View source for Fruit tree

{{Short description|Tree which bears fruit}}
{{For-text|the Nick Drake box set album|[[Fruit Tree (album)]]|the production company|[[Fruit Tree (company)]]}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
[[Image:Plum tree with fruit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A plum tree with developing fruit]]
[[File:Mandarin Orange Tree.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Mandarin Orange tree with fruit]]
[[Image:Almond tree.jpg|thumb|An almond tree in bloom]]
A '''fruit tree''' is a [[tree]] which bears [[fruit]] that is consumed or used by animals and humans. All trees that are [[flowering plant]]s produce fruit, which are the ripened [[ovary (plants)|ovaries]] of [[flower]]s containing one or more [[seeds]]. In [[horticulture|horticultural]] usage, the term "fruit tree" is limited to those that provide fruit for human food. Types of fruits are described and defined elsewhere (see [[Fruit]]), but would include "fruit" in a culinary sense, as well as some [[Nut (fruit)|nut]]-bearing trees, such as [[walnut]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-05 |title=Growing Fruit Trees in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina: A Guide for Abundant Harvests |url=https://foresttofood.com/2023/06/05/growing-fruit-trees-in-the-piedmont-region-of-north-carolina-a-guide-for-abundant-harvests/ |access-date=2023-06-30 |website=Harvesting Nature's Bounty, One Step at a Time |language=en}}</ref>

The scientific study and the cultivation of fruits is called [[pomology]], which divides fruits into groups based on plant [[morphology (biology)|morphology]] and [[anatomy]]. Some of those groups are [[pome]] fruits, which include apples and pears, and [[stone fruit]]s, which include peaches/nectarines, almonds, [[apricot]]s, plums and cherries.<ref name=Editors2003>{{Citation| last = Singha | first = Suman| year = 2003| title = Concise encyclopedia of temperate tree fruit| pages = 3–5| isbn = 978-1-56022-941-4| publisher = Food Products Press| location = New York}}</ref>

==Examples==
* [[Pouteria caimito|Abiu]]
* [[Almond]]
* [[Indian gooseberry|Amla]] (Indian gooseberry)
* [[Apple (fruit)|Apple]]
* [[Apricot]]
* [[Avocado]]
* [[Aegle marmelos|Bael]]
* [[Ziziphus mauritiana|Ber]] (Indian plum)
* [[Carambola]] (starfruit)
* [[Cashew]]
* [[Cherry]]
* [[Citrus]] ([[Orange (fruit)|orange]], [[lemon]], [[Lime (fruit)|lime]], etc.)
* [[Coconut]]
* [[Crab apple]]
* [[Damson]]
* [[Durian]]
* [[Elderberry]]
* [[Ficus#Fig pollination and fig fruit|Fig]]
* [[Grapefruit]]
* [[Guava]]
* [[Jackfruit]]
* [[Jujube]]
* [[Lemon]]
* [[Lime (fruit)|Lime]]
* [[Loquat]]
* [[Lychee]]
* [[Mango]]
* [[Mespilus germanica|Medlar]]
* [[Morello cherry]]
* [[Mulberry]]
* [[Olive]]
* Pawpaw, both the tropical ''[[Carica papaya]]'' and the North American ''[[Asimina triloba]]''
* [[Peach]] and [[nectarine]]
* [[Pear]]
* [[Pecan]]
* [[Persimmon]]
* [[Pistachio]]
* [[Plum]]
* [[Pomelo]]
* [[Quince]]
* [[Pomegranate]]
* [[Rambutan]]
* [[Sapodilla]] (chikoo)
* [[Soursop]]
* [[Sugar-apple]] (sharifa)
* [[Sweet chestnut]]
* [[Tamarillo]]
* [[Ugli fruit]]
* [[Walnut]]
* [[Syzygium aqueum|Water Apple]]

== Climate effects on fruit trees ==

=== Advantages ===
Fruit trees can withstand the variability of rainfall better than [[Annual plant|annual crops]] due to the deep root systems and the [[Perennial|perennial growth]] habit.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Precise application of water and fertilizer to crops: challenges and opportunities |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |date=2024-12-06 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-818732-6.00041-1}}</ref>

=== Disadvantages ===
[[Climate change]] is significantly impacting fruit trees, with effects varying depending on the geographical region and type of fruit tree. The annual temperature in Japan, for example, has risen at a rate of 0.124&nbsp;°C per decade from 1898 to 2019, influencing fruit tree flowering times and potentially leading to a physiological disorder known as "flowering disorder" in [[Pyrus pyrifolia|Japanese pear]], which may result from abnormal flowering or dormancy or both.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tominaga |first1=Akiyoshi |last2=Ito |first2=Akiko |last3=Sugiura |first3=Toshihiko |last4=Yamane |first4=Hisayo |date=2022 |title=How Is Global Warming Affecting Fruit Tree Blooming? "Flowering (Dormancy) Disorder" in Japanese Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) as a Case Study |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |volume=12 |doi=10.3389/fpls.2021.787638 |doi-access=free |pmid=35211129 |pmc=8861528 }}</ref> In Australia, climate change is predicted to prompt a major shift in the fruit farming industry by 2030, affecting the winter chill period necessary for fruit production.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melbourne |first=Lauren Hull, University of |date=2016-06-21 |title=Climate change: What it means for fruits |url=https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/climate-change-what-it-means-for-fruits |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=Pursuit |language=en}}</ref>

In addition, climate change has caused challenges like early spring and late frosts, flooding, drought, and extreme heat, all of which effect fruit trees. Severe droughts and flooding affect the trees' growth, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases. Extreme heat can damage growing fruit directly on the tree.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Susan |date=2022-06-21 |title=How Climate Change Will Affect Fruit Tree Management |url=https://orchardpeople.com/climate-change-and-fruit-trees/ |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=orchardpeople.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

This situation is exacerbated by global trends towards reduced organic matter in soil, necessitating innovative water conservation and management strategies to ensure crop yield and quality.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-04 |title=The effects of climate change on fruit growing {{!}} ADAMA |url=https://www.adama.com/en/our-commitment/global-farming/farming-crops/weathering-the-new-extremes |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=www.adama.com |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Trees}}
* [[Fruit tree forms]]
* [[Fruit tree pollination]]
* [[Fruit tree propagation]]
* [[List of fruits]]
* [[Multipurpose tree]]
* [[Orchard]]
* [[Pruning fruit trees]]
* [[Drupe]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |last1=Goldschmidt |first1=Eliezer E. |title=The Evolution of Fruit Tree Productivity: A Review |journal=Economic Botany |date=March 2013 |volume=67 |issue=1 |pages=51–62 |doi=10.1007/s12231-012-9219-y |pmc=3606516 |pmid=23538880 |bibcode=2013EcBot..67...51G }}

==External links==
* [http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/ Pennsylvania tree fruit production guide; a guide on how to set up an orchard in practice]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170822195119/http://www.ftpf.org/mission.htm The fruit tree planting foundation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160415153330/http://www.leggcreekfarm.com/pruning-fruit-trees.html Fruit tree pruning]
* [https://www.orangepippin.com/ Index of apple cultivars]
{{Non-timber forest products}}
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[[Category:Fruit trees| ]]
[[Category:Edible fruits| ]]
[[Category:Trees]]
[[Category:Lists of plants|Fruit]]
[[Category:Fruit production]]