The Best Outdoor and Indoor Fruit Trees

You can’t beat fresh-picked fruit. Enjoyed raw, baked in a pie or paired with something sweet like ice cream, it’s a timeless treat.

And there’s good news. Many varieties of fruit trees are easy to grow at home.

Whether you have a large backyard or a sunny window, there’s a fruit tree that’s just right for you. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best options—both for indoor and outdoor fruit trees.

Outdoor Fruit Trees

If you’ve got the space, fruit trees make a pleasant, picturesque addition to any yard. If you’re looking to grow your own fruit, below are several options for easy-to-grow outdoor fruit trees.

Cherry

With their attractive flowers and easy care, cherry trees make a wonderful addition to your backyard orchard. For sweet cherries, you’ll need two trees for cross-pollination. Sour baking cherries self-pollinate and only need one tree.

Cherry trees begin to produce fruit at least four or five years after planting from seed. Fruits are ready to harvest in the spring and summer.

The trees grow best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Water once a week or more during hot weather.

Peach

From jams to cobblers, peaches are a staple in all kinds of tasty treats. Plus, peach trees are another fruit tree that needs little care.

Most are self-fertile, so you only need one tree.

Peach trees prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Water at least weekly to keep the soil moist. Most trees begin to bear fruit by their fourth year. Peaches are ready to pick in mid to late summer.

Plum

Low-maintenance and adaptable to many conditions, plum trees are a great choice for your first backyard fruit tree.

There are three types of plum trees: European, Japanese and American hybrids. European plums are the only self-pollinating varieties. You’ll need at least two trees for the Japanese and American varieties.

Plum trees need well-drained, loamy soil and 6 to 8 hours of full sun every day. Water heavily once a week from spring into October. Plum trees bear fruit by their fifth year. The fruit is ready for picking from late summer to early fall, depending on the region.

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Indoor Fruit Trees

Most likely, when you imagine planting a fruit tree of your very own, you imagine doing so outside. But that’s not your only option.

If you have limited backyard space (or no backyard at all), you can still enjoy fresh fruit grown on your own tree. Here are a few options.

Meyer Lemon

Compact and sun-loving, Meyer lemon trees produce a sweet citrus fruit in the fall and winter. Grafted trees are self-pollinating and bear fruit 2 years after planting.

Plant an indoor Meyer lemon tree in well-drained soil in a sunny room. Keep a humidifier in the room or place a tray of wet pebbles under the container.

Do not let the soil dry out between waterings.

Apricot

Fresh apricots off the tree taste so much better than the dried fruits sold in grocery stores. The trees also produce showy white flowers every spring.

Apricots prefer well-drained, slightly acidic potting mix and a sunny location. Water thoroughly until the water runs through the container drainage hole.

Apricot trees are self-pollinating and begin to bear fruit 2 to 4 years after planting. They’re ready to pick in mid to late summer.

Calamondin Orange

An excellent choice for beginners, calamondin orange grows exceptionally well indoors. The fruit is a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange.

This tree needs several hours of bright sunlight daily. It thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Water when the soil feels dry, and keep a humidifier nearby to add moisture.

Flowers and small fruits appear during the spring of the second year. The fruits ripen slow and persist into the winter. Self-pollinating varieties are available.

Closing Thoughts

Even if you’re a beginner, you can enjoy fruit from your own tree. You don’t even need a massive backyard—or a backyard at all.

Be sure to take ideal conditions into account, as well as the recommended care for each variety of tree. With a little thought, you can have your own fresh fruit sooner than you’d think.

Give some of these suggestions a try!

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