Plant a Fruit Salad: Four Different Fruits Growing on the Same Tree
Grow a fruit salad tree with four different fruits on one tree - no kidding
I have always been obsessed with a fruit salad tree -- a multi-grafted tree that produces four or more different fruits on one tree trunk. The thought always fascinated me and the hybrid tree would make an interesting subject for my garden. First and foremost, I will not need an orchard to produce peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots and worry about what to do with the bushels of fruits. A multi-grafted fruit salad tree is ideal for limited garden space and takes up a fraction of the area. It is also self-pollinating because the flowers bloom at the same time. Imagine the thrill of picking four different fruits off the same tree.
Follow me in my latest adventure in my Spring garden with the introduction of my fruit salad tree.
All photos were taken by Bakerwoman (that's me)
So what really is a fruit salad tree? - It is a multi-grafted tree of several fruits from the same family on one tree
A multi-grafted apple tree can have Anna, Dorsett golden, Fuji, and Gordon on the same tree because these belong to the same family of apples. You can have a 3-in-1 cherry tree, 5-in-1 citrus tree with lemons and key limes, tangelos, pomelos, mandarin oranges or 4-in-1 plum tree with four varieties of plums. But you cannot expect to find a combination of lemon, apple and cherry grafted on the same trunk because these do not belong to the same family of fruits.
I chose a 4-in-1 stonefruit fruit salad tree for my garden. Babcock white peach, Late Santa Rosa plums, Blenheim apricot, and Fantasia nectarines --these colorful labels with pictures of the four stonefruits reassured me that one day soon I will be harvesting these juicy fruits from this tree in one-quarter of the space. The multi-grafted fruit tree is also self-pollinating, which means each type pollinate each other and prolong the harvest season.
Spring - Feb. 12, 2012 - The arrival of the 4-in-1 fruit salad tree
The fruit salad tree did not look like much when this was first planted in my garden. It was about 4 ft. tall with a bunch of leafless multi-grafted branches onto one rootstock. There were four labels with colorful pictures of a specific fruit attached to each branch.This was so I could tell which branch belonged to a certain stonefruit. The biodegradable pot it came in is supposed to fall apart and blend into the soil eventually. This was the ideal sunny location I chose for the stonefruit tree with ample room to grow and expand.
A month later - March 18, 2012 - Still twiggy with some signs of life
Much to my relief, the fruit salad tree is still alive and thriving. Leaves have sprouted from each of the multigrafted branches. Small pink flowers of the Babcock peach have emerged. The other branches did not have any blossoms. The invasive vinca minor groundcover with purplish-blue flowers has worked its way around the pot. Not much has happened in 2012.
There were 3 low-hanging apricots which quickly disappeared within days. I can only imagine who the suspects could be -- the resident raccoon or the rambunctious furry squirrel looking for nuts. The low-lying branch of the apricot close to the ground was then lopped off to keep the tree from becoming lop-sided. Since different fruit trees grow at varying rates, it is important to keep all the branches balanced by pruning them back so one type will not dominate another.
The large pictured labels have been removed and set aside and only the white plastic tags retained for quick identification of the different fruit branches. These are supposed to be removed after a year, but I loosened them up around the branches and decided to keep them longer to avoid confusion.
Apricots, nectarines, plums and peaches on a single trunk - Grow a fruit cocktail tree in your garden and amaze your neighbors
Create an interesting subject in your garden with a 4-in-1 fruit tree. Shipped almost full size, this rare hybrid tree will grow to 10-15 feet and astound your friends and neighbors. It is a space saver for small gardens taking a one-quarter of the space and can be grown in a pot or in the ground. Better still, give one as a gift to Mom on Mother's Day or birthdays. It will be a gift that will keep on giving. Every time your friends or love ones take a bite out a fruit, they will think about you.
Springtime of 2013 - a year later
The fruit salad tree showed more promise with an explosion of beautiful blossoms in the garden. Although these were short-lived, it was a sign of good things to come.
Prunus armeniaca 'Blenheim' apricot flowers - Display of whites with hints of reds
Fantasia nectarine 'Prunus persica nucipersica' flowers - Like the blush of babies' pink cheeks
Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa' plum flowers - Showy fragrant white flowers in Spring
Prunus persica Babcock peach flowers - Beautiful haze of five-petaled blooms
May 2013 - The fruit salad tree came to life - Plums, apricots, peaches and nectarines
The tallest branch of the Bleinheim apricot has reached 6 ft in height above the crown by now. The April showers and my weekly deep watering certainly helped keep this tree healthy and happy. To keep the moisture from evaporating, I applied the unused feline pine pellets over the top of the pot to serve as mulch. Squirrels supposedly detest the pungent smell of pine, so the pine pellets should them from stealing the fruits before these are ripe.
If you stare closely at the photo, you will notice the still green Santa Rosa plums on the left upper branches and Bleinheim apricots on the right upper branches. The two lower branches have the Babcock peach and nectarines.
Let's take a closeup look
Santa Rosa plums - Prolific grower of the bunch
Santa Rosa plums has the signature purplish crimson skin with light freckling when ripe. Harvest time is around late June. Make plum and muscat gelato or plum oatmeal madeira cake.
Babcock white peach - The signature fuzzy outer skin
Babcock peach is a freestone peach and has a snow-white flesh which will easily fall away from the pit when eaten. The peach is sweet when just picked from the tree and non-acidic.These will be ripe for picking around July 7-July 20. Think peach cobbler.
Blenheim (Royal) apricots - Only 17 calories each
Blenheim Royal apricots have been grown in the Santa Clara Valley region of California since the 1900s. Its name traces its roots to the Luxembourg Gardens of Paris and the Bleinheim Palace in England. It is a good choice for a mild climate and has a fragrant aroma and is sweet and tart.
Blenheim apricots ripen from the inside out and take longer to mature than other apricots. These soon-to-be pale-orange apricots are ready for fresh eating around late June. These are great dried or canned, as savory stuffing for duck and pork. Fruit tarts, anyone?
Apricots are high in beta carotene and lycopene, Vitamins A and C. Great for your waistline too with only 17 calories each.
Fantasia nectarine - Late bloomer of the stonefruit quartet
So far, this is the only nectarine that made its debut on the lower branch. It is the late bloomer of the stonefruit quartet. Harvest time will be around late July/early August to the first half of September.
Here's a quick and easy salad recipe for the hot summer days--
Toss sliced fresh nectarine, chopped green onions, fresh mushrooms, fresh dill, dash of salt and pepper, vinegar dressing and serve in lettuce cups.
Come back soon for more updates on the fruit salad tree
Since ripening times are staggered for the peach, apricot, plums and nectarines, I will be posting more pictures as the time comes. Do stop by to see the ripened fruits of this rare hybrid multi-grafted tree.
Safeguarding the unripe fruits until harvest time - Protecting my prized possession - May 9, 2013
To protect the unripe fruits from being poached by predators, I cut strips of aluminum foil and hung them on the branches with Christmas decoration hooks. This may deter the birds who are frightened by the shiny aluminum strips fluttering in the wind, but will this keep the hungry squirrels out? This will remain to be seen.
Fruit salad tree is ablush with rosy cheeks - June 15, 2013 - The waiting game
Here is a progress report on the stonefruit fruit salad tree. The strips of aluminum foil have succeeded in thwarting the birds from pecking the fruits. Half a bag of feline pine donated by my late cat which I used as mulch for the tree kept the squirrels at bay due to its pungent pine odor. A bamboo stake has been added to support one of the Santa Rosa plum branches which appeared to need help. Babcock white peaches have lost their fuzzy skin and have grown bigger with a rosy tinge. The Blenheim Royal apricots are enjoying a heyday of blushing beauties and will most likely be ready for harvesting at the end of June.
Can you identify the different stonefruits on the fruit salad tree from the picture?
Santa Rosa plums are beginning to turn purple - Lost a bunch
This prolific bunch of Santa Rosa plums paid the price of losing 10 plums when one of the branches broke from being weighed down. In a workplace, this would be like reducing the headcount. Even after I added a bamboo stake to support the partly broken branch and taped it with duct tape, Mother Nature decided to downsize our fruit salad tree.
Santa Rosa Plums are ready to harvest late in July. By this time the skin would have tuned purple, gives a bit, and pulls away from the branch with a slight twist. Plums should be picked with the stem attached to them.
Blenheim 'Royal' Apricot - best tasting apricot in California - Short shelf-life but worth the wait
These Blenheim Royal apricots have turned yellowish-orange but still firm to the touch and will likely be ready for picking last week of June to first week of July. These delicate fruit has a high sugar content and make excellent dried fruits.
Today, Royal Blenheim orchards are fewer in Northern California due to the cheaper dried apricots from Turkey which are one-quarter of the cost. This is all the more a good reason for me to wait for this short-lived heirloom apricot to ripen and be enjoyed.
Accounting for the stonefruits
With a tiny multi-grafted stonefruit tree, it is so easy for me to keep track of the number of fruits.
One of the five Babcock white peaches
Lost the one and only nectarine
There have been no new growths of nectarine after the one-and-only nectarine fell off.
What a difference a week makes - Stonefruit fruit salad tree - June 22, 2013
The summery warm weather has been kind to the stonefruit fruit salad tree as the apricots, plums and peach continue to get bigger and turn color. To the left of the tree are the Blenheim apricots, the Santa Rosa plums take center stage, and Babcock white peach can be seen peeking out on the right.There are no nectarines this time after the sole fruit fell off. Maybe next year.
The bamboo stake was added to support a branch of 10 plums but to no avail. The branch broke anyway due to gusty wind. So far the fruit salad tree is performing well and I am most pleased.
Blenheim apricots should be ready for fresh eating in a few more days.
June 23, 2013 - First four apricots to ripen on kitchen counter for a couple of days
Santa Rosa plums showing their true color
June 30, 2013 - First harvest of Blenheim apricots and Santa Rosa plums
The weather has been scorching hot which hastened the ripening of the apricots and plums. These are not your supermarker-sized fruits but look more like miniatures.
June 30, 2013 - Ripe Blenheim apricots and Santa Rosa plums - The hot weather helped hasten the ripening
It looks like the stonefruit fruit salad did not disappoint and delivered some fruits.The Blenheim apricots were jammy sweet and juicy even if these were the size of golf balls.There more of the apricots in the fruit salad tree than Santa Rosa plums . I was only able to pick the plums that readily came off with a slight twist. Babcock peach still has a ways to go.
The good news is that I did not lose any of the fruits to birds, squirrels or raccoons. What a blessing.
Babcock white peach has grown larger with a redder skin and may have to wait a few more weeks.
July 4th harvest - First Babcock white peach ripened
This is a cereal bowl full of Blenheim apricots, Santa Rosa plums and the first Babcock white peach which finally ripened. All the apricots have been harvested from the tree except for a handful of plums which needed more of the hot weather to ripen. It is also the 4th of July and this may be the reason why most of the fruits are declaring their independence from the tree.
The Babcock peach stands out among the rest being the largest fruit and happens to be one of the five fruits in the stonefruit fruit salad tree. There were no nectarines time. Maybe next year.
We have been so blessed to watch the stonefruit fruit salad tree come to fruition bringing us sweet juicy fruits to our table.
Take this quick poll as your opinions counts
Have you ever heard of a fruit salad tree?
How to graft a fruit tree with a variety of fruits - Watch how it is done
Indispensable books on budding,grafting and multi-grafting fruit trees

This book shows you step-by-step instructions on how to graft and bud fruit trees which is now the preferred commercial way of propagation. Introduces the reader to the tools-of-the-trade for budding, grafting and multi-grafting.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Questions & Answers
I got a cocktail tree last spring (Plum, peach and pear) and I am getting flowers already this spring! I just bought a second tree today, (nectarine, apricot, cherry and prune). I was not sure how long the wait would be for fruit, but I'm excited to learn how you got some after the second season?
The ripening of each kind of fruit is staggered, sometimes a month apart, so these cannot all be harvested at the same time. On my first year, the tree did well with plums, apricots, peaches and nectarines. On the second year, there were a lot of plums and a few apricots, but no peaches or nectarines. I believe the birds got to them before I did. I have used strips of aluminum foil hanging on the branches to scare the birds, and it worked the first year. Some were blown by the wind, and so I need to apply more.
Helpful 1
Do you think you will be interested in a fruit salad tree? - Thank you for stopping by.
Where do I find these for sale in Canada
Thanks so much for the advice. I was given a cocktail tree as s gift. I have had it for several years. It is growing, but no flowers or fruit.
What a great grafting project this would be. Thanks for sharing about your fruit salad tree.
I purchased one but only got apples
How is this "salad tree" doing after a few years? Is it still bearing fruit?
Where can I purchase one of these MEDIUM size TREES and how much would it cost?
Awesome -fruit-salad-tree, I must it's a magical tree.
(Also shared on Facebook :)
~Blessings
*GEM*
What a cool idea! I've never heard of a tree that did this! I shared your lens on our G+ page today!
Back to check your harvest. It's beautiful! I really do need to try one of these.
I knew such things can be done with mango and rose but not with others. Your steps were really helpful to me. I have done the same with a rose plant that know bears multiple color flower.. Thanks for sharing
I had not heard about these multigrafted trees before, such a great idea. I'd love to have one but in Ireland we can barely ripen an apple, let alone anything more exotic! Much of our fruit is imported. Terrific lens, well done!
Hi Bakerwoman, you are awesome! Very creative and enterprising I say. I am an avid gardener myself. I have been seriously (but fun-loving all the way) experimenting and expanding my knowledge and space (my garden) with a host of edibles and flowers to enjoy. I have 2 fruit salad trees. When I purchase another battery for my digital camera, I am gonna to upload pics and show you all what is going on with my trees. Yes, I have had these trees for 3 years now and one of them-due to early freeze and sudden storms-have just nectarines (2) and 1 peach on it. It bloomed like the dickens but I am only left with just 3 fruit and many many leaves...The second one, is bearing 3 separate fruit types as you will see when I upload the pics. It has about 5 nectarines, 7 peaches, and 2 apricots. The only one not bearing fruit yet, is the plum graft and I think because it is still young yet. I tried to find out exactly what kind (brand name) of fruit were on this tree but the info was not available. I bought both trees from the Home Depot back in 2010. They are doing great and they both fruited the first year that I had them. The funny thing was, I was not even interested in purchasing fruit trees I just wanted to grow veggies but the Home Depot sales person persuaded and assured me that I would have fruit the same year if I purchased the tree. I took her up on her word and bought the tree. It did so well that I came back in the fall and bought another one and I tell you, I would not trade them for anything! The first fruit I ate was an apricot and it tasted like fruit straight from heaven. I could go on and on about these trees. They are easy enough to take care of, the only thing is that you have to keep the branches at an even height so that no one branch will outgrow and take over the tree due to aggressiveness. If you find that your plum branches are getting too long way beyond your other fruit types, prune that sucker immediately! LOL. Also, as far as fertilizing went, in the fall I made compost tea and watered around the circle of the tree and in early spring I used 10-10-10 fertilizer. I sprayed the tree quarterly with neem oil (home depot) concentrate-(1 cap neem oil to a gallon of water) and sprayed it every 7 days just to make sure no insects made a home in the tree. I also alternated with organic insecticide (dish washing liquid and water and a little vinegar) and sprayed every so often. Wallah!!! Fruit from heaven, just simply awesome. Sorry, this post is so long but I get excited in the garden and the fruit cocktail tree is the best thing since peanut butter and jelly! Keep up the awesome work bakerwoman!
Bakerwoman: I own one of these trees. I have it for about 5 years. This is the first year it has produced flowers. But I have gotten no fruit. Flowers fell. It was so disappointing. The flowers were pink, so pretty. Is this a self pollinating tree? i don't know what I did wrong. Would you give me some advice?
First time ever I hear about a "fruit salad tree ".
I would love to get one for my backyard.
A tree with 4 types of fruit, what a great concept and a very interesting article.
I have a townhouse with a patio but no yard to plant a tree in.
Can a small tree like this survive in a large pot?
Maybe I will plant a "potato salad" tree instead. ha
Thanks for an interesting lens. I have looked at a fruit salad tree a number of times but so far not made the move. Have used individual citrus species with a grafted rootstock and they have worked well. het is more robust and the fruit is better. Keep up the good work
Congratulations on your great lens! I didn't think a tree would produce in it's second year (my 2 year plum tree hasn't done anything!)
nice lens, congratulations, thank you for all the info
I love your lens, the story, the photos, very well done! thanks for sharing your passion!
Very cool idea. Now I have to figure out how to keep the deer from eating the tender shoots. I'm sure there's another squidoo lens that can help with that.
EVEN I LOVE GARDENING AND SPACE THING IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. NOW YOU HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THANKS
Hmm iteresting .
This is a first for me. I would love to grow a fruit salad tree. Congratulations on your LOTD.
This is a first for me. I would love to grow a fruit salad tree. Congratulations on your LOTD.
Lovely Lens! I had not heard of the Fruit Salad Tree before, so awesome:) Congrats on your LOTD and thank you for sharing!
I like the way you showed your sweet tree over time. It will no doubt be more amazing each year. Thank you for sharing!
Highly informative lens , a gardening lover's delight .
Congrats on LOTD! Very cool tree and photos of its progression.
Awesome piece of information , or technology , shall I say ? Thanks .
My gawd. What will they think of next? LOL Seriously, what a great idea and what a great lens you have made. Congrats on LOTD
Congrats on Lens of the day! Great tips here. My great grandfather grafted apple trees to get a specific type of apple. It literally took him his entire life to get it completed. I like your shorter wait time ideas! Thanks for posting!
Very cool! Congratulations on LOTD ~ wonderful info ~ never heard of it! And how cool to have the different blooms ~ Thanks for the great info! B : )
What a cool tree. I'd love one!
This was so fun to read! I dream of growing my own fruits and veggies one day. I don't have enough space or sun right now, but someday I'm gonna be a one-woman farmer's market. :) I never knew about these trees! I can't wait to learn more about them. I'll be checking back to see your tree's growth, for sure.
Awesome lens!! I wonder if fruit salad trees can grow in tropical climate. Would love to try growing this at home.
Congrats for your LOTD! You deserve it :)
I never knew that a fruit salad tree was possible. How cool! Your photos are terrific. Your LotD is certainly well-deserved!
You have a great lens! What a beautiful tree! God Bless.
Yes! We tried to grow a 4-in-1 apple tree, with four varieties of apples. Poor thing didn't make it, though. I think we put it in the ground (surrounded by grass - eek!) too soon. The baby tree probably needed more time in the pot.
test please ignore
I have heard of this and seen pictures in catalogs but never actually seen one a person got to thrive at home. Too cool!
Interesting.
I have never heard of such a think but think its fabulous! Congratulations on such a great article! =)
We had one and the fruit salad trees are really neat; especially when you tell the kids it is "magic" You are really going to enjoy your four-fruit tree and fruits harvested all summer long. The many culinary dishes you can make from the different fruits is amazing and delicious. Congrats on you getting a P.S. and LotD. Have a Great Day!
Congratulations on LOTD! Wish I could have fruit trees, we have too much shade...Great informative lens.
LOTD congratulations. Love your images and detailed instructions for creating a fruit salad tree garden.
Lens of the Day congratulations. Love your detailed info on growing a fruit salad tree. thanks for the resources and photos. Great shots.
Congrats on Lens of the day! Well done. Love your lens. Very informative and great photos & resources.
Wow! Fascinating lens! I never knew grafting could be so easy. I've got to try it sometime!
Congratulations on LOTD! Definitely in a fruit salad tree. Nothing like home grown fruit.
Awesome lens in the midst of much confusion. You displayed beautiful photographs and taught us about an interesting subject and I wish you the best in harvesting your fruit salad. Congrats on LOTD!
Wish I could. Wrong climate and soil, and we have very little water. I also have a brown thumb. I had heard of grafting, but I hadn't seen such a variety of grafts on one tree. I would love to get a different combination of fruits, since I don't like apricots or plums. Also, I'd rather have a key lime-lemon-tangerine tree. Mango sounds really nice, too. This is a great lens!
Wow, I never knew that different fruits could grow on one tree - incredible. Thanks for teaching me something new today.
this is my first time saw four different fruits growing in the same tree; learn something new today :-) by the way, congratulation on your award :-)
I've always wanted one of these! Congrats on your well deserved award, this is a fantastic lens!
I live in South Florida and I grafted eight varieties of mango on one tree, because it increases the picking season for my beloved fruit.
I have heard of grafting roses and other plants but have never considered more than one type of fruit on a tree. I may have to try something like this with my lemon tree when it gets a thicker trunk on it! I think this is wonderful and I would love to give one of these to my mother. Great lens!
Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. Neat! ;-)
Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. Neat! ;-)
Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. Neat! ;-)
Congrats on LOTD. I think that having a fruit salad tree is an awesome idea for the backyard as it cuts down on space and wasted fruit. I have heard of these grafted trees before but I have never owned one.
Congrats on LOTD. I think that having a fruit salad tree is an awesome idea for the backyard as it cuts down on space and wasted fruit. I have heard of these grafted trees before but I have never owned one.
A fantastic idea if you're short of space!
Those are some beautiful photos you shot. As soon as I move into my next house I think I'll try one of these. :)
Congratulations on this wonderful Lens of the Day, and for winning the Gardening Club challenge! This is incredibly unique - and I had never, ever heard of a tree that could be grafted to grow multiple fruits. Simply amazing! I would really enjoy having a tree like that. I'll have to check and see what's available in our neck of the woods...
Congratulations on this wonderful Lens of the Day, and for winning the Gardening Club challenge! This is incredibly unique - and I had never, ever heard of a tree that could be grafted to grow multiple fruits. Simply amazing! I would really enjoy having a tree like that. I'll have to check and see what's available in our neck of the woods...
Congrats on LOTD! I have considered getting a fruit salad tree but decided to go with regular fruit trees instead. Growing persimmons, pears, peaches, apricots, figs, and cherries. Hoping to collect first crop this year :)
How wondrous to have such a magic tree. I find the whole grafting thing pretty miraculous. Congrats on your features and winning ways. Wishing you many delicious moments in the days and weeks to come.
This is so neat. I've read about grafting, but only two varieties. I've never seen more than that. This is fascinating. I don't have a yard of my own, but when I do, I WANT TWO of these!
Congrats on LOTD! I really enjoyed the pictures!
Wow! Kind of weird, but cool. Congrats on the win!
Now this just makes "plum" good sense. Love this lens.
Wow, this lens was a year in the making! I am really impressed with it and want to make this for myself. I plan on sharing this on pinterest and bookmarking it for future use! thank you :)
Interesting lens with lovely photos! I'd like to give this tree a try as we love fruit. We have indoor citrus trees (lens and website with same name)
Congratulations on receiving the LOTD. This is a wonderful idea that brings a variety of fruit to any yard. I'm sharing this lens with others. Wish you the best.
Very nice lens. I've heard of grafting fruits but it's interesting to know which ones work together and why. That would be real neat to have four or five in one, especially in an area with limited space.
Very ingenious and convenient idea. Congratulations on getting LotD!
Yes, looks like this would be a fun project.
Great job, both on the tree and the lens. I live near the arctic, so it would not grow outdoors.Do you think I could grow it indoors?
I had no idea about fruit salad trees. That's amazing, I's love to have one.
Congratulations on winning the contest, a Purple Star and all that good fun stuff. :)
This is amazing. I've heard of something like this with roses. Didn't know you could with fruits too!
I'd love to have the 5-in-1 citrus tree!
Well deserved win. Great subject & great "crafting" putting it all together. So much better than my entry!
Wow! This is the first time I heard about a fruit salad tree. Hmm.. No wonder you won the 1st ever gardening club quest.. This lens is awesome! :)
Wow! This is the first time I heard about a fruit salad tree. Hmm.. No wonder you won the 1st ever gardening club quest.. This lens is awesome! :)
Congratulations on a great lens.
Congratulations on a great lens.
I just had to come back & say congratulations & so well deserved. A wonderful lens :)
I had no idea this was possible, now of course I really want one! Thanks for sharing and congrats on LOTD!
Congratulations on winning!
Fabulous photos! Congrats on being the 1st winner in the gardening club, Purple Star and LOTD. Well done!!
I've wanted some of these trees for some time, but didn't see any good results until yours. I like the combination that is on your tree. Seems I'll have to give it another think over. Congratulations on LotD.
180