12 Fast-Growing Fruit Trees for a Delicious Harvest in No Time

Fruit trees can transform your backyard into a mini orchard, but many types won’t be ready to harvest until 10 years or more after planting.

Luckily, there are fast-growing fruit trees that you can harvest within a year or two of planting—or, for grafted dwarf types, may even be sold with soon-to-ripen fruits on their branches. Here are 12 fast-growing fruit trees to consider for your yard or garden.

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• 01of 12Calamansi Nancybelle Gonzaga Villarroya / Getty ImagesAlso known as calamondin, these tiny, juicy citrus fruits have a tart, tangerine-like flavor. In subtropical climates, these self-fertile trees thrive outdoors, and healthy specimens will fruit year-round.¹ Trees should fruit within one or two years of planting.
  • Mature size: 12-14 ft. tall, 8-10 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full to part sun
  • USDA hardiness zones: 8a-10b
  • When to harvest: Year-round
  • Notable varieties: Dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are available
• 02of 12Dwarf Meyer Lemon Barbara Rich / Getty ImagesCompact, self-fertile dwarf Meyer lemon trees are ideal for gardeners with smaller backyards. Plants grown from seed can take up to 4 years to bear fruit, but specimens propagated via grafting can fruit in as little as one year.
  • Mature size: 5–10 ft. tall, 4–8 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full to part sun
  • USDA hardiness zones: 8-11
  • When to harvest: When fruits are deep yellow, typically late winter or early spring
  • Notable varieties: Dwarf varieties are available
• 03of 12Loquat The Spruce / K. DaveJuicy, sweet loquat fruits are native to China, but they’re grown in subtropical and warm temperate climates around the world. Trees grown via cuttings can fruit in as little as one to two years after planting. Dwarf varieties that grow up to 5 feet tall are also available.²
  • Mature size: 20-35 ft. tall, 12-50 ft wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 7-11
  • When to harvest: Spring
  • Notable varieties: ‘Champagne’, ‘China White’, ‘Big Jim’, ‘Advance’ (dwarf)
• 04of 12Black Cherry aga7ta / Getty ImagesThis stone fruit is native to much of the eastern United States, but it’s less commonly seen in home gardens. Black cherry trees bear fruit within 5 years, and the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked into jams and jellies.
  • Mature size: 20-30 ft. tall, 15-25 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
  • USDA hardiness zone: 3-10
  • When to harvest: Late summer³
  • Notable varieties: Var. rufula, var. exima, var. virens⁴
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• 05of 12Apricot The Spruce / Randi RhoadesSweet, juicy, and versatile apricots can develop fruit between two and five years after planting. Note that these trees need a certain number of days below 45°F to fruit each year, so gardeners in warmer climates should seek out low-chill varieties like ‘Katy’.⁵
  • Mature size: 15-25 ft. tall, 20 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 4-9
  • When to harvest: Early to midsummer
  • Notable varieties: ‘Royal Blenheim’, ‘Katy’, ‘Pixie-Cot’ (dwarf)
• 06of 12Peach Barbara Rich / Getty ImagesPeach trees grown from seed will take a minimum of four years to produce fruit, but trees propagated vegetatively can fruit much sooner, in as little as two years after they’re planted.
  • Mature size: 4-25 ft. tall, 5-25 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
  • When to harvest: June-August
  • Notable varieties: ‘Halehaven’, ‘Saturn’, ‘Bonanza’ (dwarf)
• 07of 12Fig Santiago Urquijo / Getty ImagesFigs are ideal for impatient gardeners because they can begin to develop fruit in as little as two or three years after planting. Dwarf varieties that grow between four and ten feet tall and can be planted in containers or small yards are also available.⁶
  • Mature size: 10-30 ft. tall, 20 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 7-11
  • When to harvest: Late summer
  • Notable varieties: ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Celeste’, ‘Little Miss Figgy’ (dwarf)
• 08of 12Pawpaw BasieB / Getty ImagesThis tropical-tasting native tree with sweet, custardy fruits has become popular with foragers and gardeners. You’ll need two trees, a male and a female, since pawpaws are not self-fertile, but they can bear fruit in as little as four years.
  • Mature size:  15-25 ft. tall, 15 ft. wide
  • Light requirements: Full to part sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
  • When to harvest: Summer, fall
  • Notable varieties: ‘Allegheny’, ‘Mango’, ‘Sunflower’
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• 09of 12Pear Vladimir Godnik / Getty ImagesPear trees can fruit in as little as three years after planting, but some varieties may take as long as ten years.⁷ Many types of pear trees are available, and different cultivars may be offered in dwarf or semi-dwarf sizes for smaller yards.
  • Mature size: 20 ft. tall and wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
  • When to harvest: Late summer, early fall
  • Notable varieties: ‘Bartlett’, ‘Seckel’, ‘Comice’
• 10of 12Dwarf Apple np-e07 / Getty ImagesWhen it comes to fast-growing apple trees, smaller is better; dwarf varieties can begin fruiting two to three years after planting, while standard types can take as long as eight years to fruit. Make sure you have space for two trees, as all apple trees need pollen from another specimen to bear fruit.⁸
  • Mature size: 15-30 ft. tall and wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 3-8
  • When to harvest: August-October
  • Notable varieties: ‘Stayman Winesap’, ‘Honeycrisp’, ”Pink Lady’
• 11of 12Persimmon GomezDavid / Getty Images Grafted Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki) take five to seven years after planting to bear fruit. Look for non-astringent types, which can be enjoyed while the fruit is still firm.⁹
  • Mature size: 10-30 ft. tall
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 7-10
  • When to harvest: Late summer, fall
  • Notable varieties: ‘Jiro’, ‘Fuyugaki’, ‘Ichi Ki Kei Jiro’ (dwarf)
• 12of 12Quince triffitt / Getty ImagesQuince can be hard to find in grocery stores or farmers’ markets, and the raw fruit is firm and astringent in temperate climates. However, this fragrant pome fruit is delicious when cooked into preserves, desserts, and savory dishes. Expect trees to fruit five to six years after planting.
  • Mature size: 13-20 ft. tall and wide
  • Light requirements: Full sun
  • USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
  • When to harvest: Fall
  • Notable varieties: ‘Jumbo’, ‘Smyrna’, ‘Rich’s Dwarf’