Fruits That Grow In Maryland

Taste the best of fruits that grow in Maryland with Chincoteague Apples and apples grown at Chincoteague, MD. Appleplaces.com provides varieties of seed-grown fruit trees, shrubs and berries available at reasonable prices. There are many types of fruits ranging from mangos to blueberries. Some fruits are a favorite for for every person. But there are some that can only be found in certain areas of the world like here in Maryland. Here is a list of fruits that I will share with you.

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Fruits That Do Best in Maryland’s Growing Conditions

Home gardeners looking to grow their favorite foods in Maryland have good news: “Almost any annual vegetable crop can be grown in the Maryland climate,” according to Ben Beale, agriculture extension educator in St. Mary’s County. Marylanders can try anything except tropical plants. The list of edibles that will grow in this mid-Atlantic state, with good soils except in its far west, also includes small fruits, vegetables used in ethnic cuisines and heirloom varieties. Use standard growing practices.

Solanaceous Family

Tomato, eggplant, peppers and potatoes do well in Maryland. The tomato is Maryland’s most commonly grown vegetable, according to the Maryland Coooperative Extension. After initial fruiting in July, high temperatures at night in August may briefly delay blossom sets, but usually the plants rally for a smaller harvest at the end of the month and continue in the fall until frost. These tender annuals, including eggplant and peppers, can usually be set outside around May 10, when the soil and air warms. Water plants heavily and regularly in Maryland but avoid getting drops on the leaves, which can cause blight. Avoid blossom-end rot by consistent watering and liming the soil before transplanting young plants and periodic top-dressing. Recommended peppers include Emerald Giant, Jupiter and Valencia; recommended tomatoes are Better Boy, Early Girl, Supersonic and others.

Home gardeners looking to grow their favorite foods in Maryland have good news: “Almost any annual vegetable crop can be grown in the Maryland climate,” according to Ben Beale, agriculture extension educator in St. Mary’s County.
These tender annuals, including eggplant and peppers, can usually be set outside around May 10, when the soil and air warms.

Cucurbit Family

Vine crops such as melons, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins and gourds often produce heavily in Maryland’s humid summers. Set young squash plants out after May 1 and melon and cantaloupe after May 15. Recommended squashes include Burpee Hybrid and Yellow Crookneck, while the better cucumbers include Fanfare, Sweet Slice, Bush Pickle, Calypso and County Fair. Recommended watermelons include Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet and Moon and Stars, and pumpkins include Baby Bear, Atlantic Giant and Spookie.

Small Fruits

The Maryland Cooperative Extension reports that growing conditions in the Free State are well suited to strawberries, grapes, currants, blackberries, grapes, blueberries and raspberries. Small fruit plants tend to live a long time. Purchase virus-free stock; Crusader and Consort are resistant blackberry cultivars, for example. Recommended strawberry varieties include Earliglow, Annapolis and Delmarvel. Set the plants out in mid to late September or early in the spring. Small fruits require a sunny location with deep soil that is well drained.

Vine crops such as melons, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins and gourds often produce heavily in Maryland’s humid summers.
The Maryland Cooperative Extension reports that growing conditions in the Free State are well suited to strawberries, grapes, currants, blackberries, grapes, blueberries and raspberries.

Growing Small Fruits

Growing berries, grapes, and currants

Many small fruits—strawberries, currants, blackberries, grapes, blueberries, and raspberries—are well-suited to Maryland’s growing conditions. Small fruit plants are generally long-lived. If you’re planning to grow them, pay special attention to cultivar selection and site preparation. Cultivars should be adapted to your soil and climatic conditions. If possible, select cultivars with the fewest insect and disease problems.

Buy the best nursery stock available from reputable nurseries that guarantee their plants to be true to name, of high quality, and packed and shipped correctly. Place your order early, specifying the cultivar, size, grade of plants desired, and preferred time of shipment. It is best to have the plants arrive when you are ready to set them out and have the planting site prepared well in advance of planting.

When your order arrives, unpack the bundles and inspect the plants. The roots should be moist and have a bright, fresh appearance. Shriveled roots indicate that the plants have been allowed to freeze or dry-out in storage or transit. Such plants seldom survive. Plant roots must be kept moist and free from freezing temperatures at all times.

If the plants cannot be set out immediately, they should be kept in cold storage by wrapping them loosely in a plastic bag with some holes cut for ventilation and storing them at a temperature just above freezing. Moistened peat moss, sawdust or shredded newspaper can be used to keep roots from drying. Strawberry plants, in small quantities, may be held in the home refrigerator for a few days. If refrigerated storage is not available, remove the plants from the bundle, and carefully plant them in a trench of moist soil in a shaded location (this is called “heeling-in”). Pack the soil firmly around the roots to eliminate all air pockets and to prevent the roots from drying out.

Common Name	Genus/Species	Origin	Grow without Pesticides	Notes
Strawberry	Fragaria X	N.A./S.A. cross	Yes	June-bearing and day-neutral are best
Blueberry*	Vaccinium spp.	7 native MD species	Yes	Northern highbush, Southern highbush, and rabbiteye (Southern MD and Eastern Shore only) will all grow in MD
Grape	Vitis labrusca Vitis vinifera	North America/ Asia	No/Can be Difficult	Many good seedless table grapes available. ‘Concord’ not well-adapted to the warmer sections of MD
Blackberry	Rubus ursinus	North America	Yes…..but	Many choices; trailing, thornless cultivars can be difficult to control in a small area
Raspberry	Rubus idaeus and Rubus spp.	North America	Yes….but	Many choices; primocane-bearing are easiest to manage

10 Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Maryland (2022 Guide)

What are the Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Maryland?

Finding the best fruit trees to grow in Maryland was not as easy as I thought. Some require extensive care, others are prone to pests, and lots are just not simple & quick enough to grow.

That’s why I created a list of the 10 Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Maryland!

This ultimate guide will give you the best fruit trees to grow, why you should grow them, and even how to grow them.

Read THIS Before Growing Fruit Trees in Maryland

Knowing what hardiness zone Maryland is in is critical to understanding the best fruits that can be grown.

It can be the difference between your fruit orchard thriving and providing a bountiful yield or producing nothing and maybe even dying.

10 Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Maryland

#1. Apple Tree

Popular Varieties: Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Granny

Why Grow Apple Trees in Maryland?

Cold Hardy:

Apple Trees thrive in Maryland’s cold spring and cooler fall months. Unlike other fruits, flowers and fruit can grow even when there is snow or frost late into the spring.

Easy to Grow:

Apple trees may be the easiest fruit to grow. You do not need to fertilize it, don’t need to water it, can be planted in any soil, and needs very little pruning if any.

Perfect for ANY Yard:

Apple Trees are perfect for any gardener’s yard. If you have a lot of space you can plant numerous apple trees. If you have a little space you can plant your apple trees in pots. And regardless of the climate or soil in Maryland, you can plant them just about anywhere in your yard.

Heavy Harvest:

Out of all the fruit trees on this list, apple trees have one of the heaviest harvest. Between late August through November you can pick more apples then you’ll be able to eat.

THESE Could Harm Your Apple Trees

Pests:

Deer, Rabbits, & Squirrels LOVE Lettuce. If left unprotected these pests will eat your fruit before it can even fully grow.

Insects:

Out of all the fruit trees on this list, insects are most likely to attact apple trees. Whether it’s Japanese Beetles or Aphids, you will constantly have to spray and care for your apple tree to prevent insect infestation

Disease:

Again, out of all the fruit trees on this list, Apple Trees are most prone to disease. Blight & mold are just two of the diseases that can attack, harm, and sometimes kill your fruit trees in the spring or summer.

#2. Pear Tree

Popular Varieties: Barlett, Kieffer, Anjou, Bosc

Why Grow Pear Trees in Maryland?

Cold Hardy:

Pear Trees is another hardy fruit when it comes to cold in Maryland. Pears are a perfect compliment to apple trees, blooming earlier and bearing fruit earlier in the summer.

Heat-Resistant:

Pear Trees is not only a great tree that is cold-hardy but also does amazing in droughts, high heat, and humidity. This makes it perfect to plant anywhere in your yard, regardless of the amount of sunlight it receives.

Perfect in Pots:

If there is any fruit that can be grown in gardening pots in Maryland, it’s Pear Trees. This is one of the most adaptive fruits, making it perfect for beginner gardeners in Maryland.

THESE Could Harm Your Pear Trees

Insects

Like many other fruits, insects like aphids will attack and infest your pear trees. Unlike Apple Trees that can recover quickly, Pear Trees typically won’t.

Wet Conditions

While pear trees do great in heat and cold, they can struggle with wet conditions. If the ground becomes too wet over winter and spring then there is a chance that root rot will happen, harming or killing your tree.

#3. Plum Tree

Popular Varieties: Damson, Fench, Friar, Japanese

Why Grow Plum in Maryland?

Thrives in heat:

While most fruit trees tolerate heat, plum trees thrive in it. This early summer fruit-producing tree will grow quickly with more plums when it has a warmer winter and spring.

Insect & Disease Proof:

Plums are extremely hardy. Unlike every other fruit tree on this list, plum trees are resistant against almost all insects and every disease, making it the perfect fruit tree to grow in Maryland.

Perfect for Small Spaces:

Apple, Pear, & Cherry Trees grow quite large. If you don’t have a big backyard this can pose a problem. But you don’t have to worry about this with plum trees, as they won’t grow more than 8 to 10 feet high and 6-8 feet wide.

THESE Could Harm Your Plums Trees

Pests:

Deer, Rabbits, & Squirrels come out of winter and become hungry in spring. One of the first plants they eat is plums. Whether protected or unprotected pests pose a risk to growing plums in Maryland.

Wet Conditions:

Like pear trees, plum trees don’t do well with wet conditions. It is recommended to plant this type of tree in an area of your yard with well-draining soil and long periods of direct sunlight.

#4. Peach Tree

Popular Varieties: Redhaven, Reliance, White, Sunhaven

Why Grow Peaches in Maryland?

Thrives in the heat:

The hotter, the better. Unlike apple, cherry, pear, and plum trees that tolerate heat, peach trees will actually do better the hotter it gets. That means the hot and humid summers are perfect for peach trees bearing more fruit.

Great for Vertical Gardening:

Most fruit trees grow high and wide, but very few just grow high. Peach trees are the only type of fruit tree that has varieties that can grow 10 to 15 feet high and only 2 to 3 feet wide.

Quick Growing:

Out of all the fruit trees on this list, the Peach Tree is the quickest growing fruit tree. Not only this, but most Peach Trees will actually bear fruit within 1 to 2 years after planting.

THESE Could Harm Your Peach Tree

Cold:

Peach Trees do not tolerate cold weather well. While some varieties can survive Maryland’s cold weather, most will die if the winter temperatures drop consistently below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Diseases:

Like many other fruit trees, Peaches are prone to diseases such as blight, mold, etc. Not only will this happen during early spring during wet conditions, but can also continue throughout summer and even fall.

#5. Fig

Popular Varieties: Chicago, Turkey, Brown

Why Grow Fig in Maryland?

Pest-Resistant:

The fig tree is the only fruit tree on this list that is truly pest-resistant. Deers hate fig-trees, rabbits can’t reach the fruit, and squirrels and chipmunks find easier food elsewhere.

Perfect for Indoors & Outdoors:

No other fruit on this list can be grown indoors and outdoors. Fig Trees can thrive outside, but most gardeners will grow them in a pot where they leave them outside during the summer months and bring them inside after the first frost of the year.

Easy to Grow:

Once you plant your fig tree there is nothing else you need to do. You don’t have to worry about insects or disease, only need to water it once a week, and you even don’t have to worry about pruning it for figs to grow.

THESE Could Harm Your Figs

Cold:

While some types of fig trees can survive and do well in Maryland winters, most will become stunted and not produce fruit or may even die.

Drought:

If you keep your fig trees in pots droughts will stunt and kill your tree. This is because fig trees in pots will dry out quicker than in the ground.

#6. Cherry

Popular Varieties: Bing, Van, Montmorency

Why Grow Cherry Trees in Maryland?

Thrives in the heat & cold:

Cucumbers are another hardy fruit. Some varieties can be grown in cold weather and some can be grown in warmer weather.

Lots & Lots of Harvest:

Cherries produce the largest harvest out of all the fruit trees on this list. While cherry trees don’t grow as tall as other trees they can sometimes yield up to 50 pounds of fruit in a season.

Amazing Cross-Pollinator:

If you want a fruit tree that acts as a cross-pollinator then look no further than the cherry tree. It does great with crabapples and apple trees to name a few.

THESE Could Harm Your Cherry Trees

Birds:

These pests will generally not harm your actual cherry tree. What they will do though is immediately eat cherries if you do not protect them with netting.

Cold & Wet Conditions:

Cherry Trees also will quickly die if conditions are too wet or if the winters get too cold, making this one of the most difficult trees to care for every year.

#7. Nectarine Tree

Popular Varieties: Sungo, Fantasia, Redgold

Why Grow Nectarines in Maryland?

Loves heat:

Like its cousin the peach tree, Nectarines love the heat. They grow bigger and produce more and tastier nectarines the hotter it is.

Perfect for Vertical Gardening:

Just like peaches Nectarine trees don’t grow wide. This makes it perfect for urban gardeners or anyone who has little space for fruit trees.

Quick Growing:

Like the peach tree, Nectarines grow incredibly fast. Even within the first year or two, nectarines will grow on planting and potted trees.

THESE Could Harm Your Nectarine Trees

Cold

Almost every type of Nectarine Tree struggles with the cold. If you live in the Northern part of Maryland Nectarine trees will struggle with the winter and if you live in a part of Maryland where temperatures can dip for weeks at a time below 20 degrees Fahrenheit you will need to wrap your tree in burlap to protect it from the cold.

Diseases

Nectarines can be prone to diseases in early summer. Expect blight, fungus, and rot to affect your plant early in the season near the time your tree begins to grow flowers.

#8. Apricot Tree

Popular Varieties: Royal, Tropic Gold, Blenheim

Why Grow Apricot Trees in Maryland?

Thrives in Droughts:

Apricot trees are another great type of fruit tree that will thrive in Maryland’s humidity and heat. And for those summers that get little to no rain apricots trees will continue to grow and bear lots of apricots.

Great for Small Yards:

Apricot trees don’t get very large. Outside of Fig Trees, they are the next smallest tree on this list. This makes them perfect for small yards and space, surburban fruit orchards, and urban gardens.

THESE Could Harm Your Aprciot Trees

Everything:

Almost everything can harm apricot trees, making them incredibly difficult, but not impossible to grow. Insects, disease, sometimes wind, wet conditions, and garden pests are just a few of the elements that can negatively affect your fruit tree.

Cold Weather:

Like most nectarine and peach trees, apricot trees do poorly in the cold. In fact, they have the least likelihood of almost any fruit tree on this list of surviving Maryland’s winter if not wrapped in burlap or another heat retaining material.

#9. Mulberry Tree

Popular Varieties: Black, White, Red

Why Grow Mulberry Trees in MAryland?

Thrives in Almost Any Condition:

While you may not be very familar with the Mulberry Tree, it is an excellent choice to grow in almost any condition. You can plant it with other trees, by itself in a field, among weeds, or even in a garden and it will quickly grow and bear fruit.

Small Yards:

The mulberry tree is so versatile because of its size that you can plant it anywhere. Whether it’s in a small space next to your house, in the corner or your garden, or even in a gardening container, the mulberry tree is perfect for all fruit tree growers.

THESE Could Harm Your Mulberry Trees

Garden Pests:

When growing mulberry trees you will need to protect them from birds. While birds won’t harm the tree itself they have been known to quickly devour the fruit before they even ripen.

#10. Lemon Tree

Popular Varieties: Meyer, Lisbon, Ponderosa

Why Grow Lemon Trees in Maryland?

Loves Heat:

Out of all the fruit trees on this list, lemons will thrive the most with heat. This is because they naturally have been grown in warmer weather climates. And best of all is that you need to water or care for them very little to have success.

Perfect for Pots:

Lemon Trees can only grow in pots in Maryland. If you want a fruit tree that can easily be moved from indoors to outdoors, kept indoors all year, or even just as an ornamental tree then look no further.

THESE Could Harm Your Lemon Tree

Cold:

Lemon trees are the most sensitive fruit tree on this list to cold weather. If temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit then your tree won’t grow or produce fruit. If temperatures drop below freezing your lemon tree will die.