I’m currently hunting down pawpaw trees, Blueberry bushes, black raspberry, and other native fruits for my garden.
Looking for suggestions.
I looked into black cherries, but they get too large and too easily wind damaged for the proximity I’d have to plant them to my house.
I ended up with 2 pawpaw saplings, and a bunch of berry bushes. At this point I’m out of space for any more trees and probably anything that doesnt climb. Im thinking of filling out my fences with milkweed and/or grapes.
There’s never enough space! Have you looked into nearby lands where you could guerrilla plant some things? At least you got some pawpaws planted already. That’s probably the most important thing.
There’s a nicely gladed park near me that guerilla planting probably wouldnt work in, but I am considering trying to get official permission to plant some trees in.
You should have plenty of space if you can plant in the park! Public fruit trees are a great community service, and if you tell the park people that you want to plant native trees, they’d be foolish to say no. More fruit for you, more fruit for the birds, more fruit for anyone smart enough to harvest it, less grass and prickly stuff, more shade in the heat of summer. Everyone wins. Including the people at the persimmon nursery. :)
I have decided to attempt to convince them of 12 trees. I am planning to omit that they bear fruit unless asked. There are some oaks I can plant the pawpaws north of and can likely avoid needing to artificially shade them. And some sunny spots more that 100ft from any damagable property for the Black Cherries.
I found a local native plant nursery, so I have emailed seeking prices and availibility of these plants.
I am most unsure of the staghorn sumac due to their structural fragility, and thicket forming habits. But I may guerilla plant it in a recently cleared homeless encampment near my house to give them more cover next time they move in.
Morus Rubra (Red Mulberry) 2 female (known males in the neighborhood)
Asmina Triloba (PawPaw) 2 trees
Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac) 2 trees
Prunus Serotina (Black Cherry) 2 trees
Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) 1 female 1 male
Prunus Americana (American Plum) 2 trees
That’s awesome. Please post back with an update on how it goes! Would you ever get fruit from the mulberries, or do the birds eat them all where you are?
I regularly liberate my neighbors tree of their mulberries. They’re not eating them, they think I’m crazy.
It’s a white mulberry though. It is unknown if the birds will deny me a red mulberry. I’m not too worried about it.