35-60' × 20-35'
The edible 1½" orange fruits of this native tree are one of the most nutritious fruits on the North American continent with a long history of use by humans. Traditionally used fresh, dried, ground, fermented and baked into breads. These are seedlings of improved named varieties such as Prok, Yates and Szukis from grafted orchard trees with larger high-quality fruit. Fruit is extremely astringent before thoroughly ripening. Best after a frost. Be sure it’s soft before you bite—your mouth just might implode! Use in pies, jams and jelly.
Medium-sized tree with a slender oval crown, glossy dark green foliage and beautiful checked bark. Small very fragrant yellowish flowers in spring attract pollinators from miles around. Young leaves make a tea high in vitamin C. Foliage turns attractive reddish-purple in fall.
Dioecious, requiring separate male and female plants for the females to produce fruit. These are unsexed seedlings—plant two or more to ensure fruit. However, these seedlings are selected from parentage that has demonstrated about 75% feminized offspring. A note from our grower: While many of the seedlings we offer may grow up to be parthenocarpic (can bear fruit without a male), planting at least 4–5 will increase your likelihood of getting one male, which generally results in larger size fruits and greater overall yields.
May not always ripen north of Boston, though some Maine growers do report crops some years. Prefers moist well-drained sandy soil but adaptable to dry areas of low fertility. Can sucker and form naturalized stands. A good plant to consider with climate resilience in mind. Native to eastern U.S. Zone 4/5.