21 Fast Producing Fruit Trees, Shrubs & Vines

Growing fruit trees, bushes, and shrubs at home can be incredibly rewarding. Not only will you be swimming in some of the tastiest fruits imaginable, but you will also provide a feast for pollinators, birds, squirrels, and insects of all kinds. But which types of fruit trees grow fast enough that you won’t have to wait years for your first harvest?

For fruiting trees, dwarf fruit trees are the best place to start. Dwarf fruit trees can mature and produce fruit in as little as 2-5 years. There are even a few varieties that will produce in their first year. Fruiting shrubs and bushes also reach fruiting age quickly. In fact, many produce a small yield in their first year and continue to produce more in subsequent years.

Scientific Name: Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10
• Chill Hours: Less than 100
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Fruit Production: 3-5 years
• When to Harvest: October-November, when fruits are uniformly orange

Asian persimmon, also known as Oriental persimmon, is native to eastern Asia and India.

These trees are easy to grow in a sunny yard with well-drained soil. These are attractive small trees with beautiful rich orange autumn foliage. When combined with branches full of ripe fruits, they make an eye-catching sight.

Native persimmons produce highly astringent fruits that are difficult to eat. But the fruits of the Asian persimmon can be eaten fresh, sliced like an apple, and taste sweet. Asian persimmon trees bloom in the spring with small, insignificant-looking flowers.

Fruits develop throughout the summer months, and by autumn, they have reached their full size and turn bright orange when ripe. Fruits are long-lasting both on the tree and when stored in a cool location.

Asian Pear

Scientific Name: Pyrus pyrifolia

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Chill Hours: 450
• Height: 8-20
• Fruit Production: 2-5 years
• When to Harvest: July-September, fruits will be crunchy and sweet

Asian pear tastes something like a cross between an apple and a pear. They look more like an apple in shape and size. The texture is crunchy like an apple, with a slightly textured skin and a sweet and juicy pear-like taste.

Depending on the variety, Asian pears ripen anywhere between July and November, but the most commonly available varieties ripen between July and September.

Most Asian pear varieties are not self-pollinating, which means you should plant at least two pear trees to set fruits.

Even if you do have a self-pollinating variety, you will get a larger fruit crop with cross-pollination. These trees have the potential to grow quite tall, but there are dwarf varieties available that should stay within the 8-15 foot range.

Banana

Scientific Name: Musa acuminata

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 8-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 1 year
• When to Harvest: When fruit is still greenish, allowing fruits to fully ripen after harvest

Bananas are a familiar tropical fruit that can be grown in the home landscape. If you want to add a bit of tropical paradise to your yard, consider planting a banana. Bananas are not officially classified as trees or shrubs but large herbaceous plants.

There are, surprisingly, banana plants that are hardy to zone 5. Although you can plant them outside, and they will withstand the winter months, they won’t have enough time to produce fruit because they simply need a longer growing season.

If you live in a warm climate, you can grow bananas outdoors year-round and harvest fruit. Other options include buying a dwarf banana plant and putting it in a container. You can move the plant outside for the summer and inside anytime it gets too cold.

It may be tricky to convince your banana to produce fruit, but it can be done if it gets enough warmth, humidity, sunlight, and moisture.

Blackberry

Scientific Name: Rubus spp.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
• Chill Hours: 300-500
• Height: 4-6 feet
• Fruit Production: 2 years
• When to Harvest: Summer, when fruits are uniformly black

Blackberries are an easily-grown berry, but they have a habit of spreading and sprawling, so give those scraggly blackberry starts plenty of space when planting. Some blackberries grow upright and can be trained to grow along a trellis.

Other varieties of blackberry are trailing and will grow long canes that form arches. The familiar wild blackberries are very thorny, and some cultivated varieties are also thorny, although there are thornless varieties available to make your berry picking much more pleasant!

Regardless of which type of blackberry you have, you will need to do some pruning. Pruning will definitely help with keeping your plant in shape, and it will help maximize fruit production.

Blackberry roots live for many years, but the above-ground canes die back in winter and will need to be removed to clean up the area and make room for fresh new growth the following spring.

Blueberry

Scientific Name: Vaccinium spp.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Chill Hours: 300-700
• Height: 1-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 3 years
• When to Harvest: Summer, when fruits are uniformly dark purple-blue

Blueberries are a tasty treat and an excellent choice for the edible landscape. Blueberries can be eaten directly from the bush. The flowers attract a multitude of pollinators, and fruit-eating birds are fond of the berries.

There are wide varieties and cultivars of blueberry to choose from, so be sure you select the ones that will grow best in your climate zone and most closely match your desired height requirements, as blueberries vary from 1 foot to 12 feet tall.

Whichever blueberries you choose, you should plant at least two different varieties for cross-pollination and an abundance of fruits. Blueberries do best in a location with full sun but will tolerate a bit of light afternoon shade. They do require acidic soil, ideally with a pH between 5 and 6, and like to be kept moist.

Columnar Apple Tree

Scientific Name: Malus domestica var.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Chill Hours: 800-1200
• Height: 8-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 1 year
• When to Harvest: September

Columnar apple trees are really unique variety of apple tree. They remain quite compact, and young plants look like leafy poles with apples growing along the main stem.

At maturity, these apple trees can grow between eight and ten feet tall, but they have a maximum spread of only two feet! The unique size and shape of these trees make them perfect for apartments, townhouses, and small suburban yards. They do well in containers or can create an edible hedge on the edge of your yard.

Even better than the size, Columnar apple trees start producing full-sized apples the first year you plant them! You’ll need at least two of these in any space since, like most apple trees, these are not self-pollinating. If container-grown, make sure to keep the roots moist, as container-grown plants tend to dry out very quickly.

‘Celeste’ Fig Tree

Scientific Name: Ficus carica ‘Celeste’

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 7-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 1-2 years
• When to Harvest: July

Figs trees are an excellent example of a quick-producing fruit tree. You’ll start enjoying fresh figs within the first year of planting! The Celeste fig, also known as a sugar fig, is well-known for producing high yields of sweet fruit.

The best way to enjoy sugar figs is fresh and raw, with the seeds and skin still intact. You can also cook figs by baking or grilling them, and they add the perfect amount of sweetness to desserts. They don’t keep long once ripe, so eat them, preserve them, or give them away to neighbors.

Celeste figs are a bit unique because they’re more cold-hardy than other fig varieties. They’ll do well in zones 6-9. But, if you live in a colder climate, plan to grow this fruit tree in a container and bring it in during the winter months.

Dancy Tangerine Tree

Scientific Name: Citrus reticulata

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 10-15 feet
• Fruit Production: 2 year
• When to Harvest: November-December

When it comes to citrus, some of us gravitate toward the sweet, while others enjoy the tart. If you happen to love tart flavors and live in a warm climate, a tangerine tree might be the best option for your backyard. Dancy tangerines are tart, flavorful, and easy to peel. These small orange fruits are what inspired the creation of clementines!

This dwarf tangerine tree grows to a mature height of 10-15 feet and is self-pollinating. But as with all fruit trees, you’ll want to plant a second one nearby to ensure maximum yield.

Dancies are quick to produce fruit and will provide you with a harvest in the first year of planting! Unfortunately, tangerine trees only grow in tropical climates. This one is too large for containers, so only plant one if you live in USDA zones 9-11.

Dwarf Elberta Peach Tree

Scientific Name: Prunus persica ‘Early Elberta’

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Chill Hours: 750
• Height: 8-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 2-4 years
• When to Harvest: July-September, when fruits are not completely “hard” to the touch

If you love peaches, this dwarf peach tree may be a great fit for your backyard orchard. Elberta peach trees grow to a mature height of eight to ten feet and are self-pollinating.

If space is an issue, you can get away with planting only a single tree, but you will enjoy a much better yield if you are able to plant two. The fruit itself is an heirloom variety known for being large, juicy, and perfectly sweet. Elberta peaches are delicious for eating right off the tree, desserts, and canning.

Like many fruit trees, pruning is important to the health and future yields of the tree. Prune back up to 50% of new growth each year to stimulate new growth the following season.

Fruits grow on old wood, and pruning allows the older wood to become thicker and more stable while removing the weaker and more scraggly branches.

Dwarf Everbearing Mulberry

Scientific Name: Morus nigra

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10
• Chill Hours: 400
• Height: 2-15 feet
• Fruit Production: 2-3 years
• When to Harvest: May through September, when fruits are fully black

Mulberry trees produce small, tasty, and really messy fruits in the summer. Native to China, many think the fruit tastes a bit like a tart grape. Others find it closer to a cross between a blueberry and grapefruit. Either way, mulberries are delicious and can be eaten fresh or made into jams, pies, and sorbets.

The dwarf everbearing mulberry tree produces an incredible number of mulberries each year from summer to fall. The tree itself is attractive and can be kept in containers if you have a small space.

If you plant it in the ground, it’ll grow to between ten and fifteen feet tall. You can keep it to between two and six feet tall if you aggressively prune back branches after fruiting each year.

Gooseberry

Scientific Name: Ribes hirtellum

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-6
• Chill Hours: 1000
• Height: 3-4 feet
• Fruit Production: 1-3 years
• When to Harvest: Summer, when fruit starts to get soft

Gooseberries, or American gooseberries, are small fruits that have nothing to do with geese. The fruits are about the size of blueberries but range from green to reddish, depending on the variety.

Some varieties are smooth, while others are rather spiny looking, but the spines are relatively soft. Gooseberries are quite tart, so most people use them for cooking and baking, such as making jams, jellies, and pies.

The gooseberry plant is a small shrub with attractive leaves and fruits. Gooseberries are prone to a few fungal diseases, so be sure to select a disease-resistant cultivar and give them plenty of room to grow.

Gooseberries benefit from annual pruning during the winter season. They also benefit from good air circulation and keeping the area clear of debris that can harbor pests, diseases, and unnecessary moisture.

Vining Grapes

Scientific Name: Vitis vinifera

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-10
• Chill Hours: 150
• Height: 6-12 feet
• Fruit Production: 2-3 years
• When to Harvest: Summer, when fruits are fully ripe

Grapes are a familiar fruit that you can grow in your own yard. They need a spot with good air circulation and plenty of sunlight. Some varieties of vining grapes like Muscadines are fruiting vines that can tolerate some afternoon shade.

But most varieties will prefer a sunny garden location. Grapes grow from thick, woody vines, which can become quite large and long. They will need a sturdy trellis or arbor to support them.

Growing grapes can be a bit of a time-consuming task. They will require not only a structure to grow on but regular pruning to keep them in top form.

Grapes are also susceptible to several pests and diseases and may require diligent attention to be sure to catch any problems early and correct them promptly. If well cared for, however, grapes are a delicious and interesting plant to grow.

The Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is native to the southeastern United States. It grows large, round fruits that have a distinctive tart flavor. These plants are hardy in zones 6-10 and are less prone to pests and diseases than other grape varieties, but many people find them to be less palatable for eating.

Ice Cream Mango Tree

Scientific Name: Mangifera indica

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 or 11 (bring them indoors in the winter if you live in a colder climate)
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 6 feet
• Fruit Production: 2-3 years
• When to Harvest: Late March

Mangoes are another quick-producing fruit tree, but full-size mango trees are enormous. This makes them mostly off-limits to the home gardener. But thanks to the horticultural science of grafting, you can find the dwarf Ice Cream mango tree that grows beautifully in containers. The tree grows to a maximum height of 6 feet, making it easy to bring inside during the winter months.

Even though the Ice Cream mango tree is small in stature, it’s huge in flavor! You’ll be able to enjoy rich, creamy mangos after just two years of planting.

These sweet mangoes are delicious to eat fresh or bake into desserts. If you find you have an abundance of fruit, cut it and freeze it for smoothies during the winter. Or preserve them in jellies or jam.

Kazake Pomegranate Tree

Scientific Name: Punica granatum ‘Kazake’

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 6 feet
• Fruit Production: 1-2 years
• When to Harvest: September-October

Pomegranates are an interesting fruit. They look like inedible apples on the outside, but you see a smorgasbord of tiny red jewels when you crack them open.

Pomegranate seeds, or jewels, can be found nestled into the pith of the fruit, protected by the tough outer skin. They have a distinct sweet-tart flavor that is really delicious in salads, Moroccan couscous, or fresh as a tasty snack.

The Kazake pomegranate is a 6-foot-tall dwarf fruit tree that will provide you with fruit in its first year! It can withstand freezing temperatures and be grown outdoors in the northern states. But better than all of that, this dwarf fruit tree produces the most incredible bright orange flowers in the spring. They’ll be a delightful showcase in your home garden.

Lime

Scientific Name: Citrus aurantifolia

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 6-20 feet
• Fruit Production: 3-4 years
• When to Harvest: When fruits are fully ripe, full size, and bright green

While limes are tropical fruits, dwarf lime trees that can be grown in cooler climates. Lime trees will need plenty of bright sunlight, well-drained soil, and regular moisture, but you can convince a container-grown lime to produce tasty tart green fruits! Not only are the fruits edible, but the leaves and flowers are also pleasantly citrus-scented.

Limes will need a good size pot. Give them plenty of water as they like to be kept moist but not wet. Limes are heavy feeders and will require regular fertilizer applications to stay healthy. And, of course, because they are tropical plants, they need to be kept warm.

They would do well growing outside in the summer months and moved indoors to a sunny window for the cooler winter months.

Meyer Lemon Tree

Scientific Name: Citrus x meyeri

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
• Chill Hours: None
• Height: 4-6 feet
• Fruit Production: 2 years
• When to Harvest: Wintertime, when skins are pure bright yellow

Unless you live in the warmest parts of the country, growing citrus fruits is off-limits. That’s because citrus fruits thrive in warm climates and can die if exposed to frost. Meyer lemons are known for their tart, sweet flavor and are often used in desserts. The Meyer lemon tree also has a smaller version, called the dwarf Meyer lemon tree.

Preserved Meyer lemons can be found in specialty grocery stores but are often expensive. If you’re an avid baker, planting a Meyer lemon tree may be an excellent idea!

Meyer lemons combine the best of lemons and mandarin oranges into a single hybrid tree. They grow to a mature height of 4-6 feet and do really well in containers. Even if you live in a cold climate, you can grow this tree in a container.

You can leave it outside during the warmer months but bring it inside once temperatures start to drop. As long as it’s near a well-lit window, your Meyer lemon tree will continue to grow and produce tasty lemons. The leaves and flowers are also pleasantly citrus-scented.

Pawpaw

Scientific Name: Asimina triloba

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Chill Hours: 400 hours
• Height: 15-25 feet
• Fruit Production: 2-10 years
• When to Harvest: October, when fruits begin to feel soft

The pawpaw is a smooth and creamy fruit that look like a greenish-yellow mango. They also taste like banana custard.

These fruits are native to the eastern United States and are easily grown in the right conditions. These trees like a bit of shade and rich, moist soil. The trickiest thing about pawpaws is that they need another pawpaw nearby to cross-pollinate and set fruit.

Pawpaw fruits don’t last long, so eat them soon after harvesting. They are best eaten fresh. Cut the fruit in half, remove the large black seeds, and then use a spoon to scoop out the soft inner fruit.

Pawpaws will gradually spread by underground runners, so be prepared for your own pawpaw patch or simply prune out the sprouts you don’t want. Buy a couple of larger nursery-grown plants to give you a head start on pawpaw harvest, as they can take several years to fully mature and start fruiting.

Raspberry

Scientific Name: Rubus idaeus

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Chill Hours: 250
• Height: 4-6 feet
• Fruit Production: 2 years
• When to Harvest: Summer to early fall, when fruits are fully ripe and slide easily off the plant

Raspberries are sweet little fruits that are delicious by the handful directly from the plant. The flowers attract many bees and other pollinators, and the fruits will attract fruit-eating birds, so they are an excellent wildlife food, as well as a healthy snack for humans. Raspberries may be bright red, dark red, or golden, but all taste delicious.

Raspberry plants do require a bit of maintenance. They grow as thick stems called canes. The cane produces their leaves, flowers, and fruits. Canes may be thorny or thornless and produce fruits in their second year.

After fruiting, individual canes will die back. Prune canes back to ground level each winter after fruiting to keep your raspberry patch looking neat and increase your raspberry production. Plant your raspberries in an area with good air circulation to decrease the chances of developing powdery mildew, which is a common fungal infection.

Santa Rosa Plum Tree

Scientific Name: Prunus salicina

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Chill Hours: 500
• Height: 8-10 feet
• Fruit Production: 3-5 years
• When to Harvest: June and July

The Santa Rosa plum tree is a favorite type of plum tree for home gardeners, and it has become popular in local farmer’s markets across the country. The plums are known for their sweet, slightly tart flavor and deep red color. Fruit is excellent eaten off the tree, in tarts and quick-breads, or preserved into jelly. These plums also make a delicious prune when dehydrated.

The tree itself is beautiful and can become an ornamental centerpiece of your garden. Gorgeous snowy whitish-pink flowers cascade down this tree when it blossoms in the spring.

Santa Rosa plum trees are self-pollinating, so you can get away with planting just a single tree. But for better yields, having a second plum tree nearby will make a big difference.

Sour Cherry

Scientific Name: Prunus cerasus

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-6
• Chill Hours: 1200
• Height: 8-20 feet
• Fruit Production: 3-4 years
• When to Harvest: June, when fruits are uniformly bright red

Sour cherry trees are well suited for cooler climate zones. These deliciously tart cherries can be eaten straight from the tree or used to make pies, pastries, and preserves. Not only do they produce an abundance of tasty bright red fruits, but they also produce a beautiful display of showy spring flowers.

Sour cherry trees are self-pollinating, so don’t need a companion tree to cross-pollinate and set fruit. When mature, a single cherry tree can produce a LOT of fruits, so hopefully, you will have plenty to pick for yourself, and you can leave the cherries in the highest branches for hungry birds. Standard varieties can grow to 20 feet tall, while dwarf varieties grow to only 8 feet tall.

Stella Cherry Tree

Scientific Name: Prunus avium ‘Stella’

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Chill Hours: 400
• Height: 12-18 feet (semi-dwarf)
• Fruit Production: 1-4 years
• When to Harvest: June-July

There are few things more beautiful than being surrounded by snowy white petals in a cluster of cherry trees. These trees bloom in the spring in a dazzling display of pink or white flowers. The Stella cherry tree brings that ornamental beauty right to you own backyard.

This semi-dwarf fruiting cherry tree grows to a height of 12-15 feet and produces an abundance of dark red sweet fruit.

Stella Cherries are self-pollinating. So if you only have room for a single tree in your backyard, this could be a great choice. Stella will start producing fruit in as early as the first year after planting and increase its yield until reaching maturity. The sweet fruit is excellent to eat right off the tree and would be an incredible addition to pretty much any dessert.