15 Zone 5 Fruit Trees Incl. Dwarf and Self-Pollinating

If you live in USDA Zone 5, you experience cold winters between -20°F and -10°F. Parts of Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, Nebraska, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio, Utah, Iowa, etc., experience zone 5 climates.

The choice of fruit trees to grow may be limited, but cold-hardy varieties of cherry, apple, peach, pear, and plum trees can grow and thrive.

For example, the Orient pear, Fuji apple, Santa Rosa plum, and Aurora honeyberry are some of the best fruit trees that can grow in zone 5.

Below, I’ve listed the top 20 fruit trees that thrive well in zones 5a and 5b.

USDA Zone 5 Fruit Trees

Zone 5 planting zone extends from the Northeastern United States, through the Central US, to the Northwestern US with cold winters and mild summers. To establish your orchard, choose fruit trees that can survive frigid winters down to -20°F.

Here are the fruit trees recommended for zone 5:

1. Orient pear tree (Pyrus communis ‘Orient’)

Cold hardy and suitable for USDA zones 5 to 8, the Orient pear thrives well in zone 5, producing large, juicy pears with a sweet flavor.

The tree grows about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, bearing fruit 4-7 years after planting, depending on the growing conditions.

• USDA Zone: 5 – 8
• Height: 20 ft
• Spread: 15 ft
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Soil type: Well-drained
• Soil pH: slightly acidic
• Sunlight: Full sun exposure
• Years to bear: 4 to 7 years
• Harvest time: July to Early August
• Pollinator required? No

With a low chill hour requirement of just 350 hours, it is a great choice for areas with short winters. Its blight and leaf spot disease resistance also makes the Orient pear one of the best cold-hardy, low-maintenance pear varieties to grow and get large pears and bountiful yield.

Important: Choose a sunny spot to plant the Orient pear. Also, space the trees 15-20 ft apart to provide ample space for the trees to grow healthy. A pollinator, such as the Tenn or Kieffer pear, is recommended for maximum yield; otherwise, the tree is self-fertile.

2. Kieffer pear (Pyrus communis ‘Kieffer’)

The Kieffer pear is a popular pear tree hardy in USDA zones 4-9. It is known for its large, golden-yellow fruit with some crimson blush. It is relatively easy to grow and can tolerate a variety of soil types.

The tree grows to a height of 15-20 feet and a width of 10-20 feet. White flowers emerge in the spring, with fruit ripening for harvest in the fall.

• USDA Zone: 4 – 9
• Height: 15-20 feet
• Spread: 10-20 feet
• Harvest time: late September to October
• Chill hours: 400
• Soil type: Well-drained
• Soil pH: 6.0-7.0
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 2-3 years
• Pollinator required? No

Although the Kieffer pear is often grown as a pollinator, you can plant it in zone 5 climates, and it’ll heavily bear fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in pies, jams, and other preserves.

The tree is self-pollinating but produces more fruit if planted near another pear tree. 

3. Rosseyanka persimmon (Diospyros virginiana ‘Kaki’)

Also called the Russian Persimmon or simply Kaki, the Rossayanka tree is a cold-hardy hybrid made for improved taste, yield, and tolerance to cold winters.

The small, white, fragrant clusters of flowers emerge in the spring and later pave the way for heavy sets of round orange fruit that ripens for harvest in November.

I highly recommend this persimmon if you’re looking for a late-season fruit tree for zone 5.

Plant Name	Rosseyanka Persimmon Tree
Scientific Name	Diospyros virginiana ‘Kaki’
Common Names	Russian Persimmon, Kaki
USDA Hardiness Zones	5-8
Mature Height	15-20 feet
Mature Width	10-12 feet
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowers	Small, white, fragrant, in clusters
Fruit	Round, orange, 2-4 inches in diameter, sweet and juicy
Bloom Time	Spring
Fruit Ripening Time	Fall
Pollination	Self-pollinating
Soil Type	Well-drained, loamy soil
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Uses	Edible fruit, ornamental tree

Regular watering is recommended, especially during the growing season and fruit development. You should also prune the tree either late in the winter or early in the spring and watch out for Japanese beetles, scale, and aphids, as they’re common pests on the Rosseyanka persimmon tree.

4. Black Tartarian Cherry (Prunus avium ‘Black Tartarian’)

The Black Tartarian cherry is a high-yielding, early harvest, cold hardy fruit tree suitable for zone 5.  It is a small, sour cherry that originates from the Circassia region of what is now Russia and was introduced to the United States in the late 1700s.

The fruit tree grows to about 30 feet tall and spreads about 30 feet wide when mature.

The fruit is a small, black cherry that ripens in mid-June to early July, but we recommend leaving the cherries on the tree until they are mature enough for harvesting.

• USDA Zone: 4 – 8
• Height: 30 feet
• Spread: 30 feet
• Harvest time: Mid June to early July
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Soil type: Sandy, well-drained
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 3 – 4 years
• Pollinator required? Yes

Note that there’s a dwarf variety of the Black Tartarian cherry that’s also suitable for zone 5.

Some of the recommended companions and cross-pollinators for the Black Tartarian cherry include Windsor, Heidelfingen, Black Republican, Schmidt, Cavalier, Gold, Van, Vega, Montmorency, Vista, Ranier, Stella, and Bing varieties.

5. July Prince Peach (Prunus persica ‘Julyprince’)

The July Prince peach is a cold hardy, self-pollinating fruit tree that bears large, sweet, and juicy fruits ready for harvest in early August. The tree starts to bear fruit 2-4 years post-planting, provided it is grown in a sunny spot with loamy, well-drained soil.

Here’s the tree’s profile:

• USDA Zone: 4 – 8
• Height: 12-15 feet
• Spread: 12-15 feet
• Harvest time: August
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 2 – 4 years
• Pollinator required? No

July Prince peaches are a freestone variety, meaning the pit separates easily from the flesh, which is why they’re ideal for fresh eating, canning, and freezing.

6. Red Haven Peach Tree (Prunus persica ‘Redhaven’)

Easy to grow, heavy bearing, and requiring minimal maintenance, the Red Haven peach tree is a highly suitable self-pollinating fruit tree for USDA zone 5.

The cultivar was introduced in 1940 as an improved cold-hardy fruit tree.

• USDA Zone: 5a – 9b
• Height: 12-15 feet
• Spread: 12-15 feet
• Harvest time: Late July
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained. Tolerates clay and sand.
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 2 – 4 years
• Pollinator required? No

The Red Haven peach requires well-drained loamy soil and full sun to grow healthy and bear fruit as expected. Pink blooms emerge in the spring, later yielding fruit ready for harvesting in late July.

7. Early Augustprince Peach (Prunus persica ‘Early Augustprince’)

Excellent texture, large freestone fruits with a yellow, melting flesh and a remarkable flavor, the Early Augustprince is a highly recommended peach variety for zone 5 for its cold-hardiness and disease resistance.^[1]

The tree is reliable, consistently yielding large fruits approximately 3 – 3 1/4 inches in diameter if pruned and thinned correctly.

Fruits are also very sweet and juicy, comparable to or better than the Cresthaven peach variety.

• USDA Zone: 5 – 8
• Height: 15-25 feet
• Spread: 8-15 feet
• Harvest time: Early August
• Flavor profile: Sweet and juicy
• Chill requirement: 800 chill hours
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 3-5 years
• Pollinator required? No (self-pollinating)

We recommend planting Early Augustprince peaches 15-20 feet apart.

8. Bartlett Pear (Pyrus communis ‘Bartlett’)

• USDA Zone: 5 – 7
• Height: 12 – 20 feet
• Spread: 10 – 20 feet
• Harvest time: Late August
• Flavor profile: Sweet and juicy
• Chill requirement: 800 chill hours
• Soil type: Loamy, clay, well-drained
• Soil pH: acidic
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 4-6 years
• Pollinator required? No (self-pollinating)

The Barlett pear is native to Europe but is one of the favorite pear varieties in the United States.

An easy-to-grow fruit tree, it can start to bear fruit after two years and will continue to yield for over 100 years.

Although a self-pollinating fruit tree, planting a pollinating variety like the Stark, Moonglow, or Orient next to this cold hardy pear will improve its fruit production.

Showy white flowers emerge in early spring before the onset of new foliage. Yellow fruit ripens in late August, with the size easily described as large if the tree is well cared for.

Owing to their sweet taste, Bartlett pears are preferably eaten fresh or used in baking desserts and making stuffings.

Note that John Stair is known to have discovered this variety growing in the wild in 1770, but the American Pomological Society indicates Enoch Barlett as the person who discovered the tree.

9. Golden Delicious Apple (Malus domestica ‘Yellow Delicious’)

The Golden Delicious apple can be found as a standard tree, semi-dwarf, and dwarf fruit tree.

The dwarf variety reaches a maximum height of 10 feet with a similar spread, while the standard version grows to 20–25 feet tall upon maturity.

• USDA Zone: 4 – 8
• Height: 20 – 25 feet
• Spread: 25 feet
• Harvest time: Mid-September to Mid-October
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Chill requirement: 600 – 700 chill hours
• Soil type: Loamy, clay, well-drained
• Soil pH: acidic
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 6 – 10 years (standard); 3 – 4 years (dwarf)

The dwarf Golden Delicious apple trees start to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting, while the standard trees yield at least 6 years after planting.

Cold-hardy to USDA Zone 5, the Golden Delicious cultivar blooms midseason, producing pink flowers and yields fruit from mid-September to mid-October.

The apples are aromatic and sweet, making them ideal for eating fresh or using in pies, applesauce, or preserves.

Gardener’s note: The Golden Delicious apple tree requires regular watering as it is poor at tolerating drought.^[2] Also, a pollinator, preferably Granny Smith, Fuji, or Red Delicious, will be required.

10. Fuji Apple (Malus pumila ‘Fuji’)

With an 18% sugar level, Fuji apples have a sweet-tart flavor and a long storage life, making them great favorites to grow in USDA Zone 5 for people looking to start home orchards or commercial production.

The Fuji apple tree is native to Japan, with the parentage being the Virginia Ralls Genet and the Red Delicious variety. Their flavor and cold tolerance are highly improved, with the trees able to survive frigid winters down to -30°F.

• USDA Zone: 4 – 8
• Height: 18 – 20 feet
• Spread: 15-20 feet
• Harvest time: Mid-September
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Chill requirement: 350 – 400 chill hours
• Soil type: Well-drained
• Soil pH: acidic
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 3 – 5 years

The semi-dwarf Fuji apple tree reaches 12 to 14 feet tall, with approximately an equal spread.

We recommend growing the Fuji apple trees next to Gala, Golden Delicious, Suncrisp, Jonathan, Red Delicious, or Lodi varieties for cross-pollination.

11. McIntosh Apple (Malus domestica ‘McIntosh’)

The McIntosh apple was first discovered early in the 19th century by John McIntosh. Its parentage is not well documented, but it is believed to be a hybrid of the snow apple (Fameuse) due to its similarity in flavor.

This popular heirloom variety is cold-hardy to USDA Zones 4 to 7 and produces large, sweet-tart apples that are good for eating fresh or cooking. These fruits ripen in September and October, so the tree is great for gardeners looking for a late-season harvest.

The McIntosh apple tree is fairly easy to grow as it is resistant to most apple tree diseases. The tree grows to approximately 15 feet tall with an equal spread.

• USDA Zone: 4 – 7
• Height: ~15 feet
• Spread: ~15 feet
• Harvest time: September to October
• Flavor profile: Sweet-tart
• Chill requirement: 900 chill hours
• Blooms: White (mid-May)
• Soil type: Well-drained
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Years to bear: 3 – 5 years
• Pollinator required

You can get the McIntosh Apple Tree as a semi-dwarf or standard tree. Some of the recommended pollinator trees to plant near include the Jonathan and the Granny Smith apples.

12. Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) is a versatile plant grown as a small tree or shrub. It is known for its attractive white spring blossoms, which provide a welcome burst of color in the early spring. Serviceberry also produces edible fruits that also attract birds.

The common names for Serviceberry vary depending on the region. In some places, it is called Shadblow, shadbush, juneberry, or Saskatoon.

There are over 30 different species of serviceberry mostly found throughout North America. Here are some of the best serviceberry varieties for USDA Hardiness Zones 5a and 5b:

• Alleghany serviceberry (A. laevis) – Zones 4-8
• Apple Serviceberry (A. ×grandiflora) – Zones 4-9
• Canadian serviceberry (A. canadensis) – Zones 4-7^[3]
• Downy or Common serviceberry (A. arborea) – Zone 4 – 7
• Saskatoon or dwarf shadbush (A. alnifolia) – Zones 3-9

Most serviceberry varieties range from 4 to 25 feet in height, the shorter ones being shrubs and the tall ones being trained as trees. They can also spread to a width ranging from 4 to 15 feet.

13. Santa Rosa Plum (Prunus salicina ‘Santa Rosa’)

The Santa Rosa plum tree is a hardy variety well-adapted to the cold winters in Zone 5. Provided with the right nutrition and full sun, it can grow as high as 25 feet and yield large, red to purple clingstone fruit.

Also called the Japanese plum, Santa Rosa plums are fast-growers in zones 5-9, requiring loamy, well-drained soil to mature and yield plentiful fruit. They do not require a pollinator, but a requirement of about 500 chill hours should be met for proper yield.

• USDA Zone: 5 – 9
• Size: ~25 feet tall and 20 feet wide
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Chill requirement: 500 chill hours
• Blooms: White (spring)
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Pollinator: Self-pollinating

Other plum varieties suitable for hardiness zone 5 include the Bubblegum plum, Methley, and the Emerald Beaut.

14. Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

Quince trees are native to West Asia but have become common in North American due to their cold hardiness since they’re suitable for USDA zones 5-8.

• Size: 12-15 feet and 9-12 feet wide
• Flavor profile: Sweet
• Chill requirement: 500 chill hours
• Blooms: White to pink (Spring)
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Pollinator: Self-pollinating

Quince trees are hardy and adaptable, bearing large, showy white blossoms in late spring and clear yellow foliage in fall.

The fruit is large and bright yellow, ripening in October.

The trees are self-fertile, so you can plant just one tree and still enjoy a harvest. They are also disease-resistant, making them a low-maintenance choice for the home garden.

15. American Cranberry (Viburnum opulus ‘Americanum’)

The American cranberry bush is deciduous that can grow up to 15 feet tall if provided with proper care – full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

It is suited to zone 2 to 7 climates due to its cold tolerance and will bloom in the spring with showy white flowers that develop into edible red fruit in early to mid-fall.

Varieties you can grow include the Bailey Compact, Dwarf American Cranberry, Redwing® J.N. Select, and the Hahs cultivar.

FAQ