Fresh Eating

Cox Orange Pippin apple got our top fresh eating score, 10 out of 10. Then comes a long list of 9s: Honeycrisp, Macoun and Ashmead's Kernel apples, Kerr and Chestnut applecrabs, Bartlett, Seckel and Dana Hovey pears, Montana Mango apricot, Superior plum and Rainier sweet cherry. Anything that scored 8 or up lands on our Best Of lists.

Cold winters narrow it down. In zone 2, Kerr and Chestnut applecrabs (both 9) are rated that cold, along with Juliet and Romeo dwarf cherries, honeyberry and Bolshaya and Krazulya pears (all 8). Honeycrisp and Larinskaya pear are rated to zone 2b. Cox Orange Pippin is rated to zone 3b and Rainier to zone 4. If you're not sure where you stand, try the cold hardiness calculator.

For something to pick sooner, plant shrubs alongside your trees. Anne yellow raspberry is everbearing and fruits the first year. AC Wendy strawberry is our first to ripen, early to mid June in Missoula, and Juliet dwarf cherry follows in late July. Gooseberries like Hinnomaki Red, Captivator and Black Velvet scored 8, they're self-fertile, and deer rarely bother them. Most of the apples, pears and plums here need a pollenizer, so check the pollination maps before you order.