Best Fruit to Grow in Oklahoma

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This ultimate guide will give you the best fruit to grow in Oklahoma and how to grow them best. You’ll be growing sweet treats in no time even if you are a beginning gardener.

Knowing what hardiness zone Oklahoma is in is critical to understanding what you can grow. Find your hardiness zone here.

There are so many fruits that grow well in Oklahoma. We have a very long growing season and lots of warm sunshine. We have mild winters as well. The down side to Oklahoma growing is the weather is unpredictable.

Fruit trees and more

You can grow fruit trees in Oklahoma, but you can also grow bushes and plants as well. There is a variety of things that grow well. So try your hand at a variety of things and you’ll be surprised how much fruit you can come up with in a backyard Oklahoma garden.

How to grow fruit trees at home

Apple trees are an Oklahoma favorite. They are cold hardy. They are easy to grow. They don’t need fertilizer and once the tree is established, you don’t need to water it. You can prune apple trees or not prune them, depending on your style. They aren’t particular about soil.

Apple trees are pretty and make a nice addition to the landscaping even in the front yard. They put off a lot of fruit.

The downside to planting apple trees is that you have to wait several years for fruit. You also have to watch for pests such as deer and especially squirrels. They steal the unripe fruit and hide it away. Apple trees are also vulnerable to Japanese beetles and aphids.

Apple trees can get blight or black spot which can kill the entire tree, so watch for dark spots and remove them plus a foot more of the branch if you see it starting.

Pear trees are also great for Oklahoma. Just like apple trees, they are cold-hardy, but they bear fruit earlier in the year, so they make a great complement. They handle heat and drought well too.

They have similar pest problems to apples, but pear treats will not recover from aphids as quickly as apples. They also cannot tolerate wet conditions. They are very susceptible to root rot.

Plums are another great choice for growing in Oklahoma. They thrive in the heat, there are even native plums here, called sand plums. Plums are very hardy and resistant to most insects and diseases. They can be grown in small spaces as well. They are vulnerable to the same animal pests as apple trees as well.

Make sure your plums have well-drained soil to grow in as well.

Peaches grow well in Oklahoma. They like it HOT. They also like humidity. Peach trees grow wide instead of high making them easier to pick too. They are the quickest growing fruit tree and will bear fruit within 2 years. They are very vulnerable to cold though. They can get the same diseases as apple trees, so watch for that.

You will have more success with peaches if you grow them next to nectarines or apricots.

Nectarines love heat as well. They grow very slender and tall, so they are perfect for smaller spaces. They grow fast like peaches and you can grow them in a large container. They are very susceptible to the cold, so wrap them in burlap during the coldest days of winter. They are very vulnerable to the same blight, fungus, and rot that some other fruit trees get.

Apricot trees thrive in drought and humidity, so they are a perfect Oklahoma fruit to grow. They are small trees, so they are good for small yards. They get insect damage as well as wind damage easily. And like nectarines, they don’t like the cold. Wrap them in burlap in winter as well. They take a lot of pruning and spraying to be successful.

Mulberry trees are another Oklahoma native. They grow in the fencelines often because birds eat the berries and poop out the seeds everywhere. They quickly bear fruit and they are sweet and delicious. They grow small and kind of compact.

Birds are the biggest problem with mulberries, they will take all your fruit before you can. But they are resistant to most pests and diseases and are acclimated to growing in our climate in Oklahoma.

Is wood ash good for fruit trees?

Check out more information about growing fruit trees and using wood ash with them in this article about using wood ash in the garden.

Perennial fruits

There are many other perennial fruits besides trees, that can be grown in Oklahoma.

Growing figs in the garden are one of my favorites. I love to eat them but the fig bush is STUNNING! It makes a gorgeous addition to your landscaping. Check out how to grow figs here.

For more gorgeous edible landscaping ideas, check this out.

Strawberries and blueberries are two more plants that look awesome among your flower beds. I love growing them for the beauty they provide as well as fruit. Blackberries are another yummy fruit that does well in Oklahoma. Check out growing fruit in the garden here for more info on those. You can also grow strawberries in a bucket.

And don’t forget about the elderberry bush, another Oklahoma native. It’s easy to grow and has tons of uses. Check out how to grow elderberries here.

Fastest fruit to grow

If you’re looking for faster fruits to grow, maybe you would like to grow annuals such as watermelon and canteloupe melons. They produce a lot faster than a bush or a tree and they grow great in Oklahoma.

I can’t wait until you have some sweet fruit to enjoy from your own yard. It’s satisfying and full of nutrition too!