The Bee Better Teaching Garden experiments with several types of fruit trees and shrubs. Our criteria first and foremost, are the fruit’s performance without spraying. We also consider plants for an average residential property, so we look for varieties that are self-pollinating and also dwarf varieties.. Below is a list of the fruits we have in the teaching garden.
UPDATED: 12/4/24
Honey Crisp apple—Malus domestica ‘Honey Crisp’— Still no fruit, but in 2022, I took down a crape mrlytle, block light.
North Sentinel apple—Malus pumila ‘North Sentinel’—Moved from the Mixed Border to the Rock Garden. Excellent tasting fruit. We had seven years this year.
Transcendent crabapple —Malus domestica ‘Transcendent’—Pruned hard in 2024 so I can reach the fruit. I should have done this years ago, and all along. Still got some nice fruit.
Banana—Musa basjoo
Banana—Musa basjoo—This did well, but there was no edible fruit, and I wasn’t using the leaves for cooking, so I took them out. They looked great, but the maintenance was getting to be too much. My one clump developed in around 5o plants. After each’s years first frost, it was like felling trees.
Blueberries—Vaccinium ashei ‘Premier’ ‘Climax’, & ‘Powder Blue’
Cherry—Prunus avium ‘Stella’. Still hasn’t produced fruit. I’m not sure why. It’s reported not to need a pollinator.
Chokeberry—Aronia melanocarpa
Chokecherry—Prunus virginiana
Cornelian cherry—Cornus Mas—In 2012, I moved it from the back garden to the South side. It flowers every year, but no fruit yet.
Fig — Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’—Excellent producer.
Fig—Ficus carica ‘LSU Purple’—Excellent producer.
Fig—Ficus carica 'Celeste’—Excellent producer.
Fig—‘Ficus carica ‘Marseilles’—Excellent producer.
Goumi Berry—Elaeagnus multiflora—Elaegnus can put the fear of god in some people due to it’s invasiveness. The fruit is tasty.
Grapes: Muscadines—Vitis rotundifolia—Excellent producer.
Kumquat—Fortunella japonica—I only received fruit one year in the last 15 years. It was delicious. Receiving no fruit in years is a timing issue. If the fruit buds are hit by 25-degree weather, it will kill off the production.
Updated 12/3/23—Dwarf Mulberry, Morus nigra—still a seedling
Paw-paw—Asimina triloba—A very good year. Needs two to tango.
Pear, Kieffer—Pyrus communis x P. pyrifolia—Excellent producer.
Pear, Asian—Pyrus pyrifolia—Excellent producer.
Persimmon, Japanese —Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’
Persimmon, Japanese —Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’—Beautiful plant; Excellent producer.
Added 12/3/23 Persimon, American—Diospyros virginiana. Needs a pollinator.
Pomegranate, Punica granatum—Excellent producer..
Pom
Raspberries—Ever-bearing, Rubus idaeus—probably Southland—Excellent producer.
Serviceberry—Amelanchier × grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’—Does get rust, but it doesn’t affect the birds from enjoying it.
Strawberries—Fragaria × ananassa