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Fruit Tree Planner

Plan compatible pollination partners, compare varieties, and understand flowering compatibility for apples, pears, plums, blueberries, cherries, and more.

Step 1

Choose a fruit type

Start here. The helper uses different rules for apples, plums, blueberries, kiwis, and other fruit groups.

41 options available.

Type to narrow the list.

Selected fruit

Aronia

6 tracked varieties

All aronia (chokeberry) varieties are self-fertile and will produce fruit solo, but cross-pollination between two different varieties consistently improves fruit set, berry size, and total yield. All commercially available varieties bloom at the same time in mid-spring, so any two-variety combination will cross-pollinate effectively. Most major cultivars (Viking, Nero, McKenzie) are x Sorbaronia mitschurinii hybrids rather than pure Aronia melanocarpa, though they behave identically for all garden purposes.

Plant aronia companions in the same bed or nearby. Bees readily move between plants during the mid-spring bloom.

Step 2

Choose what you want to check

Current goal

Single variety

Choose one variety and Willowbottom will show the best pollination partners.

Step 3

Choose your variety

Choose one variety to see the strongest pollination partners.

6 options available.

Optional direct pair check.

5 options available.

Used to sort matches and flag climate cautions.

Pick a variety first, then scroll to Step 4 for ranked partners, warnings, and the optional pair check.

Step 4

See recommendations

Selected variety

Autumn Magic

Aronia

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Can fruit alone, but still benefits from a partnerPartner guidance included

Bloom timing

Bloom group mid-spring - mid-spring bloom.

What to do

Aronia is self-fertile but consistently sets more abundant, larger fruit when a second variety blooms nearby. Any two varieties cross-pollinate effectively since they all bloom at the same time.

About this variety

Autumn Magic is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm berries and small fruit. Choose it for ornamental-plus-edible plantings where fall color rivals or exceeds the value of the fruit harvest, but skip it if you want maximum berry yield as the top priority - Autumn Magic produces well but its key selling point is its exceptional fall color, not the heaviest crop. It usually ripens around mid to late August.

This shows compatible pollinators. Choose based on flavor and harvest timing.

Usually grown in USDA zones 3-8.

Autumn Magic can fruit alone, but it still benefits from a partner. Aronia is self-fertile but consistently sets more abundant, larger fruit when a second variety blooms nearby. Any two varieties cross-pollinate effectively since they all bloom at the same time. It flowers in mid-spring bloom, which is worth knowing if you add a second tree later. Usually grown in USDA zones 3-8.

No single variety stands out as the obvious partner, but that is not a problem here: Iroquois Beauty, Low Scape Mound, McKenzie, Nero, and Viking all bloom close enough to work. Pick whichever your nursery actually carries. Plant aronia companions in the same bed or nearby. Bees readily move between plants during the mid-spring bloom.

To put that into practice: at a minimum, one plant will fruit. Adding a second variety is the single most effective step for a heavier harvest. Better still, two to three varieties of varying habit (upright and compact) to maximize pollinator movement and total yield. A solo aronia is productive enough for most uses. Add a second variety only if yield is the priority.

Good backups

These are still useful choices when the very best option is not available at your nursery.

Iroquois Beauty

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Good backup

Blooms in the same window. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownSame bloom window
Why choose this?

Iroquois Beauty is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm, dense flesh and small fruit. Choose it for small gardens, foundation plantings, and mixed edible landscapes where the standard aronia is too large, but skip it if you want maximum harvest volume - the compact habit limits total berry production compared to full-sized shrubs. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

Low Scape Mound

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Good backup

Blooms in the same window. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownSame bloom window
Why choose this?

Low Scape Mound is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm, dense flesh and small fruit. Choose it for containers, low borders, front-of-bed edible plantings, and any space where a full-sized shrub is impractical, but skip it if you want a meaningful harvest - Low Scape Mound produces fruit but yields far less than upright varieties; it is primarily a landscaping plant. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

McKenzie

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Good backup

Blooms in the same window. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownSame bloom window
Why choose this?

McKenzie is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm, dense flesh and small fruit. Choose it for larger properties, naturalized hedgerows, and a true-species aronia rather than a Sorbaronia hybrid, but skip it if you want small gardens - McKenzie grows significantly larger than Viking or Nero and needs substantial space. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

Nero

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Good backup

Blooms in the same window. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownSame bloom window
Why choose this?

Nero is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm berries and small fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for same as Viking - juice, syrup, jam, dried berries; the best value as a companion to Viking for improved pollination, but skip it if you want something visually or flavor-wise different from Viking in the same bed - Nero and Viking are nearly identical. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

Viking

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-spring bloom
Good backup

Blooms in the same window. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownSame bloom window
Why choose this?

Viking is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm berries and small fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for juice, syrup, wine, jam, dried berries, and any use where the powerful flavor is cooked or blended into something, but skip it if you want a mild fresh-eating berry - aronia is not candy; raw berries are highly astringent and most people use them processed. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

Minimum planting guidance

Use the minimum, ideal, and fallback plan to size the planting to your space and goals.

Minimum setup

One plant will fruit. Adding a second variety is the single most effective step for a heavier harvest.

Ideal setup

Two to three varieties of varying habit (upright and compact) to maximize pollinator movement and total yield.

Fallback plan

A solo aronia is productive enough for most uses. Add a second variety only if yield is the priority.

Important notes

These notes keep the key cautions and practical details easy to scan.

Helpful notes

Plant aronia companions in the same bed or nearby. Bees readily move between plants during the mid-spring bloom.

Every fruit and variety we cover

444 varieties across 41 fruit types. Open a crop to see the varieties, or pick one to jump straight to its pollination partners.

Apple25 varieties
Peach17 varieties
Pear22 varieties
Cherry25 varieties
Plum21 varieties
Blueberry31 varieties
Strawberry13 varieties
Raspberry16 varieties
Blackberry13 varieties
Grape14 varieties
Fig8 varieties
Apricot10 varieties
Nectarine8 varieties
Persimmon9 varieties
Pomegranate2 varieties
Mulberry8 varieties
Elderberry10 varieties
Quince7 varieties
Serviceberry8 varieties
Pawpaw7 varieties
Currant9 varieties
Gooseberry7 varieties
Jujube9 varieties
Aronia6 varieties
Honeyberry29 varieties
Hazelnut21 varieties
Cranberry7 varieties
Lingonberry6 varieties
Goji Berry5 varieties
Hardy Kiwi6 varieties
Kiwi5 varieties
Passion Fruit / Maypop4 varieties
Mango14 varieties
Avocado7 varieties
Mandarin5 varieties
Tangerine5 varieties
Kumquat5 varieties
Calamondin4 varieties
Citron4 varieties
Cherimoya6 varieties
Date Palm6 varieties
Fruit Tree Planner | Pollination & Compatibility Guide | Garden by Willowbottom