and nutrition, to a home landscape. Our emphasis is always on types and varieties of fruit that do not require chemical spray programs in order to grow well in our region.
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| Ripe Navaho Blackberries |
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BERRIES
Rabbiteye Blueberries – (Vaccinium ashei): Premiere, Climax, Tifblue, etc.
· Blueberries can be grown as specimen shrubs in the landscape or as a fruiting hedge. Green foliage, wonderful fall color. Expect two+ gallons of fruit from mature bushes. Requires acid soil pH or acidic fertilizers to maintain health. Plant two varieties for best fruiting.
Raspberries – (Rubus) Red: Jaclyn Spring-Bearing, Heritage Everbearing, Caroline Everbearing.
Gold: Fall Gold, KiwiGold
· Suggested culture: raised beds only. Raspberries demand excellent winter drainage to avoid root problems.
Thornless Blackberries (Rubus spp.) Navaho, Arapaho (early), Apache, Triple Crown
· Heavy-bearing, thornless canes, beautiful spring flowers. Plan on support against trellis wires or fencing. Tops are biennial, roots are perennial. Require annual cane pruning to maintain production. Self-fruiting.
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SHRUBS AND VINES
Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana), generally available as un-named seedlings.
· Evergreen foliage, beautiful flowers, occasional fruiting Cultivars very hard to find.
Kiwi (Actinidia arguta) Hardy Kiwi ‘Issai’ – Hardy, fuzzless, self-pollinating. Delightful for children.
· Plant in a slightly shaded, cooler location. Plan to prune heavily!
Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) Fuzzy Kiwi - Hayward’ female (requires male pollinator)
· Both kinds require trellising or support for vines and extensive winter pruning to encourage fruiting. No spraying required. Check male/female when planting.
Elderberry (Sambucus): Species and cultivars. Best for jams and jellies. Loved by birds.
· Can be grown as shrubs, tree-form trained and has golden-variegated and purple-leafed varieties. Pest free. Native species and cultivars.
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) Wonderful, Sweet, Nana (dwarf)
· Beautiful, large orange flowers, disease resistant and pest free, self-fruitful. Lovely small tree or landscape shrub.
Grapes – Vitus labrusca (American bunch grapes)
Reliance Red Seedless, Mars Purple Seedless, Himrod White, Niagara White
· (Note: Any bunch grape may require fungicides of some sort during humid summer weather) Require extensive pruning and vine support.
Grapes – Muscadine (Scuppernong) (Vitus rotundifolia):
Bronze: Tara, Carlos, Triumph, Fry Purple: Cowart, Jumbo
· Best for backyard organic growing. Large vines require a strong winter pruning regimen and good support. Tara and Cowart are self-pollinating.
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TREES
Figs - (Ficus carica): Brown Turkey, Celeste, Golden Alma, Italian Golden, Violette Black, etc.
· No spraying required. Maintain reasonable size, do not overgrow. Can be trained as multi-stemmed shrub, small tree or espaliered. Requires lime to keep soil pH high. Self-fruiting.
Loquat – (Eriobotrya japonica) Small landscape trees
· Most commonly un-named species, cultivars are available but hard to find. Large, evergreen leaves, highly scented winter flowers, occasional fruiting with mild winters. Zone 8 and warmer.
Jujube (Zizyphus jujube) –Li (large fruit), Lang (small fruit)
· Jujube tree, light foliage, thorny. Easy to grow, fruit best dried.
Che – (Cudrania tricuspidata), Chinese Mulberry
· Beautiful small tree or shrub. Delicious bright red, seedless fall fruits. Pest-free. Rarely seen but easy to grow.
Oriental Persimmon (Diospyros kaki): Fuyu, Hachiya, Izu
· Lovely, bright green foliage on perfect small landscape trees. Pest-free. Stunning and delicious orange fruits can be either astringent or non-astringent (check variety).
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) : Generally available as un-named seedlings. Native plant VA and NC.
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Grows as multi-stemmed shrub/small tree. Best in locations with afternoon shade. Food source for zebra swallowtail butterfly.
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Want more information?
Although we are no longer answering individual gardening questions, being happily retired from the business, we really do encourage you to see how easy growing your own fruits and veggies really is. Below you'll find links to
Fruit Gardening Books We Recommend. We no longer sell fruit plants and related items, but we've tried to provide an easy,reliable link for purchasing any of the books we recommend online. You can also check your library and local booksellers for these and other resources. |
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