A Guide: Best Fruit Trees to Grow in UK

Nothing beats eating fresh, homegrown fruit that you picked from the tree; it’s such a rewarding feeling, and we really believe growing your own fruit makes it taste better, too!

Although our weather in the UK is pretty unpredictable, there is a vast choice of fruit trees that thrive in all types of UK gardens and outdoor spaces, even those that have partial shade and limited space.

From apples to peaches, here are some of our favourite fruit trees to grow in the UK. If you pick one of these, you’ll have a fruit tree scented garden in no time!

What are the best fruit trees to grow in the UK climate?

Cherry Trees

If you only have a small garden, Cherry trees are a really good variety of fruit tree to pick as they don’t grow super tall and can be grown in pots. You can choose between sour and sweet varieties. We have a huge range at Frank P Matthews.

What’s great about most cherry trees is that there are self-fertile varieties, which means they don’t need a pollination partner to produce fruit. If you love wildlife, cherry trees, and their spring blossom are the perfect way to attract pollinators and other animals into your outside space.

Cherry trees are hardy to frost, growing well in UK conditions. Plant in a full sun area with well-drained, fertile soil.

Apple Trees

Apple trees are one of the best fruit trees you can grow in the UK, as they have a really good guaranteed fruit-growing success rate! From an early age, your apple tree will produce large, good crops.

Apples are well-suited to the UK environment, tolerating most soils and resisting a lot of pests and diseases. Our bare-root apple trees should be planted during the dormant season (November to March). There are also multiple varieties to choose from, with some having a nutty flavour and some being perfect for cooking.

Some apple tree species, like the Crab Apple, are self-fertile; however, remember that some (like the Eden™ Apple) are not, and you will need to plant another tree in the same pollination group nearby.

Pear Trees

Blooming slightly later than stone fruits, pear trees are less prone to frost damage in Spring. The fruit produced has a really good flavour and is perfect for eating fresh, poaching or storing. Some are partly self-fertile and robust growers.

Many modern varieties have good disease resistance and pest resistance.

Plum Trees

Plums like the ‘Victoria‘ produce heavy and consistent crops, and the trees are hardy and resistant.

For small spaces, Plums make a great addition as they are self fertile. With many varieties ripening in late August to early September.

Fig Trees

Fig trees are a fantastic choice for UK gardens and are becoming increasingly popular thanks to milder summers and winters. Although figs originate from warmer climates, some varieties are surprisingly well suited to the UK.

One of the biggest benefits of fig trees is that they are self-fertile, meaning you only need one tree to produce fruit. They’re also relatively low-maintenance once established and can begin cropping within a few years.

Fig trees thrive best in full sun, ideally against a south- or west-facing wall that reflects heat.

Fast-Growing Fruit Tree

Apple trees that are grown on semi dwarf rootstocks are some of the quickest fruit trees to crop, producing fruit in two to three years.

Plums also grow quickly and are known for their vigorous growth and harvest once established. Fig trees are really quick to settle in, and some varieties, like ‘brown turkey‘, can bear fruit in the first year.

Disease Resistant Fruit Tree

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance fruit tree to have in your garden, disease resistant trees are going to be your best bet. Apples (like Scrumptious) and pears (like Concorde) are known for their resistance to common UK diseases.

We recommend researching and choosing varieties that are known to be disease resistant if you are worried about the tree being too high maintenance.

Which Fruit Trees are Native to the UK?

For our wildlife, native fruit trees play an important role in supporting insects, mammals and biodiversity. They are also well adapted to the climate, having grown naturally in the landscape for centuries, which means they are often hardy and low maintenance.

Crab Apples are one of the most well known native fruit trees, and they are valued for their spring blossom and small fruits. Wild cherries are also another native, offering flowers, summer fruit and value for wildlife.