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Fruit Trees Availability
Updated for 2023
There is nothing quite like eating a fresh apple from a tree growing in your yard. There just isn’t. The taste is different, the texture is different, and even the smell is different. Better in all cases, compared to fruit purchased from grocery stores. Commercial varieties of fruit are bred and chosen to bear fruit uniformly, to handle shipping, and to store for as long as possible, and are typically harvested underripe. Contrast that with fruit you can grow in your yard - the fruit that you like, using your preferred methods, and picked and enjoyed fresh!
We grow and source an assortment of traditional favorite apple, cherry, peach, and pear trees that are reliably hardy for Wisconsin and northern climates. Please note: We no longer sell plum trees as we’ve found them to not be as hardy as we would like.
Whether you’re starting an orchard at your home this season, or are you looking for help maintaining your fruit trees from last season, we can help with that!
Know What You're Getting Into With Fruit Trees
Fruit Trees Require Training & Pruning Early On
Unlike ornamental landscape trees, fruit trees require training and pruning to be successful. In the first several years, pruning and training will be critical – these are not “set it and forget” plants. Training a fruit tree in the first few seasons helps to achieve proper shape and form which in turn, will help encourage fruiting. After that, yearly maintenance will be required.
Will my tree come with fruit on it? That depends. Fruit begins to form in summer and typically ripens in fall, so it depends on when you purchase the tree. Whether or not it has fruit when you buy it "off the shelf" doesn't impact its fruiting capability once it's happily sited in your yard.
Check out Training & Pruning Fruit Trees >>
Inventory & Pricing
Fruit trees are popular and sell out every year. We do our best to maintain stock but recommend preordering in late winter or early spring. See pricing in the Public Inventory. Wholesale customers should visit the Wholesale Department.
Did you know? Many fruit trees, such as apples, require a second and different variety of apples or a crabapple planted nearby for cross-pollination. Without a cross-pollinator, fruiting will not be achieved.
Check out Entire Public Inventory >>
How Big Are They "Off The Shelf"?
We offer fruit trees in container sizes ranging from #5 to #20 gallons depending on the variety and availability. These sizes are, generally speaking, between 5 and 10 feet tall with a trunk diameter between a pool cue and a baseball bat. No two trees are the same, so we encourage you to browse. We also have a small selection of larger ball and burlap sizes ranging from 1.5” caliper (diameter) and above, depending on the variety and availability.
Check out Understanding Nursery Stock Sizes >>
Shop for Fruit Trees
Apple Trees
Cortland Apple is known for producing large sized fruits that are striped red with a yellow background. Excellent for fresh eating and cooking. Fruit is juicy, moderately sweet and will store well if refrigerated.
A medium to large, sweet apple with golden-green skin and a crisp, firm texture. Golden Delicious apples produce heavy fruit crops and need to be thinned to prevent overproduction and small fruit. This particular variety requires a little more work than others, but the flavor is worth the effort.
Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple
Malus x domestica ‘Golden Sentinel Columnar’
This vertical and narrow-growing apple tree is ideal for smaller yards or containers as they don’t exceed 12 feet in height and is virtually branchless. Large, firm, and golden yellow fruits are attached to the main trunk meaning no pruning! The flavor is sweet and perfect for fresh eating, baking, or cider making.
Haralred is an improved version of Haralson Apple. The medium-large fruits are firm and tart, making Haralred Apple a good choice for pies. Cold hardy variety for those northern zones.
Named for its sweet and extremely juicy fruit that is often described as “explosively crisp”. This variety stays crisp for a very long time in cold storage. A premium quality apple for fresh use.
A large red apple with a slightly tart flavor that gets even better in storage. Liberty is a solid choice as it is reliable, bears at a younger age, and is productive. It is sought after by home growers as it has superior resistance to apple scab, cedar-apple rust, fireblight, and mildew.
McIntosh is an heirloom apple that is still popular today. Although not a crispy apple, it's still excellent for eating and cooking. It excels for making a smooth texture applesauce.
A sport of Gala apple, selected for its darker red color and slightly striped skin. Produces sweet and crispy fruit that is excellent for fresh use. Is in the top 10 apples grown by volume in the U.S.
Zestar!® is a very cold hardy, early-Sept. ripening apple. Outstanding quality for an early apple! Good for both fresh eating and cooking. Zestar!® apples will store well for up to three weeks when refrigerated.
Cherry Trees: Sour/Tart
Sour/Tart cherries and Lapins (sweet cherry) are self-pollinating; however, adding another variety may increase fruit yield.
A large fruited tart cherry variety that bears deep red cherries with yellow flesh. Grows very well in the upper Midwest where tart cherries do best and is excellent for urban home growers due to its smaller stature. Mesabi Cherry is self-fertile.
Noted for its very high yields of light colored red and slightly yellow fleshed fruits with a mild cherry flavor. Montmorency is an old tart cherry variety and has become the #1 tart cherry variety commercially grown in the U.S. Montmorency Cherry is self-fertile.
North Star cherry is a dwarf tart cherry that grows 8′-10′ tall on average. It is a ‘Morello type’ so has very dark red flesh and a nice strong cherry flavor. Excellent for the home grower as it is very cold hardy. North Star Cherry is self-fertile.
A tart cherry that's known for its extremely heavy crop yield. This variety produces a nice quality dark red cherry that is excellent for pies, jams, and cobblers. Sweet Cherry Pie™ is self-fertile.
Cherry Trees: Sweet
Bears large mahogany colored fruits that are sweet and crisp. It is one of few sweet cherry varieties that is self-pollinating which makes it an excellent variety for the home grower. Lapins is also a popular commercial variety.
Rainier Cherry requires a cross-pollinator to produce fruit. We suggest Lapins cherry.
Rainier sweet cherry has exceptionally large fruits with high sugar content. The fruit is yellow with a nice red blush. Noted for its wonderful flavor and fruit quality. Highly prized and much sought after for its delicious fruit.
Peach Trees
Peaches are self-pollinating; however, adding another variety may increase fruit yield.
With a later bloom time than other varieties, Contender is more cold-hardy and resistant to spring frosts making it an excellent choice for Wisconsin home growers. The fruit is medium to large-sized and has sweet, yellow flesh, wonderful for fresh eating, preservation, and baking. Contender is self-pollinating; however, adding another variety may increase the size of the crop.
Reliance peach is an extremely cold hardy peach that was bred for northern climates. Considered to be one of the hardiest peach varieties. The fruit is soft, sweet and very juicy. Medium sized fruits. Great for canning, cooking and fresh use.
Redhaven Peach
Prunus persica ‘Redhaven’
Redhaven is an outstanding producer of medium-sized, delicious peaches. Nearly fuzzless fruit with firm, sweet, creamy yellow flesh is ideal for fresh eating, canning, and freezing. This variety is fast-growing, heavy-bearing, easy to grow, and disease-resistant. Regular pruning and thinning will be needed as they are vigorous growers. Redhaven is self-pollinating; however, adding another variety may increase the size of the crop.
Bailey Hardy Peach
Prunus persica ‘Bailey Hardy’
An exceptionally cold hardy peach tree bred by the University of Minnesota produces small to medium-sized fruit. The white flesh is sweet and juicy, very good for fresh eating, baking, or canning. Bailey Hardy is self-pollinating; however, adding another variety may increase the size of the crop.
Pear Trees
All pear varieties require a cross-pollinator to produce fruit.
Must be cross-pollinated with a different pear variety to produce fruit.
Perhaps the most well-known pear, Bartlett Pears are relished for their sweet flavor, classic pear shape, and wonderful fragrance. An explosion of white flowers in spring is followed by an abundance of yellow-green pears that can be used for fresh eating, canning, baking, and more!
Must be cross-pollinated with a different pear variety to produce fruit.
While not an ornamental tree, this semi-dwarf pear puts on a gorgeous display of white flowers in spring – a bonus in addition to its tasty fruit. Medium-sized green fruit blushes with red as they ripen. The flavor is sweet and the texture is fine, making them great for fresh eating, baking, and storing.
