A guide to fruit tree pollination

The science (and sometimes the snake-oil) can run deep when it comes to fruit tree pollination.

You could read endless books and research studies on how to optimise your orchard with a diversity of cross-pollinators to achieve a bumper crop.

For most growers, it’s actually pretty straightforward to get the right results. This guide should take the confusion out of how best to pollinate your fruit trees.

In the pollination tables below, first find the variety you’re interested in. Then, any tree in the same group, or a group either side, will be a good pollination partner. For example, a group D tree is compatible with trees in groups C, D, and E. And where there are important exceptions, we’ve noted them. Simples!

Jump to:

We hope this guide helps, and here’s to some bumper fruit crops in the future.

Apple tree pollination

Apple trees invariably give heavier crops when they are pollinated by other suitable varieties. Generally, apple trees that flower at about the same time will cross-pollinate one another.

There are, however, some rather selfish exceptions! These are called “triploid” apples, because the minimum number of varieties required (including the triploid itself) so that all bear fruit is three; two pollinators to pollinate one another, either or both of which to pollinate the triploid.

Just nine of our apple varieties are triploid, however they do include favourites such as Bramley, Jupiter and Blenheim Orange.

Confused yet? We hope not, and you need not be… below is a really clear cross pollination chart for apples!

Name (click to view our trees!)UseHarvest
Pollination group
Fertility note
BountifulCooker / EaterLate Sept
A
Long flowering period – will cross pollinate with trees in Groups B & C
Bardsey IslandEaterLate Sept
B
 
Christmas PearmainEaterEarly Oct
B
Reliably Self fertile
FoxwhelpCiderSept
B
 
Irish PeachEaterMid Aug
B
 
Keswick CodlinCooker / EaterMid Aug – Sept
B
Partially Self fertile
RosetteEaterAug
B
 
Tremletts BitterCiderEarly Oct
B
 
Egremont RussetEaterLate Sept – Early Oct
B
Partially Self fertile
GreensleevesEaterOct
B
Partially Self fertile
Incompatible with: Lord Lambourne
Reverend W WilkesCookerLate Aug – Early Sept
B
Reliably Self fertile
Slack ma GirdleCooker / Eater 
B
 
Arthur TurnerCookerLate Aug – Nov
C
Partially Self fertile
Lord LambourneEaterMid Sept
C
Partially Self fertile
Incompatible with: Greensleeves
Ribston PippinEaterLate Sept – Early Oct
C
Triploid
Sops in WineEaterAug-Oct
C
 
SpartanEaterEarly Oct
C
Reliably Self fertile
Adams PearmainEaterEarly Oct
C
 
Beauty of BathEaterEarly Aug
C
 
FortuneEaterSept
C
Partially Self fertile
KatyEaterEarly Sept
C
 
Yellow IngestrieEaterEarly Sept
C
 
Christmas PippinEaterLate Oct
C
 
CobraEater / CookerSept-Oct
C
 
CrispinEaterMid Oct
C
Triploid
Incompatible with: Golden Delicious
Early Victoria / Emneth Early
CookerAug
C
Partially Self fertile
James GrieveCooker EaterEarly Sept
C
Partially Self fertile
Morgan SweetCooker / EaterSept
C
Triploid
Red WindsorEaterLate Sept
C
 
Red WindsorEaterOct
C
 
SaturnEaterLate Sept
C
Reliably Self fertile
SunsetEaterLate Sept
C
Reliably Self fertile
Incompatible with: Coxs Orange Pippin & Jupiter
Tom PuttCookerEarly Sept
C
 
CatsheadCookerOct
C
Triploid
Charles RossEater / CookerMid Sept
C
Partially Self fertile
Coxs Orange PippinEaterLate Sept – Early Oct
C
Incompatible with: Jupiter & Sunset
DiscoveryEaterLate Aug
C
 
FalstaffEaterEarly Oct
C
 
GrenadierCookerMid Aug
C
Partially Self fertile
Herefordshire RussetEaterOct
C
 
Peasgood NonsuchEater CookerMid Sept
C
Partially Self fertile
Red FalstaffEaterEarly Oct
C
Partially Self fertile
Scotch BridgetCookerEarly Oct
C
 
ScrumptiousEaterSept – Oct
C
Reliably Self fertile
Worcester PearmainEaterMid Sept
C
Partially Self fertile
Blenheim OrangeEater / CookerLate Sept – Early Oct
D
Triploid
Bloody PloughmanEaterMid Sept
D
 
BramleyCookerEarly Oct
D
Triploid
Golden DeliciousEaterLate Oct
D
Incompatible with: Crispin
Hoary MorningEater CookerEarly Oct
D
 
Howgate WonderCookerEarly Oct
D
Partially Self fertile
Kidds Orange RedEaterMid Oct
D
 
Lanes Prince AlbertCookerMid Oct
D
Partially Self fertile
Pitmaston PineappleEaterEarly Oct
D
 
Winter BananaEaterEarly Oct
D
 
Ellisons OrangeEaterMid Sept
D
Partially Self fertile
JonagoldEaterMid Oct
D
Triploid
King of the PippinsEaterEarly Oct
D
Partially Self fertile
Laxton SuperbEaterEarly Oct
D
Partially Self fertile
Tydemans Late OrangeEaterMid Oct
D
 
Winter GemEaterOct
D
 
Ashmeads KernelEater / CiderEarly – Mid Oct
D
Triploid
Chivers DelightEaterMid Oct
D
 
FiestaEaterLate Sept
D
Partially Self fertile
JupiterEaterEarly Oct
D
Triploid Incompatible with: Coxs Orange Pippin & Sunset
Lord DerbyCookerLate Sept
D
Partially Self fertile
Newton WonderCookerMid Oct
D
Partially Self fertile
Norfolk BeefingEaterMid Oct
D
 
Taunton CrossEaterMid Sept
D
 
Black DabinettCiderNov
D
 
Cornish AromaticEaterDec
D
 
Court of WickEaterLate Sept
D
 
Dunkerton’s LateCiderEarly Nov
D
 
Fair Maid of DevonCider 
D
 
FillbarrelCiderLate Sept
D
 
Harry Masters JerseyCiderOct – Early Nov
D
 
MichelinCiderOct – Early Nov
D
 
Somerset RedstreakCiderOct
D
 
Sweet AlfordCiderLate Oct – Early Nov
D
 
Sweet CoppinCiderLate Oct – Early Nov
D
 
Yarlington MillCiderLate Oct
D
 
Kingston BlackCiderEarly Nov
D
 
Annie ElizabethCookerNov
E
Partially Self fertile
Hereford RedstreakCider?
E
 
Orleans ReinetteEater / CiderMid Oct
E
Partially Self fertile
Red PixieEaterMid Oct
E
 
BraeburnEaterLate Oct
E
 
Browns AppleCiderMid Oct – Early Nov
E
 
Hangy DownCider 
E
 
Isaac Newton’s Tree / Flower of KentCookerMid Oct
F
 
MajorCiderLate Sept – Early Oct
F
 
Stoke RedCiderLate Oct
G
 
Court Pendu PlatEaterMid – Late Oct
G
 
Crawley BeautyCookerMid – Late Oct
H
 

The superstar apple pollinator!

Introducing the superstar pollinator… the crab apple!

If you’re already set your heart on varieties that don’t pollinate each other, or if you’re planting a large number of trees for an orchard, you can make your life simple (and even more beautiful) by planting a crab apple tree. Just one will help pollinate up to 50 apple trees!

Malus John Downie or Malus Golden Hornet are outstanding for this purpose. These flower freely throughout the pollination season and will partner with any apple in an orchard. As a bonus, Golden Hornet also makes lovely, fragrant crab apple jelly.

Pear tree pollination

All pear trees need to be cross-pollinated with another pear variety to make fruit.

As with the apples above, to help you choose the right pear trees to pollinate each other, we have put them into a colour coded table below.

Name (click to view our trees!)UseHarvest
Pollination group
Fertility note
ConferenceEatingMidA 
Louise Bonne of JerseyEatingMidAIncompatible with: Williams Bon Chretien
BethEatingEarlyB 
Beurre HardyEatingMidBA poor pollinator for other pears
BrandyPerryMidB 
Glou MorceauEatingMidB 
Merton PrideEatingEarlyBTriploid: Cannot pollinate other trees
Williams bon ChretienEatingEarlyBIncompatible with: Louise Bonne of Jersey
Winter NellisEatingLateB 
CannockPerryMidC 
ConcordeEatingMidC 
Doyenne du ComiceEatingMidCIncompatible with: Onward
HumbugEating / CookingLateC 
InvincibleEating / CookingMidC 
OnwardEatingMidCIncompatible with: Doyenne du Comice
SensationEatingEarlyC 
Hellens EarlyEating / CookingMidD 

It’s worth pointing out something quite interesting (as Stephen Fry might say?!) on flowering dates versus harvesting dates – they seem to be all over the place!

Trees that flower early or late in the season tend to harvest mid-season. Whereas those that flower mid-season crop either are the later croppers.

So, although you’ll be mostly interested in the flowering season in order to ensure pollination, you will still have choices to make as to when you want to harvest your fruits. It’s all part of the fun!

Cherry tree pollination

We grow a good range of self-fertile sweet cherry trees that do not need to be pollinated.

However, more than half of our range, including all of the earliest cropping cherries, will need a suitable pollination partner to bear fruit.

As with apples and pears, cherry trees will cross-pollinate with trees in the same group and one group either side.

Name (click to view our trees!)Harvest
Pollination group
Fertility note
Early RiversEarlyASelf sterile
Knight’s Early BlackMidBSelf sterile
Merton GloryMidBSelf sterile
Amber HeartEarlyCSelf sterile
Merton BigarreauMidCSelf sterile
VanLateCSelf sterile
Excellent pollinator
ColneyLateDSelf sterile
Lapins CherokeeMidDSelf fertile
Bigarreau NapoleonLateDSelf sterile
Poor pollinator
PennyLateDSelf sterile
SkeenaLateDSelf fertile
StellaLateDSelf fertile
Excellent pollinator
Summer SunLateDSelf fertile
SunburstLateDSelf fertile
SweetheartV LateDSelf fertile
KordiaMidESelf sterile
Morello (Sour Cherry)LateFSelf fertile

Plum tree pollination (and gages, damsons…)

Plums, gages, damsons, mirabelles and bullaces are all very closely related trees in the Prunus domestica group. They will all happily pollinate each other, provided they are in flower at the same time.

You know the drill…!

Name (click to view our trees!)UseHarvest
Pollination group
Fertility noteColour
JeffersonsDessertLate Aug
B
Self sterileGreen
Mirabelle Golden SphereDualMid Aug
B
Partially self fertileYellow
Mirabelle RubyDessertLate Aug
B
Partially self fertileRed-Purple
Coe’s Golden DropDessertLate Sept
C
Self sterileYellow
Dennistons SuperbDessertLate Aug
C
Self fertileYellow
Rivers Early ProlificCulinaryLate July
C
Partially self fertileBlue
Langley BullaceCulinaryLate Sept
C
Self fertileBlue-Black
Merryweather (Damson)CulinaryEarly Sept
C
Self fertileBlue-Black
OpalDessertEarly Aug
C
Self fertilePurple
VictoriaDualLate Aug
C
Self fertileRed
Cambridge GageEat / CookMid August
D
Partially self fertileGreen
CzarCulinaryEarly Aug
D
Self fertileBlue
King DamsonCulinaryMid Sept
D
Self fertilePurple
Old GreengageDessertEarly Sept
D
Self sterileGreen-Yellow
Oullins Golden GageDualMid Aug
D
Partially self fertileYellow
Shropshire Prune (Damson)CulinaryEarly Sept
D
Self fertileBlue-Black
Marjorie’s SeedlingDualLate Sept
E
Partially self fertileBlue

We hope you’ve found this blog both informative and genuinely useful in helping you choose your fruit trees. We always value your feedback, so please do leave a comment below.

Happy growing!

By Ashridge Support

Ashridge Nurseries has been in the business of delivering plants since 1949.

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