It can be eaten raw or used for baking to provide a spicy pear flavor.

This particular tree is a dwarf and should grow to be about 6′ to 10′ tall.  It will need support for the life of the tree.

Be advised that the Golden Russet Bosc is not as cold-hardy as our other varieties. It does grow in zone 5 but you will want to plant it in an area with some protection and keep it away from frost pockets.

The Golden Russet Bosc has some Fireblight resistance.

My Dad planted Reliance peach trees here in Garrett County back in the 1970’s, and they were still bearing for decades. He had them planted down in a frost pocket to boot. I still remember his amazement at being able to grow his own peaches in this area.

Reliance is freestone and self-pollinating. It ripens in July.

Reliance is so cold-hardy you can grow it dependably in zone 3, and we have it on a super-cold-hardy rootstalk as well. But, since peaches aren’t natural to Garrett County’s harsh climate, it would be wise to provide a little protection from high winds and ice storms. We also recommend that you use tree guards and some sort of fencing around the trees while they are small because deer love them.

This peach variety is good for fresh eating, canning, and freezing.

Persimmon trees are male and female, and it takes at least one of each to have persimmons. The fruit will grow only on the female tree. Unfortunately, it is not possible to tell whether the tree is male or female when they are this young. You won’t be able to tell until they are 3 to 5 years old.  We recommend that you purchase at least 2 trees unless you already have persimmons in the location. However, we cannot guarantee that they will be male and female, so if you have room, more is better.

Persimmons are native to this area, so they are a great native tree to plant. If you do get fortunate enough to end up with a male and a female, and thus one of the trees produces persimmons, they are a good food source for both humans and wildlife.

Did you know that another name for persimmons in “Sugar Plums”? No, it wasn’t a plum that the “Sugar Plum Fairy” was named after. It was a persimmon. Persimmons are incredibly sweet when ripe, but so sour they are inedible if underripe. And, strangely enough, persimmons are not ripe until they look like they are rotten. The skin will be wrinkled and the fruit mushy. If you attempt to eat a persimmon that is underripe, it isn’t toxic, but it will cause mouth and throat dryness and irritation due to a tannin that exits in the fruit before it ripens. Though, the fruit is so sour at that point that it is not likely most people would care to consume one.

Persimmon trees grow 10′ to 30′ tall and can bear fruit for up to 75 years. They begin to fruit at about 4 to 9 years. The persimmon fruits are about the size of a golf ball and will be bright orange.

Fun fact: Persimmon trees can only grow in higher elevations and, thus are well-suited to Garrett County and the surrounding area.

Potomac has good taste, with pleasing subacid notes. It is a green pear with fine textured skin. It may develop a red blush where the sun hits it.

Potomac is cold-hardy. We have placed it on a rootstalk that is also Fireblight resistant and cold-hardy. It will be drought tolerant and freestanding at maturity.

Bartlett, Red Bartlett, and the pear varieties we sold last year will all pollinate Potomac.

There is one negative to Stanley though. It does not have any disease resistance and is highly susceptible to Black Knot, which is extremely difficult to treat and often results in the death of the tree.

Stanley is self-pollinating but it will produce better with a pollinator like Long John or Bluebyrd. Fruit is ripe in early September.

Stanley is free-stone, so the pit pulls out easily. It is good eaten fresh, in baking, and dried. Stanley is considered a prune plum, which means that the fruits can also be dried or canned to make prunes.

The tree blooms late, which is great for Garrett County. It is a reliable producer, and is very cold-hardy, surviving as low as zone 4.  You will not want to plant this tree in heavy clay soil. 

Stardust is self-fertile, so it can pollinate itself. It blooms a little later than most cherries, which is good for Garrett County. Its fruit is ripe in July.

Fruit is yellow with a nice orange blush. The flesh is white and very sweet.

This tree is on a rootstalk that has been documented to do well in most soil types in our area. It is drought tolerant and will be well anchored compared to most rootstalks that can withstand a range of soil types. This rootstalk is slightly more tolerant of heavy clay and some excess moisture than most, however, as a general rule, this type of soil is not the best for fruit trees. The tradeoff is that you will need to provide some type of support for this tree for life.

Please note that licensing to sell Stardust is significantly higher than the costs of our other trees. Therefore, we had to charge a higher price for it.

When ripe, Paw-Paws have the consistency of vanilla custard. It has the tropical tang of a mango and the sweetness of a melon.

There are some studies that indicate that Paw-Paw’s have actogenins that prevent the growth of cancer cells. However, as with all natural plant remedies, more studies need to be conducted before its effects are fully known. Regardless, the Paw-Paw contains high levels of Vitamin C, nonheme iron, magnesium and manganese. And it has some properties that block microbial growth. Please be advised that regardless of what you read on the internet, Paw-Paw seeds and skin are toxic. Only consume the custard inside the fruit and only when ripe. Paw-Paws will only ripen on the tree, so do not pick until ripe.

You will need to protect your Paw-Paw tree by placing it in a location that is sheltered from extreme wind. The first year that you have your plant it will need to be shaded. (It does need sunlight, but it should be defused sunlight.) But after that, it needs full sun. The reason is because Paw-Paw trees are so sensitive to sunlight in their first few years of growth that full sunlight will actually kill them. However, once they get past the first two to three years, they need full sun. This is one of the reasons Paw-Paw trees are not as abundant. You could use a shade cloth hung above the tree, place tall potted plants with big leaves that cover it around it or use some other form of shade.

The soil needs to be at 5.5 to 7 ph. The tree will not grow in waterlogged soil, so make sure you plant in an area with good drainage. The tree will grow to be about 25′.

Paw-Paw trees are native to the area, however, right here in Garrett County there can be an issue if we get an extremely cold winter. If temperatures drop below 10 below zero, you will want to give your tree some protection, particularly while it is young. Paw-Paw trees do not grow well in Garrett County in the wild due to the elevation, colder summers, deeply cold winters, and heavier clay soil. Though these are a northern Paw-Paw we cannot guarantee it will grow here, though they grow profusely in most of West Virginia. You should consider your purchase an experiment if you live in a higher elevation.

Please be aware that the Paw-Paw trees are only seedlings in one-gallon containers, whereas our other trees are 3′ to 7′ trees. This is the only way that we could make them available to you, as they are more difficult to grow and most nurseries don’t handle them.

Jonaprince is notorious for its brilliant red color and firm, crisp flesh. It is prized as a fresh-eating apple. The large-sized apples store and ship well. The taste is sweet with just enough tart to make it well balanced.  Flavor tents in increase if it is stored.

Jonaprince ripens around the beginning of September.

Jonaprince is a natural mutation of a Jonagold tree, found in the Neitherlands in 1994. It is a descendant of Jonathan and Golden Delicious.

It blooms mid-season, so good companions are Yellow Transparent, Summer Rambo, and Smokehouse. See our “Product Snapshot” page for a list of compatible pollinators.

The flavor of the JonaMac is similar to Macintosh. They have a firm texture and deliver a crisp bite. They are generally used as an eating apple rather than in desserts or canning due to their crispiness. Ever watch those commercials where someone bites into an apple and it gives this crunchy sound? Think JonaMac!

When ripe, the apples are a deep red, with a tinge of green underneath. Medium size. The taste is sweet with a hint of strawberry.

It is resistant to Cedar Apple Rust but somewhat susceptible to Apple Scab, so it is recommended that you prune the tree yearly to allow air to flow between the branches.

Jonamac has an extended bloom season and will pair well with early bloomers like Summer Rambo and mid-season blossoms like Smokehouse. See our “Product Snapshot” page for a list of compatible pollinators.

We have placed this tree on a rootstalk that sends its roots deep and is further cold-tolerant. It will be drought tolerant.

As is the case with so many of the heirlooms native to the region, it has good natural disease resistance, and it is super cold-hardy, easily growing in climates as cold as zone 3.

Smokehouse is good for cooking, baking, cider, and eating fresh. It will keep for several months when stored properly. It is a large, flattish-shaped, yellow apple with red stripes. It is known to be a reliable bearer. The apple is tender and very juicy and has often been described as tasting like apple cider.

Smokehouse is a late season bloomer, which is great for Garrett County. For pollination, it would pair well with Crimson Crisp, Northwest Greening, and other late season bloomers on our list.  See our “Product Snapshot” page for details on its pollinators.