Fruit trees

5 Reasons Why You Should Plant Fruit Trees in your Bay Area Garden

The perks of growing trees make for quite a lengthy list, but planting fruit trees is especially advantageous. There are so many incredible varieties we can grow here in California—we’ve got peaches, cherries, and even grafted apple trees that grow six different species of apple all at once! Early spring is an ideal time to plant new saplings, so if you’ve ever considered growing your own fruit-bearing trees, you can start right away.


little girl holding up two peaches, covering her eyes next to peach tree

Now, if you haven’t ever considered planting fruit-bearing trees, here’s your chance! We’ve narrowed it down to 5 main reasons why fruit-bearing trees can improve your quality of life and the world around you. Find out why this year should be the year you start your very own home orchard!

What are the Benefits of Planting Fruit Bearing Trees?

On top of being beautiful to look at, with fragrant blossoms in the spring, shiny bright fruits and colorful fall foliage, there are so many wonderful aspects to growing tree fruit:

man's hand picking peach from peach tree above

1. Free Food!

Obviously, the large supply of delicious fruit, free of charge, is one of the biggest payoffs for growing trees at home. Fresh fruit can get pretty expensive—especially the organic kind—so having your own source can cut costs substantially. Plus, there’s just something so satisfying about eating something you’ve grown yourself.

Depending on how big your tree is, you might end up with an overwhelming amount of fruit that you couldn’t possibly finish yourself before it spoils. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to preserve and can fruit for later use, and some varieties like peaches and cherries can be frozen for several months at a time!

2. Freshly Picked Fruit is the Healthiest Kind

The longer a fruit or vegetable has been picked from its plant, the more vitamins and nutrients it will lose! These compounds naturally deplete over time, so the key to getting the most nutrient-dense fruit is by eating them straight from the tree! On top of that, when you grow your own fruit, you can use natural, organic products for pest control to avoid coating your food with chemicals. The fruits also won’t be sprayed with preservatives or waxes to extend their shelf life, like a lot of supermarket produce.

apple tree in front of home

3. They Increase Property Value

Most trees will result in a reasonable increase in your property value if you plant them in your yard because they add ornamental value and provide shade. Significant tree shade can actually help to keep your house cooler, reducing your need for air conditioning in the summer.

Fruit-bearing trees, however, are especially valuable because they generate all that free food! If you see yourself selling your home years down the road, planting a tree now can mean a nice little boost in profit when you decide to move.

4. Planting Trees Decreases Your Carbon Footprint

It should come as no surprise that planting trees helps the environment since they absorb CO2 emissions from the atmosphere and convert it all into fresh, clean oxygen. But that’s not the only reason why planting an apple tree reduces your carbon footprint! 

When fruit is shipped from across the world, that’s a whole lot of fuel getting burned up in the process, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. If more people grew their own fruit at home and there was less of a demand for imports, that could make a huge difference in helping to fight climate change.

robin bird picking cherry from tree

5. They Feed and Protect Our Local Wildlife

Trees offer a safe refuge for birds, squirrels, insects, and other critters that are necessary for maintaining the ecological balance of the places we live. It’s also a pretty good food source for wildlife as well, but don’t worry! A single tree can produce several hundred fruits in one year, so you’ll have plenty to share.

When your tree’s beautiful blossoms burst open in spring and summer, you can expect pollinators like bees and butterflies to come in droves! As you may have heard, bees are a threatened species due to the overuse of chemical pesticides, but planting flowers and using alternative pest control solutions can help save them! Plus, if you have a vegetable garden that needs pollinating, a big blooming tree is like a neon sign welcoming the bees to your yard.

The minimal effort required to plant and maintain a tree is well worth the delicious fruit and many other convenient perks. Visit SummerWinds to see all the new saplings that are ready to go home! If you have any questions about planting and care for those first few months after transplanting, feel free to ask one of our experts in the shop, and we’ll be happy to share some intel.