These cool November days have me pining for those warm, late Summer afternoons. August and September can be a time of love …and pollination. As I stifle a sneeze, I remember that we are back in the pollen and fruit tree season. As I reach for that hanky, I ponder the process of pollination and cogitate on it’s complexity. The fact is, that edible tree, berry or bush that we select may provide nary a fruit without the proper-cross pollinator. And so we break out the charts, graphs and look more closely at ripening date relative to freeze date, size and space issues, color, texture…and fruit quality. As I am in the Puget Sound, I will just concentrate on our special niche and ignore the many citrus fruits…
Here at TOPC we are busy drawing circles on a plan and making lists that include stone fruits such as plum and cherry and fruit trees such as apple, pear, asian pear and elderberry. In addition to vines such as kiwi and grape, we are specifying varied berries as well, such as blueberry, currant, huckleberry, strawberry, gooseberry, raspberry, and salmonberry. It’s a daunting task to get it all to complement in color, texture and size, perform the more pragmatic landscape uses we call for…and fruit as well. But we and our clients are significantly rewarded with the literal fruits of our endeavors, while we re-establish wildlife habitat and multi-task our landscape designs.
Here is a list of some fruit varieties in an approximate ripening order. Tastes in fruit vary with the individual, so these varieties include some of the best from our trials but many others can be grown successfully in our Puget Sound climate.
(From http://nwfruit.org/recommended-fruit-trees/)
APPLES
Zestar, Sunrise, Silken, Gravenstein/Red Gravenstein, Akane, Alkmene, Marshall Mac, Honeycrisp, Jonamac, Sansa, Tsugaru Homei, Regal Gala (Fulford), Cox’s Orange Pippin, Elstar/Elista (red Elstar), Karmijn de Sonnaville, Spartan, Jonagold strains, Rubinette, Beni Shogun Fuji, September Wonder Fuji, Melrose, Redcort, Empire, Royal, Boskoop, Red,Ashmead’s Kernel, Shizuka, Millenium (NY 460), Mutsu, Braeburn, Hillwell,
SCAB-IMMUNE APPLES
Pristine, Williams’ Pride, Prima, Dayton, Releika, Rajka, Liberty, Belmac, Goldstar,
PEARS
Stuttgarter Gieshirltle, Clapp’s Favorite/Red Clapp’s, Orcas, Rescue, Bartlett, Seckel, Blake’s Pride, Honeysweet,Comice, Concorde, Conference, Bosc
ASIAN PEARS (NASHI)
Hamese, Shinseiki, Kosui, Mishirasu, Chojuro, Yoinashi, Atago
PEACHES
Harken, Redhaven, Starfire, Frost, HW 272, Blazingstar, Redstar, Contender
NECTARINES
Hardired
PLUMS
Methley, Beauty, Shiro, Early Laxton, Imperial Epineuse, Obilnaja, Hollywood, Richards’ Early Italian, Seneca, Mirabelle, Victoria, Longjohn, Victory, Valor, Stanley, Schoolhouse, Vision,
CHERRIES
Early Burlat, Hartland, BlackGold [SF], WhiteGold [SF], Kristin, Angela, Bing, Rainier, Lapins [SF], Vandalay [SF], Sweetheart [SF], Tehranivee [SF], Hudson, Surefire (tart pie cherry, [SF]), Montmorency (tart pie cherry,[SF]),
[SF = self fruitful, needs no pollinator]
APRICOTS
Puget Gold, Westley
More on pollination:
http://www.raintreenursery.com/Fruit_Trees/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/growing-tree-fruit-in-colorado-gardens/
