Fruit tree/shrubs with wet feet.

are there any options for fruit producing trees/Shrubs that can handle wet ground. I have some wet areas that are wet during the winter/spring and then dry out.

Thanks.
 
are there any options for fruit producing trees/Shrubs that can handle wet ground. I have some wet areas that are wet during the winter/spring and then dry out.

Thanks.
Dogwood, hazelnut, beaked hazel, raspberry, viburnums. My place is flat as a pancake and that is what I've got naturally. Same type of conditions.
 
I'm assuming that you aren't talking about ground that is flooded in the spring. That is a whole different animal that just heavy spring soils.

Along with what Mark said, I think persimmon is worth trying for you. I've seen them do well in moist ground. I would suggest planting a bunch of seedlings that can be bought very cheap from some of the state nurseries. If they live and do well, you can come back later on topwork several of the males to persimmon cultivars that you want, and some of the seedlings will be females already.

You might also try Asian Pears, as they are generally more moisture tolerant than European Pears. Just make sure if they are grafted that they are grafted to Asian rootstock or Quince Rootstock, which give them a better chance in moist soil.

If you decide to try any apples or crabapples, I would recommend MM111 rootstock. It's not what I would call "wet tolerant" but it will have a better chance of surviving than B118 in wet ground. For apples, try to find the highest part of the wet ground, and you might have success.
 
Don't want to take of thread but along these lines I have a area that is 50 yards wide by 300 ft long and it's not always wet but it can get that way.Has anyone ever planted trees on a berm say where it was 2 ft x 8 ft about regular ground level.
 
Don't want to take of thread but along these lines I have a area that is 50 yards wide by 300 ft long and it's not always wet but it can get that way.Has anyone ever planted trees on a berm say where it was 2 ft x 8 ft about regular ground level.

A lot of pine plantations in the south are planted on ground that has been “bedded”. Where there is a ditch pulled and the dirt from the ditch piled up to make a “bed” eight or ten inches higher than normal ground. Allows loblolly pine to be planted in a lot of wet geound.
 
are there any options for fruit producing trees/Shrubs that can handle wet ground. I have some wet areas that are wet during the winter/spring and then dry out.

Thanks.

Are you specifically trying to grow fruit, or just trees for wildlife? Fruit is great for wildlife don't get me wrong, but there are a lot of browse species that grow in low/wet areas that are every bit as valuable as a fruit tree would be.

If the areas dry out, that's a bit different than being wet. We get rain all growing season for the most part here, and have ponding in some areas that don't get direct sun (under the canopy) but we also have areas that are extremely wet after snow melt, but become relatively dry. I wouldn't consider those areas 'wet' even though they may be underwater in the spring. Some of those areas have apple trees in them that are doing very well after 3 growing seasons.
 
For northern areas, and very wet areas, high-bush cranberry is hard to beat.

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I'm assuming that you aren't talking about ground that is flooded in the spring. That is a whole different animal that just heavy spring soils.

Along with what Mark said, I think persimmon is worth trying for you. I've seen them do well in moist ground. I would suggest planting a bunch of seedlings that can be bought very cheap from some of the state nurseries. If they live and do well, you can come back later on topwork several of the males to persimmon cultivars that you want, and some of the seedlings will be females already.

You might also try Asian Pears, as they are generally more moisture tolerant than European Pears. Just make sure if they are grafted that they are grafted to Asian rootstock or Quince Rootstock, which give them a better chance in moist soil.

If you decide to try any apples or crabapples, I would recommend MM111 rootstock. It's not what I would call "wet tolerant" but it will have a better chance of surviving than B118 in wet ground. For apples, try to find the highest part of the wet ground, and you might have success.
Don't you think Maine is almost to far north for Asian pears and persimmons?
 
Don't you think Maine is almost to far north for Asian pears and persimmons?

Maine is divided by three USDA Zones (3,4 and 5). He has his USDA Zone listed as 5. Persimmons are generally rated for Zones 4-9, and pears (both European and Asian) are generally rated for Zone 5-9.

Based on that, he should be fine.
 
I can tell you from personal experience, in a Zone 4-5 area, that persimmon trees will grow, and they will flower and set fruit, but it is very unusual for the season to be long enough for them to ripen. What eventually drops from the tree comes down very late in the year and they are just hard little stones. Persimmon fruit is very attractive to deer, for sure, but I wouldn't try them anywhere near a zone 4 area...on the edge between 5 and 6 they would be a good choice.

Asian pears, from what I understand, will do fine in zone 5 and maybe even zone 4. They are on my list of trees to try up in northern Michigan, where we have properties in both zones.
 
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