Kieffer pears are tried-and-true in our area and offer crisp, tasty fruit.

Pear trees (Pyrus communis) are among the easiest and most rewarding fruit trees to grow at home. They require less pruning than apples, are naturally resistant to many common diseases, and produce reliable, abundant harvests year after year. The Kieffer Pear stands out as a Tennessee favorite — one of the most adaptable, disease-resistant, and long-lived pear trees available for the home orchard.

Featured Variety

• Kieffer Pear: A tried-and-true American classic and a staple in Southern orchards for generations. The Kieffer produces medium-to-large, golden-yellow fruit with a slight crimson blush, crisp white flesh, and a sweet-tart, spicy flavor that intensifies as the fruit ripens off the tree. Its firm texture makes it outstanding for canning, preserves, and baking, and delicious when fully ripened for fresh eating. Nearly immune to fire blight, it is exceptionally hardy, vigorous, and long-lived, with impressive tolerance for both drought and heavy rainfall. Trees begin bearing fruit in as little as 2–3 years.

Product Details

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Mature Height: Standard up to 20 ft; dwarf rootstock 12–15 ft
• Sunlight: Full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Soil: Slightly acidic, deep, well-drained soil; tolerates heavier soils well
• Watering: Consistent moisture during establishment; drought-tolerant once established
• Pollination: Self-fertile but produces a significantly better crop when cross-pollinated with a second variety such as Bartlett, Orient, or Moonglow
• Chill Hours Required: 350–400 hours (easily met throughout Tennessee)
• Harvest Season: Mid-September through mid-October; harvest firm and allow to ripen in cool storage for best flavor
• Disease Resistance: Highly resistant to fire blight
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring

Methley and Santa Rosa are great choices for Tennessee gardeners.

Plum trees (Prunus salicina) are one of the most ornamental and productive fruit trees you can grow in Tennessee. Both Methley and Santa Rosa are Japanese plum varieties perfectly matched to our region’s climate, requiring relatively few chill hours, producing an abundance of sweet, juicy plums, and covering themselves in beautiful white blossoms each spring.

Featured Varieties

• Methley Plum: Originating in South Africa and introduced to the U.S. in 1922, Methley has been a home orchard staple for over a century. It produces sweet, juicy, maroon-red plums with deep red flesh that ripen in mid-June — among the earliest plum varieties to enjoy. Self-fertile with a very low chill-hour requirement of only 200 hours, making it an outstanding choice for Tennessee’s warm winters. Hardy in Zones 5–9.
• Santa Rosa Plum: Developed by legendary plant breeder Luther Burbank in 1906, Santa Rosa is still considered the benchmark for plum flavor. It produces large, deep red-purple fruit with golden-yellow flesh and a sweet-tart flavor that is exceptional for fresh eating, canning, preserves, and baking. Requires only 300 chill hours. Ripens mid-August. Hardy in Zones 5–9.

Product Details

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9 (both varieties)
• Mature Height: 18–25 ft
• Sunlight: Full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0)
• Watering: Water deeply 1–2 times per week during the first year; moderate watering once established
• Pollination: Methley is self-fertile; Santa Rosa is partially self-fertile. Planting both together significantly increases harvest — they are excellent cross-pollinators for each other.
• Chill Hours Required: Methley 200 hours; Santa Rosa 300 hours
• Harvest Season: Methley — mid-June; Santa Rosa — mid-August
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring

The Elberta and Belle of Georgia peaches are perfect for warm-weather fruit lovers.

Peach trees (Prunus persica) are a Southern classic, and Tennessee’s warm summers and adequate chill hours make them an ideal crop for home orchards. Both Elberta and Belle of Georgia are time-tested varieties that deliver heavy harvests of large, juicy peaches year after year. Gorgeous pink spring blossoms are a beautiful bonus before the fruit sets.

Featured Varieties

• Elberta Peach: America’s most beloved peach — a Georgia heirloom introduced in 1870 that remains the gold standard of home peach growing. It produces large, golden-yellow freestone peaches with firm, sweet, juicy flesh that is outstanding eaten fresh, baked into cobblers and pies, canned, or frozen. Self-fertile and reliable in Zones 5–8.
• Belle of Georgia Peach: A classic white-fleshed peach prized for its sweet, delicate flavor and beautiful red-blushed skin. Self-fertile, so you can enjoy a full harvest with just one tree — though planting alongside Elberta will improve fruit set. A reliable mid-season producer with a gorgeous display of pink spring blossoms. Hardy in Zones 5–9.

Product Details

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Elberta Zones 5–8; Belle of Georgia Zones 5–9
• Mature Height: 15–25 ft; can be kept shorter with annual pruning
• Sunlight: Full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Soil: Fertile, moist, slightly acidic, well-draining soil (pH 6.0–6.8)
• Watering: Regular watering; mulch 2–3 inches around the base to retain moisture
• Pollination: Both varieties are self-fertile; planting both together significantly improves yield
• Chill Hours Required: Elberta approx. 600 hours; Belle of Georgia approx. 800 hours
• Harvest Season: Mid-to-late summer (July–August)
• Pruning: Prune annually in late winter while dormant; thin fruit in early summer to improve size
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring before new growth begins

The Okame, Kwanzan, and Lapins all do well in our region and offer early-season beauty.

Cherry trees (Prunus spp.) are some of the most beloved and beautiful trees you can plant in Tennessee. Whether you are drawn to their spectacular spring bloom or the promise of sweet summer fruit, there is a cherry variety suited for every garden. Okame, Kwanzan, and Lapins are three proven performers in our region, each offering its own unique character and season of interest.

Featured Varieties

• Okame Cherry: A heat-tolerant ornamental hybrid that thrives in our hot, humid Southern climate. Among the earliest bloomers of the season, it produces deep rose-pink flowers in late winter before most other trees wake up. Fall foliage turns vivid orange-red, and the bark develops a glossy reddish-brown color. Grows 15–25 ft tall. Hardy in Zones 6–9.
• Kwanzan Cherry: The showiest of all cherry trees, covered in double, ruffled deep-pink blossoms each April with twice the petals for twice the impact. Grows in a graceful vase shape to 15–20 ft tall with golden fall foliage. Easy to grow and adaptable to most soils. Hardy in Zones 5–9.
• Lapins Cherry: A self-fertile fruiting cherry that produces large, dark red, sweet cherries in mid-summer. One of the best choices for home growers who want to harvest their own fresh cherries without needing a second tree. Hardy in Zones 5–9.

Product Details

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9 (all three varieties)
• Mature Height: Okame 15–25 ft; Kwanzan 15–20 ft; Lapins 18–25 ft
• Sunlight: Full sun; Okame tolerates partial shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.5
• Watering: Water twice per week during establishment; once per week once mature
• Pollination: Okame and Kwanzan are ornamental. Lapins is self-fertile — no second tree required.
• Bloom Season: Okame — late winter; Kwanzan — mid-spring (April); Lapins — spring blooms with mid-summer fruit
• Pruning: Prune lightly right after blooming to shape and remove crossed branches

Grow reliable varieties like Arkansas Black and Gibson Gold right at home.

Apple trees (Malus domestica) are one of the most rewarding additions to any home orchard. They offer spring blossoms, summer shade, and an abundant fall harvest that pays you back for decades. Both the Arkansas Black and Gibson Gold varieties perform exceptionally well in Tennessee’s climate and are great starting points for beginner and experienced growers alike.

Featured Varieties

• Arkansas Black: A striking heirloom apple with deep reddish-purple skin that darkens to near-black at harvest. The firm, white flesh is crisp, juicy, and well-balanced in flavor — excellent for fresh eating, juice, and baking. A heavy bearer that ripens October through November, with notable resistance to cedar apple rust and fire blight.
• Gibson Gold: A smooth-skinned mutation of Golden Delicious with bright golden-yellow skin and a sweet, crisp, juicy flavor. A vigorous, reliably annual bearer with strong disease resistance to apple scab and fire blight. Ideal for fresh eating, pies, applesauce, and cider.

Product Details

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
• Mature Height: 15–25 ft (standard); 8–12 ft (dwarf rootstock)
• Sunlight: Full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0–7.0)
• Watering: Water weekly during the growing season
• Pollination: Both varieties benefit from a cross-pollinator nearby for best yield
• Harvest Season: September–November depending on variety
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring