One of the coolest ways to grow fruit trees in your backyard is by planting a fruit tree guild. A fruit tree guild is a way you can grow a fruit tree along with multiple flowers and berry bushes that work together as a mini ecosystem. Think about your favorite fruit tree, berry bushes, and native flowers. Now imagine them growing in the same space and working together as a team. 

Benefits of a Fruit Tree Guild: 

• A synergy of plants that work together as a mini ecosystem. 
• Harvest a variety of fruits and flowers in one garden space.
• Edible groundcovers such as strawberries help suppress weeds.
• Native plants work together to ward off pests and to support pollinators.  
• Added Biodiversity reduces disease pressure and build soils.

Fruit Tree Guilds start with a main fruit tree in the center forming the canopy. This fruit tree grows up tall towards the sun and is the backbone of the guild. From here we add an edible ground cover that grows low and wide and produces an abundance of fruit while suppressing grass and weeds. Around the tree we plant a diversity of native flowers that work together to support pollinators, help soil health, and repel pests creating a beautiful community. 

Our favorite guild to create is an Apple Tree Guild with a crisp delicious apple tree at the center, sweet juicy strawberries as the ground cover, and a variety of beautiful and medicinal native flowers such as mountain mint, and Echinacea to round out this supportive edible ecosystem. If the space allows we add in some yummy berry bushes. Then we repeat the pattern with different trees to form a Food Forest. 

Let’s work together to pick out the right plants best suited to the growing conditions of your property and the healthy lifestyle goals of your family. 

Plant List: 

Our plants will truly get you off to the best possible start so that you will be enjoying fresh organic fruit from your own backyard. They are professionally pruned and holistically managed by Richie Mitchell, owner of Bear Creek Organics. You won’t find a healthier or more diverse selection of edible landscaping plants anywhere in our area. 

Apple: Large, mature apple trees of unique heirloom and disease resistant cultivars. 

Paw Paw: Native fruit tree producing large tropical fruit with tastes of bananas and mangos combined! 

Plum: Numerous disease resistant hardy cultivars. Large trees over 7 feet tall available. 

Pear: European and Asian varieties available. 

Peach: Disease resistent and cold hardy. 

Nut Trees & Bushes: Chestnut, Pinenut, Hazelnut.

Raspberry: Red, yellow and gold everbearing varieties.  

Blueberry: Many Highbush varieties

Additional Berry plants: 

Elderberry, Aroniaberry, Gooseberry, Currants, Srawberry

Additional Plant Options:

Rubarb, False Indigo, Button Bush, Comfrey, Natives Flowers Available Too!

To schedule a consultation or a nursery visit please visit BearCreekOrganics.com and fill out the Contact Us section at the bottom of the website. Or call 570-582-0615. Follow us on Facebook for updates.