Photo: Chris Light — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Survives zone 4 through 8
Varies widely — see species.
- Hardiness
- Zone 4 to 8
- Habit
- Tree
- Edible part
- Fruit
- Ripens
- Summer–autumn
- Mature size
- Rootstocks: M27 (container), M9, M26, MM106
- Light
- Full sun to partial
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0 (near-neutral)
- Environment
- Temperate
- Status
- Both wild and cultivated
- Years to fruit
- 2–4 yrs
- Pollination
- ⚠ Mostly SELF-INCOMPATIBLE — needs a 2nd cultivar
Growing guide
Fertilizing. Little supplemental feeding is needed once established; avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer, since it pushes the lush, succulent growth most vulnerable to fire blight.
How it spreads. The woody, branching root system occasionally sends up underground runners that form clonal offsets, slowly building into a thicket at favorable sites if suckers aren't removed — not aggressive, but worth watching in a small garden.
Growing tips. Frequently troubled by insects and disease, especially cedar-apple rust — plant at least 500 feet from Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Also susceptible to aphids, leafhoppers, and fire blight, and deer/rabbits browse the foliage.