Top ten easy to grow fruit trees and plants

Create your own homegrown orchard by planting these easy to grow fruit trees & plants
Image: Thompson & Morgan

You don't need an orchard to grow your own fruit at home. Apple trees and strawberries, rhubarb and figs will all thrive in a British garden.

If space is limited, try growing your fruit in containers. Did you know you can even plant strawberries in hanging baskets? Here's our infographic showcasing ten easy to grow fruits. Head to the bottom of the page for the full infographic, or scroll through the list for a bit more information about each one. These are our ten favourite fruits that are ideal for beginners:

1. Strawberries
2. Raspberries
3. Blueberries
4. Figs
5. Gooseberries
6. Apples
7. Blackberries
8. Honeyberries
9. Goji berries
10. Currants

Read on to find out why each of these fruits won a place in our coveted top ten. And for even more inspiration, browse our full range of fruit trees and soft fruit plants.

1. Strawberries

Strawberries are perfect for containers
Image: Strawberry 'Just Add Cream' from Thompson & Morgan

Nothing beats the sweet, juicy flavour of sun-warmed strawberries picked straight from your own strawberry plants. Versatile fruits that thrive in patio containers, hanging baskets, window boxes, or the ground - just make sure you plant them in a sunny position and in well-drained soil. 

Easy strawberry varieties to try: Grow our strawberry full season collection pack for three popular varieties to harvest throughout June and July. And for a pretty, pink-flowered and super sweet variety plant ‘Just Add Cream’ for berries from June to September.

2. Raspberries

Harvest up to 2.5kg of large, deep-red berries from raspberry 'Polka'
Image: Raspberry 'Polka' from Thompson & Morgan

Raspberry plants are vigorous growers that are happy in raised beds, containers or the ground as long as the soil has good drainage and they get plenty of sun. Choose from summer or autumn-fruiting varieties, or plant a combination of both for an extra long harvest season. Just make sure to prune your canes at the right time every year - visit our ‘How To Prune Raspberries’ article for specific advice. 

Easy raspberry varieties to try: A real customer favourite, the autumn-fruiting raspberry ‘Polka’ provides a juicy harvest from July to October. For a summer-fruiting option, the thornless raspberry ‘Glen Coe’ produces a unique purple crop of super sweet fruit. And if you want something for containers, try dwarf Raspberry 'Yummy' which grows to just 45cm tall. 

3. Blueberries

Blueberry plants produce clusters of nutrient-dense berries
Copyright: Alamy Stock Photo

Blueberry plants are ideal for growing in containers and they look fantastic on the patio where their scented spring flowers and colourful autumn foliage bring seasonal interest. They need moist, acidic soil to thrive, so fill your containers with ericaceous compost and water them with collected rainwater. (Tap water contains lime and reduces the soil acidity over time.) 

Easy blueberry varieties to try: If you just want one bush, go for a self-fertile variety like blueberry ‘Duke’ or the compact self-fertile variety blueberry 'Top Hat' which matures at 60cm tall. For something a bit different, try blueberry ‘Pink Sapphire’ which produces clusters of bright pink, super-sweet berries

4. Figs

Soft, juicy figs bring a flavour of the Mediterranean to your garden
Image: Fig 'Brown Turkey' from Thompson & Morgan

Fig trees love sunshine and warmth, so plant them against a hot, sunny south/west facing wall. Because they crop best when their roots are restricted, fig trees make an excellent choice for containers. Protect your figs from deep frost and enjoy the taste of freshly picked, sun-warmed fruits at the end of summer. 

Easy fig varieties to try: The classic fig ‘Brown Turkey’ is ideal for growing in the UK climate and is also self-fertile. For containers, choose the Chelsea Flower Show favourite and naturally dwarfing variety ‘Little Miss Figgy’ which matures at 1.8m tall and can produce a crop twice a year.

5. Gooseberries

Gooseberry ‘Giggles Gold’ is resistant to powdery mildew
Image: Gooseberry 'Giggles Gold' from Thompson & Morgan

Gooseberries are one of the easiest berries to grow as they need very little maintenance beyond occasional watering during fruiting. If you have a shady and unproductive corner of your garden, fill it with gooseberries to make good use of the space. Delicious in cakes, crumbles, jams and cordials - gooseberries can also be eaten straight from the bush. 

Easy gooseberry varieties to try: New gooseberry ‘Giggles Gold’ produces bright golden fruits with excellent sweetness from July to August. Try gooseberry 'Hinnonmaki Red' for red-skinned juicy fruits in June and July. Both heavy-cropping bushes produce fruit that’s ideal for cooking.

6. Apples

Apples are a delicious crop with great storage potential
Image: Apple Duo Patio Fruit Tree from Thompson & Morgan

Apple trees produce fruit from mid-summer to late autumn. Plant them in fertile, well-drained soil that sees plenty of sunlight and give your trees a prune during the winter to keep them healthy. Dessert apple varieties are sweet enough to eat straight from the tree, whereas cooking types are great for baking into pies and sauces. Even if you don’t have space for a full-sized tree, you can grow compact dwarf varieties in patio containers.

Easy apple tree varieties to try: For small gardens, go for an apple duo patio fruit tree. This special compact tree has two delicious varieties grafted onto its main stem that pollinate each other. Apple ‘Appletini’ is a compact new self-fertile variety with pink blossom in spring and small red fruits. For perfect apple crumbles, plant the classic apple 'Bramley's Seedling'.

7. Blackberries

Blackberries are prolific and colourful fruiters
Image: Blackberry 'Black Cascade' from Thompson & Morgan

Blackberries are delicious fruits that grow in sun or shade, and don't need much attention to produce a bountiful crop of dark, glossy fruits. The sweet berries can be harvested between June and September and are delicious eaten fresh or baked into desserts.

Easy blackberry varieties to try: For small gardens, choose a compact variety like blackberry ‘Black Cascade’ which grows to about 45cm and looks great trailing from a hanging basket. A good child-friendly option, blackberry ‘Apache’ is thornless and sweet. 

8. Honeyberries

Honeyberries are high in antioxidants
Image: Lonicera kamtschatica 'Kalinka' from Thompson & Morgan

Honeyberries are an unusual fruit that are high in nutrients and very sweet. Easy to grow, they’re tough and incredibly hardy plants that need very little attention. For the best yields, grow honeyberries in pairs to increase the potential for pollination. The blueberry-like berries make a delicious treat, straight from the bush. 

Easy honeyberry varieties to try: Lonicera kamtschatica 'Kalinka' produces super sweet berries. An ornamental edible, this variety can be planted into flower beds and borders where the scented flowers provide interest in spring. Lonicera kamtschatica 'Balalaika' is a good choice for containers, reaching a height and spread of 1m.

9. Goji berries

Goji berries contain lots of vitamins and nutrients
Image: Goji berry 'Sweet Lifeberry' from Thompson & Morgan

Goji berries are the perfect choice for a windy, coastal garden being fairly hardy and tolerant of salt. Grow your goji berry bush against a south-facing wall, or in a sheltered sunny spot, to give the fruit the best conditions for ripening in August. The ‘superfood’ berries contain vitamin C and protein, tasting sweet and liquorice-like, ideal for adding to smoothies and juices for a delicious start to the day. 

Easy goji berry varieties to try: Goji berry ‘Synthia’ reaches a height and spread of 2m, with berries that show a slightly higher than usual sugar content. Plant the larger goji berry ‘Sweet Lifeberry’ (which reaches a height of 3.5m and a spread of 5m) in a bed with plenty of space to sprawl.

10. Currants

Currant plants come in white, pink, red or black
Image: Whitecurrant 'White Versailles' (Organic) from Thompson & Morgan

Currant plants are the perfect soft fruits for decorating desserts, making jams and jellies, or adding to sauces. They freeze well too, so you can savour the taste of summer during the winter months. Expect to see a crop from your bushes in June, July and August. Currant plants are fairly cold tolerant, so they make a great choice for growing in Northern gardens.

Easy currant varieties to try: If you’re tight for space try our redcurrant 'Rovada' which stays at 1.2m, perfect for growing in containers. Whitecurrant 'White Versailles' is the earliest cropping white currant with super sweet berries and for dark, glossy berries, go for blackcurrant 'Ben Connan' which

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These frequently asked questions provide useful information to help you choose which fruit trees and plants to grow in your garden:

What are the quickest fruits to grow?

The quickest fruits to grow are strawberries, blackberries and autumn-fruiting raspberries. These plants should all produce a crop of berries in the first year after planting.

Which fruits grow best in pots?

Blueberries and strawberries are the best fruits to grow in pots. Blueberries need acidic soil, which is easy to provide in pots by using ericaceous compost. Strawberries are naturally compact plants that thrive in pots.

What is the easiest fruit tree to grow?

The easiest fruit tree to grow in the UK is an apple tree. Apple trees are long-lived, heavy-cropping and relatively maintenance-free. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this round-up of ten easy to grow fruits. Share your images with us via social media, using #YourTMGarden. And if you'd like more help and advice covering different fruit varieties, visit our hub page.