Fruit usually thrives best in sunny, warm and airy locations - only here do the fruits develop the typical colors and sweetness. Sunlight is essential for the formation of fructose. Now such an ideal location is not available in every garden - small gardens in particular are often shaded for several hours a day. But delicious fruit grows here too – as long as you choose the right types and varieties.
Which fruit trees grow well in the shade?
Fruit trees that thrive in the shade include apple trees, sour cherries, currants, gooseberries and blackberries and their hybrids. However, these types of fruit require at least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily to grow and fruit optimally.
Fruits suitable for light shade
However, shade-tolerant still doesn't mean that the apple tree or berry bush can be in the shade all day - in this case you won't be able to enjoy it for too long. Nevertheless, the fruit should receive at least four to six hours of blazing sun every day - it basically doesn't matter what time of day it is.
Apple
Apple trees should not be planted directly in a south-facing location anyway, as they require higher humidity than other types of fruit. A cooler, wetter northern location is therefore preferable - and a few hours of shade a day does not harm the tree or fruit. The pear, which needs warmth, has no place in the shade.
Sour cherry
The variety name 'Schattenmorelle' says it all: the sour cherry is extremely undemanding when it comes to climate and soil. But the same applies here: the sunnier the tree or bush is, the better it grows and the more delicious the fruits taste. Therefore, under no circumstances should you plant the sour cherry on the north side of the house or under another large-crowned (and therefore shady) tree.
currants and gooseberries
Currants still thrive in partial shade, but the standard tree or bush produces much more fruit in a sunny and airy location. The fruits then contain more sugar, while in a slightly shadier place they have a higher fruit acid content. The same goes for gooseberries.
Blackberries and related hybrids
Blackberries are typical forest fruits that fruit well even in a light, partially shaded, protected location. Loganberries, boysenberries, youngberries and marionberries are related types of blackberries or crosses between blackberries and raspberries. However, these require a sunnier place and, above all, protected from frost, as they are much more sensitive than conventional blackberries.
Tip
In some guides, kiwi plants and grape vines are still listed as shade-tolerant. However, this is not true because the frost-sensitive kiwis need a warm and sunny place. Grapes, on the other hand, only become sweet when they receive enough sunlight.
