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Fruit in the shade
I am looking for something that will fruit under a mature canopy of oak tress. (All the small trees in the area have been cut and I pull any sapplings that pop up). Anyone ever had success getting anything to fruit in the shade? I have heard wineberry raspberries will fruit in the shade. Anyone ever tried these?
- applestar
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I was thinking blackberries and huckleberries. So other brambles like rasp and wineberries are good possibility too. Huckleberries are related to blueberries but I think can tolerate more shade than blueberries.
Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) will also manage in shade.
In most cases, they all just fruit sparsely as compared to better light conditions.
If you go with blackberries, there are thornless cultivars.
All of these are attractive to berry loving birds and animals.
If you are also thinking understory trees and tall shrubs, other possibilities include mulberry, Amalanchier, and elderberries, persimmons, as well as pawpaw and wild plum.
Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) will also manage in shade.
In most cases, they all just fruit sparsely as compared to better light conditions.
If you go with blackberries, there are thornless cultivars.
All of these are attractive to berry loving birds and animals.
If you are also thinking understory trees and tall shrubs, other possibilities include mulberry, Amalanchier, and elderberries, persimmons, as well as pawpaw and wild plum.
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- Greener Thumb
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- Green Thumb
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Raspberries will fruit if they get 6 or more hours of morning sun on March 15th, that is what they mean by shade so no.
Gooseberries and currants will fruit, but not a heavily under dappled shade. Strawberries will do fine, but make sure they are rated for your part of the country. They won't fruit as heavily, I have some under plum trees, they give a crop, but not a good as the row in the front of the orchard on the west side. The main problem is will any of the fruit get enough water in the wintertime to fruit in the spring. Raspberries and blackberries are water hogs, so again no to both. I have never tried wine berries, so I can't tell you there.
Gooseberries and currants will fruit, but not a heavily under dappled shade. Strawberries will do fine, but make sure they are rated for your part of the country. They won't fruit as heavily, I have some under plum trees, they give a crop, but not a good as the row in the front of the orchard on the west side. The main problem is will any of the fruit get enough water in the wintertime to fruit in the spring. Raspberries and blackberries are water hogs, so again no to both. I have never tried wine berries, so I can't tell you there.