9 Best Dwarf Fruit Tree Varieties for a Small Garden

Fruit trees were once only reserved for large gardens and orchards. But not anymore! Luckily there are now some amazing dwarf fruit tree varieties available for a smaller garden.

Fruits, like pears and cherries, generally produce very tall trees that can reach over 40ft if left unchecked. However, there are now some amazing dwarf fruit tree varieties on offer.

With the rise of container gardening, most nurseries should have some dwarfing varieties in stock.

So now, no matter your garden size, and as long as it receives at least 6 hours of sunlight throughout the day, you can grow and pick your own fruit. The compact growing habit of the trees on this list means that you can easily fit a fruiting tree into your mini garden space.

What makes a fruit tree ‘dwarf’?

All of these mini fruit tree varieties are either genetically small, or they can be bought on dwarf rootstock. This means a small branch of a certain fruit tree variety has been grafted onto the rootstock of a tree that will naturally stay very small.

For example, you could buy a ‘Honeycrisp’ apple on dwarf rootstock!

There are a few different size varieties of dwarf rootstock, from dwarf to semi-dwarfing.

Each fruit species has its own dwarfing rootstock. For example, a lot of dwarf apples that you can buy are grown on M27 rootstock. There’s a dwarf rootstock for citrus trees called Flying Dragon. And Gisela 5 is currently the smallest dwarf rootstock for cherry trees.

The fruit size will stay the same, they’ll just be growing on a mini tree!

Benefits of growing dwarf fruit trees

Keeping a smaller fruit tree in your garden offers plenty of amazing benefits. It’s a great way to maximize space in a small garden!

• They’re easier to fit into small garden spaces, like a balcony or terrace. You don’t need a huge garden to enjoy the fruits!
• They’ll happily grow in containers.
• The fruits are much more accessible. There’s no need for ladders or long nets to pick fruit up high.
• Because of their small size, they’re also easier to maintain and prune.
• You can get a great crop of fruit in the tiniest of spaces.

Dwarf fruit tree varieties for a small garden

Here are 8 dwarf fruit trees that you can add to your mini garden space. They’re all great fruit trees that grow well in containers.

1. Garden Delicious Dwarf Apple 

A garden classic, there’s just something so satisfying about being able to pick your own apples at home. The Garden Delicious dwarf tree is ideal for small garden spaces.

It’s a naturally small apple tree and was a variety created by the Zaiger family from California. They’re famous for cross-breeding fruits to become more heat tolerant or less prone to bruising. Another famous dwarf apple they created is the apple ‘Babe’!

Garden Delicious is a self-pollinating variety, but to guarantee a great crop it benefits from having another apple tree next to it. The apples are sweet and crisp with green coloring and a light flush of red.

USDA zones: 4-8

Maximum height: 6-10ft (1.8 to 3 meters)

Tip: There are thousands of delicious apple varieties to choose from, and most can be grown on dwarf rootstock. Make sure you choose a variety on M27 or M9 rootstock as these will produce the smallest trees. Some apple trees may simply be sold as columns, step-overs, or espaliers. These have already been trained into a compact shape which makes them easy to manage and care for.

You might like | How to Grow Apple Trees in a Small Garden

2. Dwarf Peach Tree ‘Terrace Amber’

There are some prolific and incredibly tasty dwarf peach trees to choose from. A popular variety is a naturally dwarfing variety known as ‘Terrace Amber’.

The Terrace Amber peach was also created by the Zaiger family! It’ll produce sweet red peaches with juicy yellow flesh. Because of its tiny size, it’s a perfect fruit tree to grow in containers.

Other mini peach varieties include:

• ‘Sunset™’ peach, an Australian super dwarf variety.
• ‘Pix Zee’ mini peach (another Zaiger family variety)
• ‘Garden Gold’ mini peach
• ‘El Dorado’ peach (from Jackson and Perkins Rose Company)
• ‘Honey Babe’ peach (another Zaiger family variety)

Of course, you can find lots of other dwarfing peach varieties online or in nurseries. Our Saturn peach tree is grown on dwarfing rootstock. It’s currently about 60cm tall but still produces a beautiful display of pink flowers in spring, and a good crop of flat peaches in summer!

USDA zones: 6-9

Maximum height: Terrace Amber, 3-5ft (1 to 1.5 meters)

3. Dwarf Black Mulberry 

If you’re interested in growing unusual fruits in your garden, the mulberry is definitely a great choice. Usually overlooked for raspberries or blackberries, mulberries are rich in antioxidants and have an incredible berry flavor.

Wild mulberries can grow to heights of 20m. However, you can find dwarfing varieties in specialist nurseries or online.

Most dwarf mulberry varieties will grow to a maximum height of 2 to 5 meters, but you can pinch out the growing tips or trim branches to keep it at an even more compact size.

USDA zones: 5-10

Maximum height: 6-16ft (2 to 5 meters)

4. Dwarf Sweet Cherry Trees ‘Stella’

Cherry trees can naturally be very tall plants and were once never really suitable for backyard growing. But luckily in the last couple of decades, some amazing dwarf rootstocks have been developed.

Look for cherry varieties that have been grafted to ‘Gisela 5’ or ‘Gisela 6’ rootstocks or ‘Zaiger Dwarf’ as these will be dwarf trees. You should be able to keep a cherry on Gisela 5 rootstock to around 1.5m-2m tall.

Other popular cherry varieties to look for on dwarf rootstock:

• ‘Summer Sun’ | Large fruits, ripen in July
• ‘Lapins’

If you have a bit more space, ‘Craig’s Crimson’ is a great semi-dwarfing cherry variety to look out for. It’s self-pollinating and produces delicious, dark red cherries. However, it will need pruning in late July or early August.

Top tip: Cherries are LOVED by birds. On a small tree (where fruits are precious!) it might be worth investing in or creating some form of tree cover.

USDA zones: 5-10

Maximum height: 6-16ft (2 to 5 meters)

5. Dwarf Pear Tree

Like apples, there is an amazing variety of pear trees to grow. From Louise Bonne de Jersey to Moonglow.

Pears are naturally very tall trees, so you’ll need to look for pear tree varieties that have been grown on ‘Quince C’ or ‘BA29’ rootstock. These are the smallest pear rootstocks available.

A naturally compact pear variety to buy on dwarf rootstock is ‘Concorde’ which is a sweet, self-fertile dessert pear.

Although dwarfing, pear trees will still need to be pruned to keep them at a manageable height.

If you need something extra small, look for columnar fruit trees, slow-growing citrus trees (like the Meyer lemon on this list), or small fruiting shrubs instead.

There’s a well-known dwarf pear tree variety in the UK called ‘Mini Conference’ that will grow no taller than 3 meters. With minimal pruning, you can easily maintain it at a manageable height making it a perfect size for balconies, terraces, and mini garden spaces.

USDA zones: 4-8

Maximum height: 6-16ft (1.8 to 5 meters).

6. Dwarf Nectarine Tree

Like peaches, nectarines are simply the taste of summer. Luckily there are some fantastic genetically dwarfing nectarine varieties you can add to a small garden space! 

Dwarf nectarine varieties:

• ’Necta Zee’ (another Zaiger family variety)
• ‘Nectar Babe’ (might need another nectarine variety for a good crop)
• ‘Nectarella’ (a popular UK variety)
• ‘Golden Prolific’

They will all produce full-sized, juicy fruits, however, the trees will generally reach no higher than 6 ft. They can easily be pruned and maintained at a smaller height if necessary.

Pair a dwarf nectarine tree with a dwarf mulberry tree (fruits in spring/summer) and a dwarfing apple tree (late summer/autumn) and you’ll be picking fruits throughout the growing season.

USDA zones: 5-9

Maximum height: Generally 4-6ft (1.2 to 2 meters).

7. Dwarf Plum Trees

Look for plum tree varieties that have been grafted to ‘VVA-1’ rootstock. This is one of the smallest plum tree rootstocks available.

Popular plum varieties include:

• ‘Belle de Louvain’
• ‘Excaliber’
• ‘Rivers’ Early’

In the UK there’s a popular rootstock called ‘Pixy’. Without pruning plum trees grown on Pixy rootstock would reach a maximum height of around 10-12ft when grown in the ground.

Of course, like most trees on this list, you may be able to find a columnar plum tree. This means the tree has been specially trained to grow in a narrow column shape. It’ll be easier to maintain and prune, and will also fit really well in really small garden spaces!

USDA zones: 4-9

Maximum height: Generally 4-6ft (1.2 to 2 meters)

8. Dwarf Meyer Lemon ‘Improved’

This mini citrus is a lovely compact citrus tree to grow on a sunny balcony or terrace.

The Meyer Lemon is technically not a true lemon, but a hybrid mix of a citron and mandarin. However, it still has that familiar lemony taste, only a little sweeter and less acidic.

It has the name ‘Improved’, as the old variety carried a virus that was infecting other citrus trees. Citrus breeders were eventually able to find a Meyer lemon without the virus, and it became known as ‘Meyer Improved’.

They’re great for adding to endless recipes, from Meyer lemon curd to baked lemon and herb fish. It’s a really useful tree to have in your garden!

USDA zones: 8-11

Maximum height: 2-5ft (0.5 to 1.5 meters)

9. Little Miss Figgy 

Fig trees can often reach heights of well over 15 feet, so generally they’re not recommended for small gardens. However, if you love figs but can’t fit a 15ft tree into your space, there is a compact dwarf fig variety.

At 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide, this dwarf fig may not be the smallest plant on this list. But if you love figs and have a bit more space to spare it’s definitely a great fruit to include.

Their ornamental, lobed leaves bring can also bring a tropical flair to small gardens, as well as their tasty fruits.

USDA zones: 7a-10b

Maximum Height: 6ft (1.8m)

General care tips for dwarf fruit trees

They may be mini, but dwarf fruit trees still need a little care and maintenance. Whether you’re growing dwarf fruit trees in the ground or in containers, check out these tips to help them thrive.

• Although small in size, some of these dwarf fruit trees may need staking or some form of support. Because of their smaller size and thinner stems, they’ll be more susceptible to snapping in high winds.
• Some dwarf trees will remain very small, others may need pruning in summer to keep them at a manageable size. Make sure you double-check the pruning requirements of the variety you’re looking to buy by reading labels or asking the nursery that sells it. Especially if you’ve bought an espalier, column, cordon, or fan fruit tree, check out our guide to looking after these trees
• Keeping a fruit tree in a container will naturally restrict the roots and help to keep the tree small.
• If your garden is exposed to high winds, plant the tree in a heavy container. When the tree is laden with fruit it will be top-heavy and could fall over if it’s windy.
• Some fruit trees cannot self-pollinate and may need a companion tree. If you don’t have space for two trees, make sure to choose a self-pollinating variety.

For more in-depth info, check out our guide to growing fruit trees in containers. From choosing containers to winter care.

Columnar fruit trees

All of the trees listed here are dwarf varieties (whether genetically small or on dwarf rootstock) that either stay small or can be easily pruned to stay small.

This means however that their branches will still spread out.

If you have a really narrow space then definitely look out for columnar fruit trees! You could even train your own fruit tree to grow into a column.

The fruit grows on very short lateral branches attached to the main trunk. This means the entire tree can be no more than a foot wide.

Because of their narrow shape, you can add multiple fruit trees in really small spaces, and enjoy a crop of delicious fruits from your own tiny orchard!

Other small fruits and vegetables to add to a small garden…

From compact (and thornless!) raspberry bushes to micro tomatoes, here are other fruit and vegetable plants that work well in mini garden spaces.

• Dwarf fruit bushes, like the compact ‘North Sky’ blueberry bush.
• Dwarf tomato plants, like the ‘Dwarf Beryl Beauty’ or ‘Tidy Treats’
• Windowsill tomatoes, like the mini ‘Red Robin’
• Hanging basket tomatoes, like ‘Tumbling Tom’
• Bush beans for small spaces
• Dwarf peas for small spaces