You don't need an orchard to grow fruit. Include small fruit plants in your container gardens and mixed borders for a tasty harvest.
Small Fruit Plants for Small Spaces
Published on Feb. 13, 2025
Strawberries
Fragaria x ananassa, Zone 3 to 9
One of the easiest and most versatile fruit to grow in any space, strawberries are edible and ornamental with white flowers, tasty fruit and red fall color. Use them as a ground cover, add them to a container garden or grow them in a hanging basket. Extend your enjoyment with day-neutral and everbearing varieties that produce several harvests a season. Start DeLizz, the All-America Selections winner, from seeds in early spring and enjoy several harvests the first year, even during the hot summer months.
Baby Cakes Blackberry
Rubus ‘APF-236T’, Zones 4 to 8
Baby Cakes blackberry is a dwarf, thornless berry plant growing 3 to 4 feet tall and just as wide. It produces large berries twice a season in most climates, on the stems that grew the previous season. Grow it in full sun and provide a bit of afternoon shade if your summers are very hot. Plant them in the garden or a 16-inch or larger container that is at least 12 inches deep and has drainage holes. It only needs 400 chill hours.
Tips for Cold Climates: Winter-hardy fruit grown in a weatherproof container will need some winter protection in colder climates. Sink the pot in a vacant part of the garden or place in a sheltered location with bales of straw, bags of soil or other insulating material around the pot. Or move it into an unheated garage and water whenever the soil is dry.
Check out more incredible edible shrubs for your landscape.
Blueberries
Vaccinium spp. and hybrids, Zones 3 to 9
Blueberries are nutritious and beautiful with white flowers, colorful fruit and fall color. They prefer moist, well-draining, acidic soil to thrive. Use them as a decorative hedge in the landscape if your growing conditions are right. The Bushel and Berry dwarf varieties are easier to grow in a container. They prefer full sun, fruit on old wood and the number of chill hours varies with the variety. They are self-fruitful, but you will more than double the size of your harvest with two or more plants.
Raspberry Shortcake
Rubus idaeus ‘NR7’, Zones 4 to 9
Raspberry Shortcake is thornless and only grows 2 to 3 feet tall, making it ideal for those limited to a deck, balcony or small sunny spot in the garden. Grow them in the garden or in a 16-inch or larger container that is at least 12 inches deep and has drainage holes. These plants need 800 chill hours. They flower and fruit on new growth that forms on older canes. Leave the new green stems that will have fruit the following summer.
Citrus
Citrus spp., hybrids and cultivars, Zones 8 to 11
Beautiful fragrant flowers and flavorful fruit make growing citrus in a pot a fun gardening adventure. Start your plant in a small pot and transplant it into a larger pot as needed, usually every 2 to 3 years. Place the plant in a sunny spot outdoors for summer or year-round in mild climates. Or grow it in front of a brightly lit window that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight and is free of cold and hot drafts. Boost your success with the help of artificial lights.
Figs
Ficus carica varieties, Zones 5 to 9
Even northern gardeners can enjoy the homegrown flavor of figs. Grow them in an 18-inch-diameter pot to display on the patio or balcony. Those gardening in mild climates with at least 100 chill hours can enjoy two harvests a season. Hardy cultivars such as Brown Turkey and Chicago Hardy are perfect for northern gardeners. The plants die back to the ground in winter or can be overwintered indoors when grown in a pot.
Dwarf Columnar Apples
Malus spp. and hybrids, Zones 4 to 8
You’ll find a variety of dwarf apple trees, including upright varieties that only grow several feet wide and 8 to 12 feet tall. Use them to create a private space, or as a vertical accent in the garden or on a patio or deck. Depending on the variety, you may need two different varieties to have fruit, and 500 to 1,000 chill hours. The dwarf columnar plants usually fruit within several years of planting, and their growth habit makes it easy to harvest.
Grapes
Vitus spp. cultivars and hybrids, Zones 3 to 9
Train grapes onto an arbor for a decorative and edible entryway to the garden, on a trellis for screening or over a pergola for shade. You will need a strong structure to support the plants and a willingness to do some vigorous pruning. Or grow them in a large container 18 to 24 inches in diameter and 16 to 18 inches deep. Grapes prefer a long, warm growing season and anywhere from 100 to 2,000 chill hours, depending on the variety.
More Small Fruit Plants for the Picking
Here are some other small fruit plants to consider growing in small spaces and containers:
- Dwarf pawpaw Asimina parviflora (You need at least two plants for it to produce fruit)
- Issai kiwi Actinidia arguta ‘Issai’ (self-fertile)
- Dwarf peaches Prunus persica cultivars (most are self-fertile)
- Dwarf cavendish banana Musa acuminata (self-fertile)
- Dwarf pomegranate Punica granatum ‘Nana’ (self-fertile)
