Here’s a look at some edible plants that will bring bees to our vegetable gardens and backyard orchards:

• Tomatillos — The tomatillo is the little green Mexican tomato used in making salsa and other Mexican dishes, and it grows anywhere regular tomatoes grow.  It doesn’t require a lot of care, but the bees love it (and the salsa maker in your family will love it too!)
• Blackberries and raspberries — Who could resist such sweet fruits?  And the thorns don’t seem to bother the bees nearly as much as they do us.
• Mustards — If you let some of your mustards bolt (flower), then they’ll attract mason bees.
• Radishes — Here too if you leave some in the ground long enough to bloom, the bees will enjoy visiting them.  How many radishes do you need for a salad anyway?
• Mint — Members of the mint family are attractive to long-tongued bees.  Examples include many popular herbs such as sage, mint, oregano, and lavender.

For more information on plants that attract bees, check out the following sites:

Bee Garden

Urban Bee Gardens

But what if we want to try something else? There’s nothing wrong with the tasty fruits listed above, but if you’d like to try your hand at growing something a little more exotic, try some of these varieties:

Quince Tree

At the start of the 20th century, fruiting quince trees were common place in rural yards.  You don’t hear much about them in the U.S. today, but many varieties have lovely pineapple-like flavors (I can grow plenty of pine trees, but alas real pineapples aren’t going to pop up in my backyard, so these may be my best bet).

Quince fruit is prized for cooking, jelly making, and adding to apple cider. Quince trees are self-fertile, have big white blossoms in late spring, and offer large bright yellow fruits that ripen in October and hang like lanterns in the autumn.

Elderberry Trees

Elderberries are one of the easiest to grow and care for of all the fruit trees, and they are among the most consistently productive. The blossoms and berries have been used for centuries in cultures throughout the world and have many edible and medicinal purposes.

If you’ve never tried elderberry wine, you’re missing out.  Once you have your own producing tree, you can make your own.

Fig Trees

While you might not think of figs as being all that exotic, you might be surprised at all the different colors, sizes, and shapes of figs out there.  If all you’re familiar with is dried grocery store figs, check around to see some of the varieties that might grow in your area (and don’t assume figs can only grow in hot and dry climates).

Jujube Trees

Jujubes are pretty trees with glossy green leaves that turn yellow in the autumn. And yes, they’ve got fruit you can eat too.

Jujube fruit, AKA the “Chinese Date”, is very sweet, reddish brown when ripe, and 1-1/2″ long with a single seed. While commonly thought to be subtropical, some varities of the fruit can be grown in cooler climates, though you may need to pick it early and bring it inside to finish ripening.

Persimmons

I first encountered persimmons in the dried fruit section at Trader Joe’s and ever since I’ve been determined to grow and dry some of my own.

Both Asian and American persimmons are very beautiful trees that produce tasty sweet orange fruit. American varieties can be grown in USDA Zones 5-9 and Asian persimmons can be grown in Zones 6-11. The tree blooms late, usually escaping spring frosts.

There you go: five fruit trees for your backyard that produce fruit you’re unlikely to find at the market.  Many of these trees run to the smaller side, too, so they’re perfect for urban or suburban lots.

Of course you’ll want to check with your local nursery to see if these trees can grow and produce fruit in your area, but definitely read up before assuming they don’t. There are many varieties of each type, and some are bred to do well in climates you wouldn’t suspect!