Benefits of Planting a Fruit Tree in Your Garden

A fruit tree pays you back every season. Fresh fruit from the back door, ornamental form through the year, and pollinator value that lifts the whole garden. Five fruit trees that suit most Australian backyards.

Why plant fruit trees

Food off the back step, lower grocery costs, better tasting fruit than supermarket stock, and a working garden that supports pollinators. The right cultivar at the right spacing means manageable maintenance.

Ficus carica Black Genoa

The benchmark backyard fig. Large dark purple fruit, sweet red flesh, two crops a year in warm climates.

Ficus carica Brown Turkey

Wider climate range than Black Genoa. Reliable in cooler temperate zones.

Olea europaea Manzanillo

Dual purpose olive for table fruit and oil. Silver foliage and a tough drought constitution.

Laurus nobilis, Bay Tree

Constant supply of culinary bay leaves on an evergreen tree that fits any garden size.

Banksia integrifolia

The pollinator support tree. Keeps native bees present through cool months so they are ready when your fruit trees flower.

Planting the orchard

Full sun, free draining soil, mulch heavily and water deeply during fruit set. Net during ripening where birds are an issue.

FAQ

How long until I get fruit? Figs and olives produce inside two to three seasons from a 45L plant.

Do I need two trees? Most varieties here are self fertile. A second tree increases yields on olives.