Depending on the species, the ornamental fruit trees can provide colorful foliage and possibly showy fruits as well. Here are some recommended kinds for the garden.

Sargent Cherry

Sargent cherry is an outstanding heirloom that is hardy to zone 4. Among the hardiest of the Oriental cherries, it has leaves that turn red in the fall and retain their color for a long period.

This tree bears dark pink blooms that are 1½ inch wide in April and May. They form umbels. The tree is 40 to 50 feet in height with a slightly smaller spread. The plant was introduced to the U.S. in 1890 from Japan.


Autumn Cherry

Autumn cherry is a variety of the rosebud cherry. It is one of the few trees that bears blossoms in the fall. These are semi-double and are a lovely pink. The fall blooms are in addition to the ones that open in the spring.

The long lasting flowers are nearly an inch wide. They appear in the fall when the weather is warm enough.

Crab Apples


Generally, the crab apples have red or yellow foliage in the fall. Prairie Fire crab is highly recommended because it bears small deep red, long lasting fruits. The red stems also add color. The round headed tree is 20 feet in height with a matching width. It has a moderate growth rate. In spring, this bears single, dark reddish-pink flowers. The new leaves are reddish-purple.

Callery Pear and its Relatives

The Callery pear provides red to scarlet fall foliage. This gives the tree two seasons of interest as the white blossoms open in early May or so. The tree is 30 feet in height.

The Bradford pear is a relative, but this tree is no longer recommended because it is becoming invasive. It self sows and crowds out native plants in some locations.


Common Pear

The common pear is grown as a fruit tree. It does provide red foliage in the fall. The tree is ten feet tall and is hardy to zone four. The plant has become established in the wild in some locations. The fall foliage is a very beautiful shiny dark red.

Ussurian Pear

This species is the hardiest of all the pears—to zone 4. . The pink tinged flower buds add spring interest. The fruits are very small. In the fall, this tree features gorgeous scarlet to red foliage. This is a vigorous tree.


Japanese Cherry Hybrids

Some of the recommended Japanese cherry hybrids that provide good fall color include the following.

Ukon flowering cherry features purple, copper, and red fall color from the leaves. Introduced in 1905, this flowering cherry is a spreading, vigorous tree. The new leaves are bronze. The double blooms are soft yellow with pink flushes. The tree is very free flowering.

Hokusai flowering cherry is a very popular variety that dates to 1866. The vigorous, reliable, excellent tree blooms mid season. Borne in clusters, the semi-double flowers are soft pink. This a free flowering tree. The leaves turn red and orange in the fall. This tree has wide spreading branches

Hillieri flowering cherry is a hybrid of Sargent cherry. Introduced in 1928, this broad headed tree is 30 feet in height or so. It offers very outstanding fall color in shades of red. The pink blooms cover the tree in the spring.

Kursar flowering cherry is a small hybrid that was created by Captain Collingwood Ingram. He was the foremost expert in the West on Japanese cherries. This tree brings lovely orange fall foliage. The dark pink blooms open in March and April. The tree is very free flowering. The new leaves are bronze.