I just removed a large, failing spruce from my front yard and am in the process of a modest re-landscaping. Highest on my list of plantings is a yet-to-be-selected deciduous tree which will be positioned relatively near the house, in front of a big window. The idea of a fruit tree, with it's dramatic changes through the year, is particularly appealing, but I need advice on good choices. I want a real tree structure (I'm decent at pruning), and prefer a tree that matures around 3-4 metres. Sweet fruit that we can eat directly would be a big plus, though I don't mind just feeding the birds. Mostly I want something that will succeed in this spot without too much spraying. The location is on the North side of the house (plenty of sun in summer), with a tall spruce shading and protecting it from the East. Please offer any advice you can on what tree to pick (apricot? Romeo Cherry?) and what to watch out for. I would also appreciate recommendations on reliable sources of maturing tree stock in Alberta.
I wouldn't plant any orchard stone fruits in a shaded position, even a partly shaded one. A serviceberry might work for you in that spot.
Thanks for the reply. Isn't Serviceberry (or Saskatoon) more a bush than a tree? I would really prefer something that might be climbable some day.
Size achieved varies with species, climate, site, what specimen has experienced during production and handling. Depending on which interpretation you follow, there are between 6 and 25 species of Amelanchier, not counting the multiple garden selections on the market. A wild (rather than cultivated) Saskatoon serviceberry (A. alnifolia) along the Columbia River was 42' feet tall in 1993.
Howdy Portage, Which part of Edmonton are you in? I live in Beverly area and have a large apple tree (over 50 yrs old) on the nw corner of my house and another relatively large applecrab (over 30 years old) on the ne corner. There are about 100 cultivars of apples that are hardy for this area. One man's meat is another man's poison. As such I need to know what your taste is like before I can recommend what cultivar to plant. Peace Thean
I'm in Aspen Gardens (just South of Whitemud and East of 199 St.). We seem to have a microclimate here just slightly milder than the surrounding region. We already have one apple, so I'd rather talk about cherries or apricot (my neighbor has a robust looking cherry of some sort in a similar location), but if my North-of-the-house location is better suited to apples, I'm ready to listen. Regarding our taste in apples, we would make good use of a sweet, crisp, eat-off-the-tree variety (Honey Crisp, Ambrosia, Gala) or a tart pie apple (e.g. Northern Spie).
Thean is right. There are a lot of different flavors you can grow here try this website www.dnagardens.com. There are some good hardy fruits you can grow in this climate. Honey Crisp will grow here, but forget the Ambrosia or Gala they aren't really hardy enough for our climate. The hardy cherries from The U of S breeding program are great for here. Mill Creek Nursery and Greenlands have good selections of fruit you can try. You can also grow hardy kiwi, grapes and try the haskaps( honeyberries). Cheers
Thank you! Would you recommend any hardy cherries or other fruit trees that would likely require less maintenance (other than pruning) than others and be suitable for a partially shaded, semi-protected spot in Edmonton?
The list at DNA gardens is pretty good. Thean might be able give you some other ideas as well. Cheers
Howdy Portage, If you like Honeycrisp, plant one. Kim is right - Honeycrisp is hardy for Edmonton. I have one for the past 8 years without any problem. Although the apples ripen end of September or early October, there is no problem as Honeycrisp tastes good even before full ripeness. If you are interested in Sour Cherry, Evans and Rose will grow well in Edmonton. These two are tree form while those from UofS as suggested by Kim are bushes. There are fully hardy apricots for your area. They are beautiful trees but unfortunately their floral buds are not hardy and if you get a crop every few years, count yourself lucky. Pears will also grow. There are only two that are good for fresh eating - Ure and Fort Well. You need two varieties for fruit set. Most local nurseries sells Honeycrisp, Evans and Ure in spring. Rose is sold by T&T Seeds in Manitoba. You may have problem finding Fort Well. Peace Thean
Thank you for all the helpful information! Regarding Honeycrisp apple and the Evans and Rose cherries (as well as Amur Cherry and Showy Mountain Ash), will they do OK in partially shaded locations? My spot is on the North side of a house, so a mature tree will get a lot of sun (but not 100%). Short plants get partial sun, and only 8 months or so out of the year.
