Birds, bees, and humans alike love the sweet snacks they find on fruit-bearing trees and shrubs in Indianapolis. In addition to the food they produce and the wildlife they attract, many fruit-bearing varieties also yield gorgeous seasonal blooms that are a feast to the eyes, too, so why not plant one or more in your backyard?
From berries to apples, the options for planting fruit-bearing trees and shrubs in Indianapolis are vast. Because Indiana contains U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5a through 6b, you’ll have the most luck growing plants designated for those zones, some of which are listed below.
Apple
Indiana gardeners are able to grow an apple tree large enough to bear fruit within the first year of planting. If you buy large apple trees with this goal in mind, though, just remember most apples need a pollinator — another apple tree that flowers around the same time — to set fruit.
Cherry
Native to northern and Central Indiana, tart varieties of the black cherry tree such as Montmorency and Meteor prefer Indiana’s cooler climate and shorter summer. They bloom later in the spring, avoiding frost damage.
Mulberry
Well suited for Zones 5 to 9, mulberry trees come in many varieties and are among one of the most popular fruit-bearing trees and shrubs to grow in Indiana. Much to the delight of backyard wildlife and humans, they yield an abundance of sweet berries. The white mulberry, for example, may grow to be more than 65 feet tall and live for more than 300 years.
Serviceberry
Members of the rose family and related to peaches, plums, cherries and crabapples, serviceberry trees survive in Zones 2 to 9 and bloom beautiful white flowers. Also known as juneberry, serviceberry trees grow best in partial shade in just about any kind of soil and produce mild, sweet fruit every summer.
Blueberry
You love them in muffins, pies, and yogurt; birds love them straight from the shrub. Blueberry shrubs grow best in full sun or partial shade with acidic soil, reaching 6 to 12 feet tall. Besides the delicious fruit they bear, blueberry bushes offer eye candy in the fall with their bright red-orange foliage.
Black Raspberry
This fruit-bearing shrub starts producing berries and white flowers in its second season. Black raspberry shrubs make great garden borders, and their sweet fruit attracts birds. To get the most fruit from them, you need to prune raspberry shrubs every year.
Blackhaw Viburnum
This ornamental garden plant grows to be 12 to 15 feet tall and produces sweet bluish-black fruit for both humans and wildlife in Central Indiana to enjoy. With its fragrant blooms in spring, like other fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, blackhaw viburnum can also serve a practical, beautiful, and delicious purpose in your yard’s landscape design as a garden hedge.
Elderberry
Ripening in the summer and producing white flower clusters in the spring, the hardy elderberry plant produces black and glossy fruits that look delicious to birds and humans alike, but you shouldn’t eat them raw as they contain alkaloid compounds that make them taste bitter instead of sweet. Like other fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, you’ll need to prune them annually to keep them looking their best.
Call Hittle Landscaping for Your Residential Plant Installation Needs
When you’re ready to plant or you have any questions about specific species mentioned on this list, call the pros at Hittle Landscaping to help you choose and install the fruit-bearing trees and shrubs best suited for your Central Indiana backyard.
Scott DeNardin is the President of Hittle Landscaping in Westfield, Indiana, where he leads the company in providing top-tier commercial landscaping services. With a focus on quality and customer satisfaction, Scott and his team are dedicated to delivering customized landscaping solutions that meet the specific needs of their clients, ensuring that every project reflects the company’s commitment to excellence and sustainable practices.
