Fruit trees are a lovely addition to anyone’s landscape. They provide blooms in the spring, bring bees and pollinators to your yard, and supply you with a bounty of produce in the fall.
We live in North Iowa, so while its difficult to grow citrus or tropical fruits, we still have many options of fruit trees that will grow in our area, The most common are apples, pears, cherries, plums, and peaches.
*Note: we do not have all varieties in inventory at this time. Please call the nursery to inquire about current availabilities.
Apples
At Natural Plus, we carry a nice selection of hardy semi-dwarf apples. (Apples can come in dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard sizes.) We prefer semi-dwarf trees as trees are sturdier than dwarf sizes, and apples are easier to pick than on bigger standard varieties. For pollination, you will need to plant 2 apple trees that bloom at about the same time.
Some common varieties that we carry are Honeycrisp, Liberty, Cortland, Fireside, Haralson, Honeygold, State Fair, and Sweet 16.
Pears
Pears grow quite well in North Iowa if you select the right varieties. You need 2 pears for pollination. Patten pear is a good pollinator for several other varieties. We also carry summercrisp and have carried several other varieties in the past.
Plums
We carry Mount Royal plum. The tree is small- 8-12’ and plums are good for eating and desserts. You need only plant 1 plum, as Mount Royal does not need another pollinator.
Cherries
We are carrying Evans Bali, Meteor, and North Star. All of these varieties are tart and are good for pies, canning, and baking. (Most sweet cherries are not hardy in North Iowa). They do not require another pollinator. The cherry trees we got in this year were very fruitful and I enjoyed many handfuls of cherries.
Peaches
We carry Contender which is now recommended for zone 4. Though recommended as hardy, they will still require extra attention and protection. They do not need another pollinator.
There are lots of varieties to choose from and we would love to help you choose the perfect fruit tree to add to your landscape for you to enjoy the fruits for years to come!
Something to consider:
As we approach fall and winter, newly planted trees benefit from having their trunks wrapped to protect them against bunnies and deer.