Self-Fertile Fruit Trees
Most fruit trees carry a hidden requirement: a second, genetically different tree of the same species, blooming at the same time, or you get flowers and no fruit. These 20 are the exception — self-fertile species that set a full crop entirely alone, which makes them the right first tree for a small yard with room for exactly one.
The pattern is worth knowing: peaches, nectarines, apricots, sour cherries, figs, quince and most persimmons are reliably self-fertile, while apples, pears, sweet cherries and most plums are not. (For those, a named self-fertile cultivar — a Stella cherry, a Santa Rosa plum — can substitute; see the variety tables linked below.)
Self-fertile still isn't self-sufficient: the tree needs bees working its flowers and good bloom weather, and even these crop heavier with a partner nearby. The set spans USDA zones 3–11, and every guide covers chill hours, pruning and pests. 17 are in stock at a nursery right now — the terracotta price tags go straight to those product pages, not to a search.
Find your plants
20 of 20 plants
Zones describe winter hardiness. Native ranges vary across North America; open a plant's guide for the details.
From $29.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.ApricotPrunus armeniaca
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Excellent edible
Black CherryPrunus serotinaFull Sun
Low waterFast growth
Native to North America
From $67.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Calamondin OrangeCitrus × microcarpaBrightModerate water
Moderate growthExcellent edible
CherryFull SunModerate waterExcellent edible
From $39.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.GrapefruitCitrus × paradisiFull Sun — needs the most heat of any citrusModerate waterModerate growthExcellent edible
From $39.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.KumquatCitrus japonicaFull Sun / sunniest windowModerate water
Slow-Moderate growthExcellent edible
From $39.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.LemonModerate waterExcellent edible
From $29.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.LimeCitrus × aurantiifolia / latifoliaFull SunModerate waterModerate growthExcellent edible
From $24.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.LoquatEriobotrya japonicaFull SunModerate waterModerate growthExcellent edible
From $32 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Mandarin / TangerineCitrus reticulataFull SunModerate waterModerate growthExcellent edible
MangoMangifera indicaFull Sun — maximum heatModerate waterFast in heat growthExcellent edible
From $39.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.MedlarMespilus germanica
Full Sun to Light ShadeModerate waterSlow growthExcellent edible
From $12.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.MulberryMorus alba × rubra / M. rubraFull Sun to Part ShadeLow waterVery Fast growthExcellent edible
From $24.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.NectarinePrunus persicaFull SunModerate waterFast growthExcellent edible
From $19.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.OliveOlea europaeaFull Sun
Drought-tolerant · low waterSlow growthExcellent edible
From $40 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.OrangeCitrus × sinensisFull Sun — 8+ hrsModerate waterModerate growthExcellent edible
From $16.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.PeachPrunus persicaFull SunModerate waterFast growthExcellent edible
From $34.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.PersimmonFull Sun to Part ShadeExcellent edible
From $15.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.QuinceCydonia oblongaFull SunModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthExcellent edible
From $103.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.YuzuCitrus junosFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthExcellent edible