Fruit Pollination Guide - Marcum's Nursery

It’s time to have “the talk” ’bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and trees.

In order for fruit to develop, pollination must occur at blossom time. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of the flower. And just like in life – finding the right partner is essential for success! The transfer of pollen from one variety to a different variety of the same type of tree is called cross-pollination. Cross-pollination is essential for most apples, pears, most sweet cherries, and most Japanese plums. Cross-pollination is not essential, but does improve the number of fruit that form on apricots, peaches and nectarines.

TYPES OF POLLINATORS

We all have our roles to play. And the same goes for fruit trees and their polination process.

SELF-FERTILE

Fruit trees that may be pollinated with their own pollen and that can produce fruit without the aid of a pollination partner.

NON SELF-FERTILE

Fruit trees that require pollen from a different variety of the same type of tree in order to bear fruit.

PARTIALLY SELF-FERTILE

Fruit trees that will produce a small number of fruit when planted alone, but will bear more fruit when planted with another variety.

SELF-FERTILE FRUIT

These fruit varieties are feelin’ themselves.

BRAEBURN APPLE

GALA APPLE

GRANNY SMITH APPLE

APRICOT

BLACKBERRY

BLUEBERRY

LAPINS CHERRY

MONTMORENCY

NORTHSTAR CHERRY

STELLA CHERRY

NECTARINE

PEACH

BURGUNDY PLUM

METHLEY PLUM

SANTA ROSA PLUM

NON SELF-FERTILE FRUIT

The hopelessly devoted romantics of the fruit tree world.

LIBERTY APPLE

ARKANSAS BLACK

FIRESIDE APPLE

FUJI APPLE

HONEYGOLD APPLE

MELROSE APPLE

PINK LADY® APPLE

HONEYCRISP APPLE

RED DELICIOUS APPLE

BING CHERRY

BLACK TARTARIAN

LAMBERT CHERRY

RAINIER CHERRY

PEAR

EMERALD BEAUTY

MORRIS PLUM

PARTIALLY SELF-FERTILE FRUIT

They get by with a little help from their friends.

ANNA APPLE

EMPIRE APPLE

JOHNATHAN APPLE

GALA APPLE

FRUIT TREE TIPS TO “PEAR” IN MIND…

Trees placed more than 100 feet away may result in poor pollination.
Though some fruit trees may be labeled as ‘self-fertile’ or ‘self-pollinating,’ it has been shown that even self-fertile trees produce more and larger fruit when cross-pollinated.
In general, fruit trees that bloom at the same time will maximize cross pollination and yield better fruit production.

EXPLORE MARCUM'S FRUIT VARIETIES