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

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

Goji Berry

5 tracked varieties

All goji berry (Lycium barbarum) varieties are self-fertile. Cross-pollination between two plants - same or different variety - measurably increases yield, with some growers reporting dramatically larger harvests. Goji blooms mid-summer over a long window, so any two plants will easily cross-pollinate. Most named varieties are hardy to zones 4 to 9, with Phoenix Tears the notable exception at zone 3.

Goji flowers are pollinated by bees. Two plants in the same bed or within 20 feet will readily cross-pollinate during the long summer 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

Main variety

Choose one variety to see the strongest pollination partners.

5 options available.

Optional comparison variety

Optional direct pair check.

4 options available.

USDA zone (optional)

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

Crimson Star

Goji Berry

Mid bloom - mid-summer bloom

Can fruit alone, but still benefits from a partnerPartner guidance included

Bloom timing

Bloom group mid-summer - mid-summer bloom.

What to do

Goji berry is self-fertile but yields noticeably more fruit with two or more plants during the long summer bloom window.

About this variety

Crimson Star is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. Choose it for fresh eating, mixed edible borders, and a goji with consistently large, visually striking fruit, but skip it if you want very cold winters below zone 4 - Crimson Star is best in zones 4 to 9; Phoenix Tears is the zone 3 choice. It usually ripens around August.

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

Usually grown in USDA zones 4-9.

Crimson Star can fruit alone, but it still benefits from a partner. Goji berry is self-fertile but yields noticeably more fruit with two or more plants during the long summer bloom window. It flowers in mid-summer bloom, which is worth knowing if you add a second tree later. Usually grown in USDA zones 4-9.

No single variety stands out as the obvious partner, but that is not a problem here: Big Lifeberry, Ningxia, Phoenix Tears, and Sweet Lifeberry all bloom close enough to work. Pick whichever your nursery actually carries. Goji flowers are pollinated by bees. Two plants in the same bed or within 20 feet will readily cross-pollinate during the long summer bloom.

To put that into practice: at a minimum, one plant will fruit. A second plant noticeably increases yield. Better still, two or more plants of different varieties for cross-pollination and improved yields through the long summer bloom window. A single goji plant will produce a usable crop. Poor yields from a solo plant are improved by adding a companion rather than fertilizing more.

Good backups

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

Big Lifeberry

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-summer 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?

Big Lifeberry is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with medium-firm flesh and medium fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating from the plant and gardeners who want a goji genuinely worth eating raw, but skip it if you want cold zones below 5 - Big Lifeberry is best in zones 5 to 9; Phoenix Tears handles zone 3 better. It usually ripens around August, in the middle of this group.

Ningxia

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-summer 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?

Ningxia is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with medium-firm flesh and small fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for drying for tea, smoothie powders, and traditional medicinal uses where the classic wolfberry flavor is what you want, but skip it if you want fresh eating - Ningxia is significantly more bitter and less pleasant raw than Big Lifeberry or Sweet Lifeberry. It usually ripens around August, in the middle of this group.

Phoenix Tears

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-summer 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?

Phoenix Tears is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with medium-firm flesh and small fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for cold-climate gardens (zone 3), container growing, and small-space edible plantings where hardiness is the overriding factor, but skip it if you want the largest possible goji berries - Phoenix Tears is compact and cold-hardy first; Big Lifeberry beats it on fruit size. It usually ripens around August, in the middle of this group.

Sweet Lifeberry

Same fruit type

Mid bloom - mid-summer 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?

Sweet Lifeberry is very sweet with low acidity, with medium-firm flesh and medium fruit. In this group, it gives some of the largest fruit and feels more substantial than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating, gardeners who find traditional goji too medicinal-tasting, and pairing with Big Lifeberry for complementary flavor profiles, but skip it if you want a compact low-maintenance plant - Sweet Lifeberry is a vigorous grower reaching 10 to 12 ft unpruned and needs trellising or regular pruning to stay in bounds. It usually ripens around 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. A second plant noticeably increases yield.

Ideal setup

Two or more plants of different varieties for cross-pollination and improved yields through the long summer bloom window.

Fallback plan

A single goji plant will produce a usable crop. Poor yields from a solo plant are improved by adding a companion rather than fertilizing more.

Important notes

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

Helpful notes

Goji flowers are pollinated by bees. Two plants in the same bed or within 20 feet will readily cross-pollinate during the long summer bloom.

Want to understand why these pairings work? Read the full pollination guide →

New to fruit trees? Start with fruit tree husbandry →

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