Nectarine Pollination Map

Every nectarine we sell is self-fertile, so one tree will fruit on its own. Nectarines are peaches with smooth skin, so peaches and nectarines pollenize each other freely and both show up on this map.

One tree is enough

You don't need a second tree for fruit. Bees still have to move pollen around the flowers, so plant where they'll find it.

Peaches count

Any peach and nectarine that bloom together can pollenize each other, so use the peach columns too.

Later bloom dodges frost

In mountain valleys the bigger risk is a late frost, not pollination. Later bloom groups give you a little more margin.

Bill's Nectar Peachcot

It's a peach, nectarine and apricot hybrid with untested fertility. Plant it near both a nectarine or peach and an apricot.

Find a partner for your tree

Pick a variety you have or want. You'll see every tree we carry that will pollenize it, with what's in stock first.

The nectarine pollination map

Find the tree you want fruit on in the left column, then read across. Each column is a pollen source. Peach columns are in regular type. Peaches and nectarines pollenize each other.

Good match (same bloom group)Partial match (one group apart)Bloom too far apartPoor pollen (triploid, pollen-sterile or disputed)Won't work (same clone or incompatible)Same variety
Sort:

* bloom group is our best estimate.

Bloom groups at a glance

2 Early

3 Early-Mid

4 Mid

How to read these maps

Bloom groups

Every variety gets a bloom group from 1 (very early) to 7 (very late). Groups only compare varieties of the same fruit. An apple in group 4 and a plum in group 4 don't bloom at the same time.

Close enough counts

Two varieties in the same group or one group apart overlap enough to pollenize each other, as long as the pollen is good and they aren't the same tree genetically.

Where the groups come from

Published bloom records come first. For apples that's measured bloom dates from the Apple Biodiversity Collection in Nova Scotia, checked against multi-year nursery and extension groupings. Next comes sourced facts, like a sport blooming with its parent. Anything marked * is our best estimate from the variety's origin and relatives.

Your spring will vary

A warm or cold spring shifts every tree earlier or later, but the order stays about the same. If you watch your trees bloom and something doesn't match, tell us. Your notes make these maps better.

More pollination maps