Stone fruit trees

Wellington's climate isn't the best for growing stone fruit, but you may be able to find a good spot with the right conditions.

Green plum tree.

Key considerations

Stone fruit grow best on a warm, sunny site with protection from the wind.

The soil should be free-draining, fertile and moist.

Plant your stone fruit with 2 to 3m between them, so that they have plenty of space once they're mature.

Stone fruit are frost hardy, however, their blossoms may be damaged by late spring frosts. If your site is frost prone, stone fruit are not advisable.

We recommend

Apricot trees

Most varieties of apricot trees need cold winter temperatures to set the fruit buds.

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 3.5m high and 3.5m wide, and dwarf trees to 2m high and 2m wide. 
  • When to prune
    Unlike most fruit trees, you should prune apricot trees in summer.
  • Pollination
    Apricot trees are self-fertile and don't need pollination, but they will benefit from having a 'buddy' apricot planted nearby.

Apricot varieties

Variety name Description Month fruit is ripe
Apricot Fitzroy NZ variety, medium sized, good crops – needs any apricot buddy for pollination February
Apricot Garden Annie Sweet, juicy, yellow fruit February
Apricot Royal Rosa Early season, heavy crops February
Apricot Sundrop Sweet, juicy, yellow fruit, good crops December
Apricot Trevatt Great flavour – for best pollination, plant with Apricot Sundrop buddy January

Plum trees

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 5m high and 5m wide, and dwarf trees to 3.5m wide and 3.5m high.
  • When to prune
    Winter, when the tree is dormant. 
  • Pollination
    It is important to pay close attention to the pollination requirements of plum trees – these are outlined in the table below.

Note:
There are a few fruit varieties such as the European and Japanese plum which, even if they blossom at the same time, will not pollinate each other.

Plum varieties

Buddy number & Variety Description Pollination notes Month fruit is ripe
(1) Plum Billington Red flesh, keeps well Self-fertile, benefits from plum buddy 2 or 7 December
(2) Plum Black Doris Freestone, very firm,  jam Plant with plum buddy 1 or 9 February
(3) Plum Duff’s Early Jewel Small fruit, red skin Self-fertile, benefits from plum buddy 9 January 
(4) Plum Elephant’s Heart Large, red skin Plant with plum buddy 7, 9 or 11 March
(5) Plum Luisa Super sweet, hardy Self-fertile, no buddy needed February
(6) Plum MacVerna Red-black skin, sweet Plant with plum buddy 1 or 13 February
(7) Plum Omega Late, heavy crops, freestone Plant with plum buddy 4, 5 or 9 April
(8) Plum Purple King Purple skin, yellow flesh, needs pollinator Plant with plum buddy 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 February
(9) Plum Santa Rosa Hardy, vigorous, tasty Self-fertile, benefits from plum buddy 4 or 7 January
(10) Plum Satsuma Medium sized, good crop Self-fertile, benefits from plum buddy 9 February
(11) Plum Sultan Red flesh, heavy crops Self-fertile, benefits from plum buddy 4, 5, 7 or 9

January
(12) Plum Victoria Sinclair Heavy crops, hardy Self-fertile, no buddy needed March
(13) Plum Wilson’s Early Yellow flesh Plant with plum buddy 3 December

Gage trees

Gage are similar to plums, but have a smaller fruit.

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 5m high and 5m wide.
  • When to prune
    Winter, when the tree is dormant. 
  • Pollination
    It is important to pay close attention to the pollination requirements of gage trees – these are outlined in the table below.

Gage varieties

Buddy number & Variety Description Pollination notes Month fruit is ripe
(1) English Greengage Very sweet, medium-sized green gage Plant with gage buddy 2 February
(2) Gage Coe’s Golden Drop Late season, stores well, small yellow gage Plant with gage buddy 1 or 2 March
(3) Reineclaude du Bavay Very sweet, late season, medium yellow / green gage Self-fertile, but benefits from any gage buddy March

Nectarine trees

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 5m high and 4m wide.
  • When to prune
    Winter, when the tree is dormant.
  • Pollination
    Nectarine trees are self-fertile, and don't need pollination.

Nectarine varieties

Variety name Description Month fruit is ripe
Nectarine Goldmine White fleshed, sweet, juicy, good crops January
Nectarine Snow Queen Red skin, white flesh, flavourful, frost-tolerant December
Nectarine Theo Ching Red skin, white flesh, flavourful February

Peach trees

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 4.5m high and 4.5m wide, dwarf trees to 2m high and 2m wide.
  • When to prune
    Winter, when the tree is dormant.
  • Pollination
    Peach trees are self-fertile and don't need pollination.

Peach varieties

Variety name  Description Month fruit is ripe
Peach April White Large white-fleshed peach. Plentiful crops March
Peach Blackboy Purple skin and flesh, heavy crops, good fresh and bottled March
Peach Briggs Red May Rich, juicy flavourful, early season January
Peach Golden Queen Golden skin and flesh, firm, flavourful, good fresh and bottled March
Peach Gordon’s Glory Golden skin and flesh, flavourful, late season March
Peach Mayflower Very early, white fleshed, flavourful – rare

December
Peach Paragon Yellow flesh and skin, juicy, good fresh and bottled February
Peach Wiggins Large, white flesh, hardy, heavy crops, early season January
Peach Yumyeong White flesh, tropical flavour, large, late season March

Prune trees

Prunes are great dried, fresh, baked or cooked.

  • Size
    Mature trees can grow up to 5m high and 5m wide.
  • When to prune
    Winter, when the tree is dormant. 
  • Pollination
    Prune trees are self-fertile and don't need pollination, but they will benefit from having a 'buddy' prune, gage or plum planted nearby.

Prune varieties

Prune variety name Description Month fruit is ripe
Prune Cacak Best Large, blue-black colour February
Prune Italian Most popular, purple skin with yellow flesh March
Prune Richard's Early Italian Heavy crops, sweet, purple skin with yellow flesh February
Prune Stanley Large, juicy and sweet February
Prune Wangenheim Small and sweet with dark red skin February