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Ripe red apples hanging on a leafy apple tree branch

When to plant · 11 plants

Fruit and nut trees

Apples, pears, plums, persimmons and hazelnuts. Plant bare-root trees in late winter and early spring. Pick one for its dates in your town and how to grow it.

Planting order

When each one first goes in around Portland, starting indoors where that comes first. Colder towns run later.

Early spring
Apple trees, Pear trees, Plum trees, Cherry trees, Peach trees, Fig trees, Hazelnut trees, Asian pear trees, Persimmon trees, Quince trees, Mulberry trees

Planting windows at a glance

Main planting window in five reference towns. Each plant's page has every town.

PlantPortlandSeattle and TacomaBend and RedmondSpokaneBoise and Meridian
Apple treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Pear treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Plum treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Cherry treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Peach treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Fig treesMar 15 – May 10Mar 15 – May 10May 12 – Jul 7Apr 15 – Jun 10Apr 1 – May 27
Hazelnut treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Asian pear treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Persimmon treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Quince treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
Mulberry treesMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15

Growing fruit and nut trees in the Northwest

Fruit and nut trees are a long-term choice, so variety matters more here than for any other plant. The Northwest's wet springs make disease the main challenge: scab on apples, peach leaf curl on peaches, brown rot on cherries and plums, and eastern filbert blight on hazelnuts. Resistant varieties, listed on each tree's page, save years of spraying.

Late winter to early spring is the time to plant bare-root trees, while they're dormant and the soil is moist. Choose a sunny spot with good air flow and soil that drains; trees sitting in winter-wet clay often decline. Many apples, pears, sweet cherries and plums need a second, compatible variety nearby for pollination, so check before you buy.

Dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks keep trees small enough to prune, net and pick from the ground, which suits most home gardens. Expect two to five years before a real crop. Figs and self-fertile plums are among the easier trees for west-side gardens.

Common questions

When should I plant fruit trees in the Northwest?

Bare-root trees go in from late winter to early spring while they're dormant. Potted trees can be planted in spring or fall.

Which fruit trees are easiest west of the Cascades?

Scab-resistant apples, Asian and European pears, figs in a warm spot, and self-fertile plums. Peaches are the hardest because of peach leaf curl in wet springs.

Do I need two fruit trees for pollination?

Many apples, pears, sweet cherries and plums need a second compatible variety nearby. Figs, quince, most persimmons, sour cherries and some plums fruit alone. Each tree's page says which.

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