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

Hardy Kiwi

6 tracked varieties

Most hardy kiwi vines need both a fruiting female vine and a compatible male pollinizer. Issai is the main easier exception, though even it often crops better with a male nearby.

Keep male and fruiting vines close together on the same trellis row or nearby supports so bloom overlap is easy to use.

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.

6 options available.

Optional comparison variety

Optional direct pair check.

5 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

74-49 Male

Hardy kiwi - male pollinizer

Mid bloom - mid bloom

Grown as a pollen partnerPartner guidance included

Bloom timing

Bloom group mid - mid bloom.

What to do

This plant is chosen to supply pollen for nearby fruiting vines or trees.

About this variety

74-49 Male is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with medium-firm flesh and medium fruit. Choose it for supplying pollen to nearby fruiting vines, but skip it if you want growers who expect this plant to carry the main edible harvest. It usually ripens around mid September.

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

Usually grown in USDA zones 4-8.

74-49 Male is grown as a pollen partner rather than for fruit. This plant is chosen to supply pollen for nearby fruiting vines or trees. Usually grown in USDA zones 4-8.

No single variety stands out as the obvious partner, but that is not a problem here: Ananasnaya, Issai, and Ken's Red all bloom close enough to work. Pick whichever your nursery actually carries. Keep male and fruiting vines close together on the same trellis row or nearby supports so bloom overlap is easy to use.

One thing to keep in mind. Most hardy kiwis need at least one male pollinizer for nearby fruiting vines. Issai is the easier exception, not the rule. Male pollinizer. This vine is grown to supply pollen, not fruit. This is a pollen-only partner. Grow it to help fruiting vines nearby, not for its own crop.

To put that into practice: at a minimum, plant one fruiting hardy kiwi plus one compatible male pollinizer, unless you are choosing a self-fruitful type such as Issai. Better still, grow one male hardy kiwi for several fruiting females, or pair Issai with another compatible kiwi for stronger crops. If you have a fruiting kiwi vine with no partner, add a compatible male pollinizer before blaming the vine for poor fruit set.

Good backups

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

Ananasnaya

Hardy kiwi - fruiting vine

Mid bloom - mid 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?

Ananasnaya is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for fresh eating and handful-sized snacking fruit, but skip it if you want big slicing fruit, dry texture, or something that stores like apples. It usually ripens around mid September, in the middle of this group.

Issai

Hardy kiwi - self-fruitful vine

Mid bloom - mid 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?

Issai is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. Choose it for fresh eating, container growing, and small-space plantings where self-fertility matters, but skip it if you want the heaviest crops from a full male-female planting setup. It usually ripens around mid September, in the middle of this group.

Ken's Red

Hardy kiwi - fruiting vine

Mid bloom - mid 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?

Ken's Red is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for fresh eating, snacking, and a distinctive red-skinned hardy kiwi, but skip it if you want very high yields or growers who only want the sweetest, lowest-acid hardy kiwi. It usually ripens around mid September, in the middle of this group.

Compatible but less ideal

These can still help, but they have more tradeoffs around timing, fit, or pollination strength.

Geneva

Hardy kiwi - fruiting vine

Mid bloom - mid-late bloom

Less ideal

Blooms close enough to overlap in many home plantings. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.

Zone unknownNearby bloom window

Why choose this?

Geneva is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. Choose it for fresh eating and reliable cold-climate hardy-kiwi harvests, but skip it if you want a self-fertile variety or the most distinctive-looking fruit. It usually ripens around mid September, in the middle of this group.

Avoid

These are poor bets to rely on for this variety.

Meader Male

Hardy kiwi - male pollinizer

Mid bloom - mid bloom

Avoid

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

Zone unknownSame bloom window

Why choose this?

Meader Male is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with medium-firm flesh and medium fruit. Choose it for supplying pollen to nearby fruiting vines, but skip it if you want growers who expect this plant to carry the main edible harvest. It usually ripens around mid September, 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

Plant one fruiting hardy kiwi plus one compatible male pollinizer, unless you are choosing a self-fruitful type such as Issai.

Ideal setup

Grow one male hardy kiwi for several fruiting females, or pair Issai with another compatible kiwi for stronger crops.

Fallback plan

If you have a fruiting kiwi vine with no partner, add a compatible male pollinizer before blaming the vine for poor fruit set.

Important notes

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

Warnings

Most hardy kiwis need at least one male pollinizer for nearby fruiting vines. Issai is the easier exception, not the rule.

Helpful notes

Keep male and fruiting vines close together on the same trellis row or nearby supports so bloom overlap is easy to use.

Male pollinizer. This vine is grown to supply pollen, not fruit.

This is a pollen-only partner. Grow it to help fruiting vines nearby, not for its own crop.

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