Stone Fruit Trees

Stone fruit trees - a quick guide

Stone fruits make classic jams, preserves, puddings and deliciously sticky memories. In the UK, we’re lucky to have such a wide range of stone fruits that crop reliably. Think plums, damsons and cherries to name a few. Take a dive into some stone fruit facts below to help choose the best tree for you.

Which stone fruit trees are self fertile?

Self fertile stone fruit trees produce a crop without a second tree acting as a pollination partner. It’s best to pick a self fertile variety if you’re choosing to have one tree or to pick your few trees from the same pollination group. Some fruits like the sweet gage ‘Old Greengage’ are partially self-fertile, so whilst they’ll crop by themselves, they’ll crop heavier with a partner to pollinate them. Cherry ‘Sunburst’ is a self fertile cherry, suitable for a patio pot or growing in the garden with sweet fruits. If you’re a cherry lover, read our cherry masterclass for top tips on getting the best harvests.

Which are the best stone fruit trees for pots?

Look out for our range of dwarf fruit trees. These special trees are grafted onto dwarf rootstock which increases their vigour whilst capping their growth at a pot friendly height. They crop superbly on a sunny patio.

Our patio nectarine is a good option for blossom lovers. Spring sees plenty of sweetly scented blooms on this dwarf patio tree followed by perfumed fruits that ripen over summer.

Which stone fruits have scented flowers?

Stone fruit trees often have delightful scented blossoms in spring. Try nectarine, peach and plum for a strong scent that carries on the breeze. Gage tree blossom is said to have a scent reminiscent of orange blossom which is one of the sweetest, strongest tree scents.

Best stone fruit trees for a cool climate

The hardiest stone fruit trees are the cherries, plums, gages and damsons. It’s still a good idea to protect the blossom of these fruit trees in spring. Less hardy stone fruits are the peaches and nectarines. These need plenty of sun and warmth to ripen in the summer. They’re best grown against a south facing wall in full sun if you don’t have the space in a greenhouse.