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Fruit Tree Pollination Guide

General guide to Apple Tree pollination – to maximise consistently heavier yield

  • Self-fertile means no real need for another variety to produce fruit, though fruit more with a partner. OR if not self-fertile the apple tree requires a partner.
  • Flowering Group 1 – 5 shown for each apple tree variety.
  • For successful pollination, need to plant a partner either in the same Flowering Group, or one Group higher or one Flowering Group lower i.e. for Group 3 tree needs a partner in same group 3, or Group 2 or Group 4.
  • Alternative to another apple tree can plant a Crab Apple variety – ‘universal’ pollinator.

Apple Trees

Eating Apple: Braeburn Dessert 
£35

  • A crisp-red eating apple, late flower and late maturer.  
  • Pollination: Self-fertile, Flowering Group 4  
  • Best partners:  Cox’s Orange Pippin, Discovery, James Grieve, Egremont Russet, a Crab Apple 

Eating Apple: Cox’s Orange Pippin 

£35 

  • A British classic. Reddy-green skin tone. Well suited to our coolish British climate. Mid-season harvest.  
  • Pollination: Not self-fertile, Flowering Group 3  
  • Best partners: Discovery, James Grieve, Egremont Russet, Braeburn, a Crab Apple 

Eating Apple: James Grieve  

£35 

  • When picked early in the season (September) can be used as a cooking apple as slightly sharp flavour. Harvest later for a sweeter taste. Apples green apples with a red streak. Late flower and also hardy against most frosts.  
  • Pollination: Partially self-fertile, Flowering Group 3  
  • Best partners: Cox’s Orange Pippin, Discovery, Egremont Russet, Braeburn,  a Crab Apple 

Eating Apple: Laxton Epicure   

£35 

  • A crisp, sweet fleshed variety with a greenish-yellow skin.  
  • Pollination: Partially self-fertile, Flowering Group 3  
  • Best partners: Cox’s Orange Pippin, Discovery, Egremont Russet, Braeburn, a Crab Apple 

Eating Apple: Egremont Russett   

£35 

  • A classic English heritage variety known for their rough, ‘russeted’ skin and rich and nutty flavoured apples. 
  • Pollination: Partially self-fertile, Flowering Group 2  
  • Best partners: Cox’s Orange Pippin, Discovery, Laxton Epicure or a Crab Apple    

Eating Apple: Discovery  

£35 

  • Is one of the best early‑season English apples—crisp, refreshing, brightly coloured, and at its absolute peak when eaten straight off the tree in late August. Also, very good for juicing. 
  • Pollination: Not self-fertile, Flowering Group 3 
  • Best partners: Egremont Russett, Cox’s Orange Pippin, James Grieve, Laxton Epicure or a Crab Apple    

Cooking Apple: Bramley  

£35 

  • A very popular cooking apple, makes great apple pies! Has got a slightly sharp tangy flesh and full of flavour.  
  • Pollination: Not self-fertile, Flowering Group 3 
  • Best partners: Egremont Russett, Cox’s Orange Pippin, James Grieve, Laxton Epicure, Discovery or a Crab Apple    

Cooking Apple: Lord Derby 

£35 

  • An exceptionally hardy variety of cookers, being originally breed in Stockport – historically part of Cheshire.  Fruit is shiny green in September, becoming golden yellow as further matures on the tree in Autumn. Late flower so avoids late frost damage. 
  • Pollination: Partially self-fertile, Flowering Group 4 
  • Best partners: Braeburn Dessert, Bramley, Egremont Russett, Cox’s Orange Pippin, James Grieve, Laxton Epicure, Discovery or a Crab Apple.    

Crab Apple Trees – can act as a universal pollinator for apple trees

Ornamental Crab Apple

£35 

  • Malus ‘John Downie‘  – a classic English variety – with masses of white blossom in Spring, followed by heavy crop of red-orange fruits. Excellent value for wildlife, apple tree pollination and crab apple jelly making.
  • Malus ‘Red Jade‘ – is a graceful weeping variety, with elegant cascading branches.  Produces masses of white blossom from pink buds, that develop glossy bright red fruits that hang well into Winter.

General guide to Pear Tree pollination – to maximise consistently heavier yield

  • Self-fertile means no real need for another variety to produce fruit, though fruit more with a partner.    OR if not self-fertile the apple tree requires a partner  
  • Flowering Group 1 – 5 shown for each pear tree variety  
  • For successful pollination, need to plant a partner either in the same Flowering Group, or one Group higher or one Group lower i.e. for Group 3 tree needs a partner in same group 3, or Group 2 or Group 4 

Pear Trees

Pear: Concorde 

£35 

  • A small tree with compact growth. Very heavy cropper with superb flavour. Self-fertile and stores well for several weeks.  Ripens late September – October.     
  • Pollination: Partially self-fertile. Flowering Group 4 
  • Best partners: Conference 

Pear: Conference       

£35 

  • Very popular variety, can be cooked or eaten fresh. Very juicy with sweet flavour. Ripens in September. 
  • Pollination: Self-fertile. Flowering Group 3 
  • Best partners: Concorde 

General guide to Plum and Damson Tree horticulture – to maximise consistently heavier yield

  • All the Plum and Damson Trees stocked by The Tree Barn are self-fertile, resulting in a consistent fruit crop  
  • Flowering Group 1 – 5 shown for each tree variety, as an indication of frost damage risk. The higher the Flowering Group number, the less risk to late frost damage  
  • For enhanced fruit production, all stoned fruits (Plums, Damsons) benefit from a sprinkle of Dolomitic Limestone powder at planting. As our local soils tend to be naturally acidic.  
  • 50 grams of powder per tree is recommended to provide a source of Calcium and Magnesium, applied to the surface of planting soil / compost. 
  • The Tree Barn provides this free with each Plum and Damson tree purchased from us. 

Plum Trees

Victoria Plum

£35 potted 

  • Easy to grow and is reliably a heavy cropper. Self- fertile – so produces a good crop without a pollinating ‘friend’.
  • Dark flesh with good flavour.     

Pear: Marjorie Seedling  

£35 potted

  • Is a late-season self-fertile plum, producing a heavy crop of large, dark purple fruits in September to October.
  • Its one of the most reliable, disease-resistant plums for North-West gardens. 

Damson: Merryweather

£35 potted

  • Is a vigorous heavy-cropping, self-fertile damson producing unusually large blue-black fruits with classic sharp damson flavour.
  • These are ideal for cooking, jam making and late-summer picking. Thrives in our North West climate, and grows more like a plum tree.