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DWN FRUIT VARIETY COLLECTION
Website Top 50 Home Garden Tree Fruit Varieties
For the 12-month period ended September 30, 2015, the 50 varieties listed below were the most frequently accessed of the more than 300 tree fruit variety pages in the Dave Wilson Nursery Home Garden/Retail Nursery catalog. The most-accessed measure is unique pageviews: the number of user sessions during which a specific page was viewed.
This list is offered as a possible starter checklist for home fruit growers researching tree fruit varieties to plant.
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Symbols: see bottom of page
Outstanding sweet apple for warm winter areas. Firm, very flavorful, sweet like Golden Delicious. Productive throughout So.CA and Phoenix, AZ. Good early season sweet apple for Central CA. 100 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-10.
Introduction from Japan that quickly became California’s favorite apple. Sweet, very crisp and flavorful, excellent keeper. Dull reddish orange skin, sometimes russeted. Ripe mid-September. Excellent pollenizer for other apple varieties. Low chilling requirement - less than 500 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 4-9.
Winter hardy tree from the University of Minnesota. Fruit is crisp and juicy with an aromatic flavor. Striped red over yellow color. Stores well. Ripens mid-August. Pollenized by Gala, Granny Smith, Empire, McIntosh and Red Delicious. USDA Zones 3-9.
Hot climate apple from Western Australia. Very crisp, sweet tart, distinct flavor, good keeper. Skin reddish pink over green when ripe. White flesh resists browning. Harvest begins late October in Central CA, about three weeks after Fuji. Self-fruitful in many western U.S. climates; pollenizer recommended for best production. 300-400 hours. USDA Zones 6-9.
All-purpose freestone. Sweet, aromatic, flavorful - the long-time No. 1 apricot in California. Early bloom. Late June harvest in Central CA. 400 hours or less. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9.
Excellent backyard apricot for warm winter climates. Freestone, very good quality. Heavy bearing. Early harvest, 3-4 weeks before Blenheim (Royal). 300 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9. (Zaiger)
A consistently productive apricot variety. Large, orange fruit with firm, sweet flesh. Slightly tart, old-time apricot flavor. Early harvest, 2 - 3 weeks before Wenatchee Moorpark. Originated at Prosser, WA, introduced in 1989. 500 hours or less. Partly self-fruitful, largest crops if pollenized by another apricot. USDA Zones 4-9.
White flesh apricot-plum hybrid. Medium-sized with incredible flavor, very sweet and juicy. Ripens early- to mid-July. Self-fruitful. 400 hours. USDA Zones 7-10. (Pat. No. 17827) (Zaiger)
Apricot-plum hybrid. Resembles an apricot but with a distinctive flavor and texture all its own. High taste-test scores, one of the most flavorful early season fruits. Early June. Very low chilling requirement, less than 300 hours. Self-fruitful, but largest crops when pollenized by another apricot. (Zaiger)
Juicy, sweet, mild flavored fruit is crisp like an apple. Early to mid-August in Central CA. Keeps well. Easy to grow, heavy bearing small tree. 300-400 hours. Self-fruitful or pollenized. by Shinseiki, Bartlett, or other.
Consistently rated the best-tasting Asian pear at Dave Wilson Nursery fruit tastings. Large, juicy, sweet, flavorful, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Brownish-orange russeted skin. Harvest early to mid-August in Central CA. 300-400 hours. Pollenized by Shinko, Chojuro, Bartlett, or 20th Century.
Juicy, sweet, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Easy to grow. Keeps well. Harvest late July/early August in Central CA. Bright yellow skin. Vigorous, heavy bearing (usually by 2nd year). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Taste test winner. Natural semi-dwarf sweet cherry. Dark red to nearly black, medium to large size, wonderful spicy flavor, very firm texture. Mature tree size about 2/3 of standard (smaller when budded onto Colt or Mahaleb rootstock). Harvest midseason. 500-600 hours. Partly self-fruitful, but pollenizer recommended: a midseason or later bloomer such as Bing, Black Tartarian, Rainier, Stella, Utah Giant, Van. USDA Zones 4-9. (Zaiger)
Self-fruitful, dark red sweet cherry from Canada. Large, firm, good flavor. Similar to Van in color, Bing in shape. Sometimes sold as ‘Self-fertile Bing.’ Ripens 4 days after Bing. 500 hours or less. USDA Zones 5-9.
Large, yellow with red blush. Sweet and flavorful. Very cold hardy. Midseason harvest. 700 hours. Pollenized by Van, Lambert, Lapins, Black Tartarian & Bing. USDA Zones 5-9.
Long-time favorite yellow sweet cherry for eating fresh or canning. 700 hours. Pollenizer required - interfruitful with Van and Black Tartarian, not Bing. USDA Zones 5-7.
Medium-sized red cherry, very firm with excellent flavor. Ripens 11-14 days ahead of Bing, Tree is very productive with a low chill requirement. Pollenized by Minnie Royal and Royal Crimson. 200 to 300 hours. (Pat. No.12417) (Zaiger)
Large yellow cherry with slightly more red blush than Rainier. Excellent flavor, taste test winner. Ripens early, about 3-5 days ahead of Rainier. Chill requirement 500 hours. Pollenized by Bing, Black Tartarian and Lapins. USDA Zones 5-9. (Zaiger)
The industry favorite sweet cherry in Utah. Larger, firmer, more flavorful than Bing or Lambert. Good canner. Does not double. 800 hours. Pollenizer required: Bing, Lambert, Rainier, Van. USDA Zones 4-9.
(A.k.a. “Tiger”) Especially fine flavor! Small to medium-sized fruit with green color and yellow “tiger” stripes. Strawberry pulp is blood-red in color. 100 hours. Self-fruitful.
Small to medium size purple-black fruit with a very deep red strawberry pulp and distinctive, sweet, rich flavor. Brebas are pear-shaped with a thick, tapering neck; main crop figs are variable, often without neck. Medium eye. Excellent fresh or dried. A naturally small (semi dwarf) tree. Frost hardy. Good for container culture or small spaces. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-10.
“Chinese date.” The most popular jujube variety. Round shaped fruits are larger than Lang. Reddish brown, dry and wrinkled, sweet and chewy (like dates) when fully ripe in early fall. Attractive, easy to grow tree: hardy, drought resistant, virtually pest and disease free. Requires long, hot summer. Very low chilling requirement. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-10.
The first NectaPlum® from Zaiger Hybrids. White-fleshed, nectarine x plum. Skin is dark maroon at fruit set, and turns pale pink when ripe. Fully ripe fruit is unparalleled in flavor, and both nectarine and plum traits are easily detectable. The tree is quite ornamental: tremendous purplish pink bloom in the spring followed by a flourish of red leaves which mature into lush green in late summer. Self-fruitful. Very productive. 200-300 hours. High chill adaptable. (Pat. No. 13503) (Zaiger)
Sensational fruit: consistently the best flavored yellow nectarine plus magnificent, double pink flowers. Dark red-skinned, freestone fruit is sweet, with unusually rich flavor - very high scoring in taste tests. Heavy-bearing tree. Harvest early to mid-July in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
Taste test winner. Sweet, juicy, early season white freestone. Late June harvest in Central CA, 2-3 weeks ahead of Babcock peach. Long-time favorite in So. Calif. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Long-time favorite white-fleshed freestone. Sweet and juicy, aromatic, low in acid. High scoring in taste tests. Ripens mid-July in Central CA. Widely adapted (low chill requirement, yet not early blooming). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Also called Saucer or Peento peach. Unique white-fleshed fruit with a sunken center (shaped like a doughnut). Sweet, with a mild flavor described by some as almond-like. Ripens late June/early July in Central CA. Estimated chilling requirement 200-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Delicious, fine flavored peach with very low chilling requirement ripens 2-3 weeks before Mid-Pride. Medium to large-sized yellow freestone - also recommended as early season peach for moderate climates - harvest 3 weeks before July Elberta. 100-200 hours. Self- fruitful. (Zaiger)
Taste test winner, one of the all-time highest rated fruits at Dave Wilson Nursery fruit tastings. Large freestone, firm crimson and cream colored flesh. Tart until fully ripe, then highly aromatic with a rich, distinctive flavor. Highly resistant to peach leaf curl. Late season. 700 hours. Another nectarine or peach needed as pollenizer.
Popular fresh market yellow freestone and an excellent choice for home planting. Large, firm, full red skin, superb flavor. Ripens early to mid-August in Central CA. Good for freezing. Strong, vigorous, heavy bearing tree. 750 hours. Self-fruitful.
Flowering/fruiting. Large, juicy, firm, richly flavored yellow freestone fruit. High-scoring at DWN fruit tasting. Showy double red blossoms. Mid-July. Long-time favorite in Southern CA and Texas. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Large, very firm, fine-flavored, yellow freestone. Bright red skin over yellow. Suncrest is the peach immortalized by the book “Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm”, by David Mas Masumoto (1995). Harvest late July in Central CA. Frost hardy blossoms, consistent producer. Originated in Fresno, CA. Introduced in 1959. 500 hours. Self-fruitful.
Delicious white freestone for warm-winter climates: balanced acid and sugar, superb flavor. Harvest begins mid-June in Central CA, about three weeks before Babcock. Showy blossoms in spring. From Florida, introduced in 1988. Very low winter chilling requirement, about 200 hours. Self-fruitful.
Excellent quality dessert pear, tree is highly resistant to fire blight. Medium to large, long-necked fruit with pale green skin, sometimes blushed red. Smooth flesh (no grit cells) is juicy and buttery with superb flavor. Good keeper. Cold hardy to -20 deg F. From Mississippi. 600 hours. Self-fruitful
(“Apple Persimmon”) Medium size, flat shape, still crunchy when ripe, non-astringent. Cool or hot climate. Hardy, attractive tree, practically pest free. Fall harvest. 200 hours. Self-fruitful.
Larger, not as flat as Fuyu. Crunchy when ripe like Fuyu. Sweet, flavorful, non astringent. Easy to grow, cool or hot climates. Fall harvest. 200 hours. Self-fruitful.
This taste-test favorite is a complex interspecific hybrid, predominantly of plum and cherry, giving it the sweetness of a cherry, combined with that summer fresh plum zing. Much larger than a cherry, but slightly small for a plum, this precocious and prolific variety will hang on the tree for over a month, and the colorful fruit make Sweet Treat a true ornamental. Reaches peak ripeness at the end of July. Tested as 46MB583. Pollinated by Santa Rosa plum, Burgundy plum, Flavor King Pluot®. 200 to 300 hours. (Pat. No. 23796) (Zaiger)
Sweet, flavorful plum, more widely adapted than Santa Rosa (more productive in cool, rainy climates). Red over yellow skin, amber flesh streaked red. Ripens June in Central CA, a week or more before Santa Rosa. 250 hours. Self-fruitful.
Maroon colored skin and semi-freestone flesh. Sweet, with little or no tartness and a very pleasing, mild flavor. High taste test scores. Prolonged harvest, mid-July to mid-August in Central CA. Very productive tree with narrow, upright habit. 300 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-9.
Home orchard favorite: large, heart-shaped fruit with sweet, juicy, richly flavored, firm red flesh. Dark reddish-purple mottled skin. Long harvest season - September in Central CA. Hardy, heavy bearing tree. 500 hours or less. Pollenize with Beauty or Santa Rosa.
One of the highest-rated plums in blind fruit tastings at DWN. Light green skin, greenish-yellow to orange freestone flesh. Harvest begins late August in Central CA. Ripe fruit continues to sweeten, becoming exceptionally sweet, but remaining crisp and crunchy. Ripe fruit holds on tree longer than any other stone fruit: two months or more! 600-700 hours. Pollenizer required: Beauty, Burgundy, Late Santa Rosa, Nubiana, Flavor King Pluot. (Pat. No. 9162) (Zaiger)
Large, red fleshed, sweet, juicy, firm, delicious. Small pit, nearly freestone. Mottled maroon over green skin. Use fresh or cooked. Harvest August. 250 hours. Pollenized by Catalina, Nubiana, or Santa Rosa.
Most popular plum in California & Arizona. Juicy, tangy and flavorful. Reddish purple skin, amber flesh tinged red. Late June in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Long-time favorite plum in California. Mottled maroon over green skin, dark red meaty flesh. Sweet, mild, not tart. Excellent for jam. Harvest late July. 300 hours. Pollenized by Santa Rosa or Beauty.
One of the most flavorful, aromatic Japanese plums when fully ripe. Beautiful 8-10 ft. tree, weeping growth habit: long slender limbs bow gracefully to the ground. Easily espaliered. 200-400 hours. Self-fruitful.
Taste test winner. Ranks with Flavor King and Flavor Supreme Pluot® varieties as best-flavored fruit at Dave Wilson Nursery tastings. Creamy white and red fleshed freestone with wonderful plum-apricot flavor. Skin greenish-yellow with red spots, turning to a maroon and yellow dapple. August harvest in Central CA. 400-500 hours. USDA Zones 5-10. Pollenized by Flavor Supreme Pluot®, Flavor King Pluot®, Santa Rosa, Catalina or Burgundy Plum. (Zaiger)
Elongated green fruit with red blush. Crisp texture, explosive flavor. Taste test winner. Hangs on the tree for 4-6 weeks. Pollenized by Flavor King Pluot®, Dapple Dandy Pluot®, Emerald Drop Pluot® or Santa Rosa plum. 300-400 hours. (Pat. No. 12097) (Zaiger)
Taste test winner. Unique plum-apricot hybrid with sensational bouquet and sweet, spicy flavor. Reddish-purple skin, crimson flesh. Harvest mid-August in Central CA. Naturally small tree. 400 hours or less. Pollenized by Flavor Supreme Pluot® or Dapple Dandy Pluot® and Santa Rosa or Late Santa Rosa plum. (Zaiger)
Taste test winner. Plum/apricot hybrid with sweet, richly flavored, firm red flesh. Greenish-maroon mottled skin. June harvest in Central CA, about two weeks before Santa Rosa. 700-800 hours. Pollenized by Santa Rosa and Late Santa Rosa plums, or Flavorosa, Flavor Queen and Geo Pride Pluot®. (Zaiger)
Small to medium-sized red-orange colored fruit, with very sweet orange flesh. Consistently among the highest scoring varieties at Dave Wilson formal fruit tastings. Round to heart-shaped fruit is excellent eaten fresh, dried or in desserts. Upright tree sets large crops once established. 400 hours or less. Pollenized by Santa Rosa plum or Flavor Grenade Pluot®. (Pat No. 14583) (Zaiger).
Edible Ornamental: varieties having both tasty fruit and especially attractive tree, foliage, bloom or long-hanging fruit characteristics.
Taste Test Winner: varieties that have made the highest overall scores at Dave Wilson Nursery fruit tastings.
DWN Top 100: the 100 best-selling DWN fruit varieties for retail nurseries, including many of the most well-proven varieties.
Zaiger Variety: developed by Zaiger's Inc. Genetics of Modesto, California. Dave Wilson Nursery is the exclusive U.S. licensor and primary propagator.
