Fast-growing fruit trees quickly enhance your garden with lovely blossoms that attract wildlife in the spring. You won't have to wait long to enjoy their fruits, which often taste better than store-bought options.
Choose trees on vigorous rootstock for rapid growth or opt for pre-trained espaliers to create stunning wall displays. Soon, you can enjoy a bounty of your own fruits, including plums, pears, and cherries. Here are the finest fast-growing fruit trees recommended by experts.
Top Fast-Growing Fruit Trees
These remarkable trees not only add structure and beauty to your garden but also yield delicious fruits.
1. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Walls
An espalier apple tree is trained into a stunning horizontal tiered shape against a wall. They are elegant and can be purchased pre-trained, allowing for quicker growth. Espalier apples are also among the best fast-growing flowering trees.
“No one wants to wait years for an apple tree to mature,” says a landscape designer. “Pre-trained varieties offer an exciting opportunity to witness buds develop and bloom.”
Growing tips: Opt for a ready-trained 1, 2, or 3-tier espalier apple on MM106 rootstock. Choose a variety like ‘Scrumptious’ for a self-fertile, disease-resistant dessert apple, and plant it against a sunny wall.
Hardiness: USDA 3-9 (UK H6).
Height: 6-15ft (2-4.5m).
2. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Tasty Fruit
Plum trees produce delicious fruit and attractive spring blossoms that support local wildlife.
“Plum trees are among the fastest growing,” shares a nursery co-owner. “Growth depends on the rootstock; varieties like ‘Victoria’ on Brompton rootstock are much larger than those on dwarf rootstocks.”
Growing tips: Plant bare root trees between November and March, ensuring they are well-watered in their first season to establish roots. Select a sheltered sunny spot, incorporating organic matter into the soil.
Hardiness: USDA 4-9 (UK H6).
Height: 15ft (4.5m) or more.
3. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Pots
Dwarf peaches are perfect for gardens, boasting lovely pink blossoms in early spring and sweet fruit. “I recommend the ‘Scarlet Prince’ variety,” advises a garden designer.
Dwarf peach (Prunus persica) trees thrive in containers. Varieties such as ‘Bonanza’ yield beautiful blossoms and juicy fruit.
Growing tips: Use a large (20in/50cm) well-drained pot filled with loam-based compost and place in full sun. Protect early blooms from frost by keeping containers in a glasshouse or covering them with fleece.
Hardiness: USDA 5-9 (UK H4).
Height: 5ft (1.5m).
4. Best Fast-Growing Tree for Unusual Fruit
The Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) resembles a blend of apple and pear, offering a crunchy texture and juicy flesh. Its spring blossoms also attract pollinators.
“Asian pears are ideal for small orchards,” states a landscape designer. “They produce abundant, tasty fruit early in their growth.”
Growing tips: Minimal spraying is needed for pests. Learning to prune effectively will help shape the tree and improve fruit size by thinning early pears.
Hardiness: USDA 5-9 (UK H6).
Height: 20-30ft (6-9m).
5. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Warm Climates
Citrus trees are known for their glossy leaves and flavorful fruits. In cooler areas, they can thrive in pots on terraces during the summer.
Growing tips: For container growing, use a pot at least 20in (50cm) wide, filled with citrus compost or a mix of soil-based compost and up to 20% grit. Ensure a minimum night temperature of 50°F (10°C) in winter.
Hardiness: USDA 9-12 (UK H2).
Height: 10-20ft (3-6m).
6. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Small Gardens
Apple fencing consists of low-growing horizontally trained apple trees. They serve as decorative borders, ideal for compact spaces.
“Apple fencing offers a charming way to divide areas,” says a landscape designer. “It brings seasonal appeal and simplifies fruit harvesting.”
Growing tips: A step-over tree grows outwards with two long arms, forming a T shape. For quicker results, purchase trees trained on M27 rootstock, plant in sunny spots, support them, and prune during summer.
Hardiness: USDA 3-9 (UK H6).
Height: 20in (50cm).
7. Best Fast-Growing Fruit Tree for Wildlife
Cherry trees bloom beautifully in spring, attracting pollinators. You can choose from sweet cherries (Prunus avium) for eating or sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) for cooking, along with ornamental varieties.
