Pollination

When planning your edible landscape or wildlife habitat, it is important to consider the subject of pollination.  Without proper pollination, fruits and seeds will not be created.  Some species of plants are self-pollinating because each individual plant produces both male and female flowers or flowers that contain both male and female parts.  Such species are termed monoecious.  Among monoecious species, some require a second individual plant of the same species (but generally of a different variety within that species) to be present for cross-pollination in order to set fruit.  For example, in order for an Anna apple flower to grow into a fruit, it needs to be cross-pollinated with pollen from a Dorsett Golden flower or any other apple variety that blooms concurrently.

Most plants fall into the “monoecious” category, but some of the species we offer are dioecious.  In dioecious species an individual plant is either male or female.  In order for these species to fruit or create viable seed, it is necessary that both a male and female be present.  A single male plant generally provides enough pollen to accommodate several females.  This is not to be confused with cross-pollination, which involves pollen from one variety fertilizing the ovary of a flower of a second variety.  Among dioecious species, some can also be “polygamo,” which means that while an individual plant primarily produces either male or female flowers, that individual can also produce some “perfect” (male and female) flowers which are able to self-pollinate.

 

Common NameBotanical Name

Monoecious/Dioecious

Pollinator Required

AgaritaMahonia trifoliolata

M

No

Allegheny ChinquapinCastanea pumila

M

No

Almond, “Hall’s Hardy”Prunus amygdalus

M

Yes

Almond, “Hall’s Hardy”-“Texas Mission” comboPrunus amygdalus

M

No

Almond, “Texas Mission”Prunus amygdalus

M

Yes

Almond VerbenaAloysia virgate

M

No

American ElderberrySambucus nigra canadensis

M

No*

American Elderberry, “Johns”Sambucus nigra canadensis

M

No*

American BeautyberryCallicarpa americana

M

No

American Beautyberry, WhiteCallicarpa americana

M

No

American ElmUlmus americana

M

No

American PersimmonDiospyros virginiana

D

Yes

American SweetgumLiquidamber styraciflua

D

Yes

Anacacho OrchidBauhinia lunarioides

M

No

AnacuaEhretia anacua

M

No

Apple, “Anna”Malus domestica

M

Yes

Apple, “Anna”-“Dorsett Golden” ComboMalus domestica

M

No

Apple, “Dorsett Golden”Malus domestica

M

Yes

Apple, “Granny Smith”Malus domestica

M

Yes

Arizona Cypress, BlueCupressus arizonica

M

No

Arizona WalnutJuglans major

M

No

Aromatic SumacRhus aromatica

M

No

Arroyo SweetwoodMyrospurmum sousanum

M

No

Asian Pear, “20th Century”Pyrus pyrifolia

M

Yes

Asian Pear, “Shinko”Pyrus pyrifolia

M

Yes

Bebb’s OakQuercus x bibbiana

M

No

Bee BrushAloysia gratissima

M

No

Bigtooth MapleAcer grandidentatum

D

Yes

Black LocustRobinia pseudoacacia

M

No

Blackberry, “Arapaho”Rubus fruiticosus ‘Arapaho’

M

No*

Blackberry, “Natchez”Rubus fruiticosus ‘Natchez’

M

No*

Blackberry, “Ouachita”Rubus fruiticosus ‘Ouachita’

M

No*

Blackjack OakQuercus marilandica

M

No

Blanco CrabappleMalus ioensis var. texana

M

Yes

Bottlebrush, “Red Cluster”Callistemon viminalis

M

No

Bur OakQuercus macrocarpa

M

No

Canyon Mock OrangePhiladelphus ernestii

M

No

Carolina BuckthornFrangula caroliniana

M

No

Ceanothus, “Victoria”Ceanothus impressus

M

No

Cedar ElmUlmus crassifolia

M

No

Cenizo, “Convent”Leucophyllum frutescens

M

No

Chalk MapleAcer leucoderme

D

Yes

Cherry, “Minnie Royal”Prunus avium

M

Yes

Cherry LaurelPrunus caroliniana

M

No

Chile PequinCapsicum annuum

M

No

Chilean MesquiteProsopis chilensis

M

No

Chinese PistachePistacia chinensis

D

Yes

Chinquapin OakQuercus muhlenbergii

M

No

Chitalpa, “Pink Dawn”Chilopsis x Catalpa

M

No

Chocolate VineAkebia quinata

M

Yes

Choke CherryPrunus virginiana

M

No

CitrangequatCitrange x Kumquat

M

No

Common ButtonbushCephalanthus occidentalis

M

No

Copper Canyon DaisyTagetes lemonii

M

No

Coral HoneysuckleLonicera sempervirens

M

No

CoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus

M

No

Creek PlumPrunus rivularis

M

No*

CrossvineBigonia capreolata

M

No

DamianitaChrysactinia mexicana

M

No

Daylily, LemonHemerocallis citrina

M

No

Desert WillowChilopsis linearis

M

No

Desert Willow, “Bubba”Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’

M

No

Dogwood, “Golden Glory”Cornus mas

M

No

Dove TreeDavidia involucrata

M

No

Eastern Red CedarJuniperus virginiana

D

No

Elbow BushForestiera pubescens

D

No

Escarpment Black CherryPrunus serotina var. eximia

M

No*

EsperanzaTecoma stans (angustata)

M

No

European Elderberry, “Madonna”Sambucus nigra

M

No*

Eve’s NecklaceSophora affinis

M

No

Evergreen SumacRhus virens

D

No

Fall AsterAster oblongifolius

M

No

Fall Obedient PlantPhysotegia virginiana

M

No

False IndigoAmorpha fruiticosa

M

No

Fig, “Alma”Ficus carica

M

No

Fig, “Brown Turkey”Ficus carica

M

No

Fig, “Celeste”Ficus carica

M

No

Fig, “Green Ischia”Ficus carica

M

No

Fig, “Kadota”Ficus carica

M

No

Fig, “LSU Gold”Ficus carica

M

No

Flame AcanthusAnisacanthus quadrifidus

M

No

Four-Nerve DaisyTetraneuris scaposa

M

No

Fragrant MimosaMimosa borealis

M

No

Frontier ElmUlmus parviflora x minor

M

No

Gambel’s OakQuercus gambelii

M

No

Garden FigFicus carica

M

No

GinkgoGinkgo biloba

D

Yes

Gingko, “Robbie’s Twist”Ginkgo biloba

D

No

Golden Rain TreeKoelreuteria paniculata

M

No

Goldenball LeadtreeLeucaena retusa

M

No

Grape, “Niagara”Vitis labrusca ‘Niagara’

M

No

Grape, “Victoria Red”Vitis hybrid

M

No

Grape, “Candice”Vitis labrusca ‘Candice’

M

No

Grape, Black Muscadine, “Ison”Vitis rotundifolia

M

No

Grape, Bronze Muscadine, “Late Fry”Vitis rotundifolia

M

No

Gregg’s LeadtreeLeucaena greggii

M

No

GuajilloAcacia berlandieri

M

No

Gum BumeliaSideroxylon lanuginosum

M

No

Hesperaloe, “Yellow Sun”Hesperaloe parviflora

M

No

Holly-Leaf CherryPrunus ilicifolia

M

No

Holly, “China Girl”Ilex x meserveae

D

No

Honey MesquiteProsopis glandulosa

M

No

HuisacheAcacia farnesiana

M

No

Hybrid Oak: Burlive, Burgamble, BebbsQuercus macrocarpa x

M

No

Japanese Black PinePinus thunbergii

M

No

King’s CrownDicliptera suberecta

M

No

Lacebark ElmUlmus parviflora

M

No

Lacey OakQuercus laceyi

M

No

Lantana, TexasLantana involucrata

M

No

Little-Leaf SumacRhus microphylla

D

No

Live OakQuercus fusiformis hybrid

M

No

LoquatEriobotrya japonica

M

No (our variety is self-fertile)

Madrone, “Compacta”Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’

M

No

MayhawCrataegus aestivalis

M

Yes

Mexican BuckeyeUngnadia speciosa

M

No

Mexican FeathergrassNassella tenuissima

M

No

Mexican MarigoldTagetes lucida

M

No

Mexican OreganoLippia graveolens

M

No

Mexican PalmSabal mexicana

M

No

Mexican PlumPrunus mexicana

M

No*

Mexican Sugar MapleAcer saccharum

D

No

Mock Orange, “Belle Etoile”Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’

M

No

Monterey OakQuercus polymorpha

M

No

Montezuma CypressTaxodium mucronatum

M

No

MoringaMoringa oleifera

M

No

Mulberry, “Dragon in Clouds”Morus ‘Unrys’

D

Yes

Mulberry, White (Russian)Morus alba

D

Yes

Narrow-Leaf YuccaYucca angustissima

M

No

Nopales Spineless CactusOptunia ficus-indica

M

No

Oak-Leaf HydrangeaHydrangea quercifolia

M

No

Olive, “Arbequina”Olea europaea

M

No*

Olive, “Mission”Olea europaea

M

No*

Olive, “Montra”Olea europaea

M

No

Pale-Leaf YuccaYucca pallida

M

No

Palmetto, DwarfSabal minor

M

No

Paperbark MapleAcer griseum

D (androdioecious)

No

Passionflower, MaypopPassiflora incarnata

M

No

PawpawAsimina triloba

M

No*

Peach, “Gold Dust”Prunus persica

M

No

Peach, “July Elberta”Prunus persica

M

No

Peach, “Tex King”Prunus persica

M

No

Pear, “Kieffer”Pyrus communis

M

No*

Pear, “Warren”Pyrus communis

M

No*

Pear, “Warren”-“Kieffer” ComboPyrus communis

M

No

Pineapple GuavaFeijoa sellowiana

M

No*

Plum, “Methley”Prunus salicina

M

No

Plum, “”Methley”-“Santa Rosa” ComboPrunus salicina

M

No

Plum, “Santa Rosa”Prunus salicina

M

No*

Pomegranate, “Asperonski Kraslyi”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomegranate, “Kazake”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomegranate, “King Red”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomegranate, “Salavatski”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomeganate, “Texas Pink”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomegranate, “Texas Red”Punica granatum

M

No*

Pomegranate, “Wonderful’Punica granatum

M

No*

Prairie Flameleaf SumacRhus lanceolata

M

No

Red Autumn Berry, SaginawElaeagnus umbellata

M

No

Red BuckeyeAesculus pavia v. pavia

M

No

Red MapleAcer rubrum

D-polygamo

No

Red MulberryMorus rubra

M, D

No

Red Yucca, Red Hesperaloe)Hesperaloe parviflora

M

No

Redbud, “Rising Sun”Cercis canadensis v. texana

M

No

RetamaParkinsonia aculeata

M

No

Rock RosePavonia lasiopetala

M

No

Root Beer PlantPiper auritum

M

No

Rosemary, ProstrateRosemarinus officianalis

M

No

Roughleaf DogwoodCornus drummondii

M

No

Rusty Blackhaw ViburnumViburnum rufidulum

M

No

Salvia, Autumn SageSalvia greggii

M

No

Salvia, Lyreleaf SageSalvia lyrata

M

No

Salvia, Mealy Blue SageSalvia farinacea

M

No

Salvia, White Autumn SageSalvia greggii

M

No

Shantung MapleAcer truncatum

M

No

Shin OakQuercus sinuata

M

No

Skeleton-Leaf GoldeneyeViguera stenoloba

M

No

Smoke Tree, AmericanCotinus obovatus

M, U

No

Smoke Tree, PurpleCotinus coggygria

D

No

Smooth SumacRhus glabra

D

No

SpicebushLindera benzoin

D

No

Star JasmineTrachelospermum

M

No

Sycamore Leaf SnowbellStyrax platanifolius

M

No

Texas AlmondPrunus minutiflora

M

No

Texas AshFraxinus texensis

D

No

Texas BuckeyeAesculus glabra v. arguta

M

No

Texas CrotonCodiaeum texensis

D

No

Texas KidneywoodEysenhardtia texana

M

No

Texas PersimmonDiospyros texana

D

Yes

Texas Red OakQuercus buckleyi

M

No

Texas RedbudCercis canadensis v. texana

M

No

Texas Sacahuista (Nolina)Nolina texana

D-polygamo

No

Texas SotolDasyliron texanum

M

No

Thornless Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthos inermis

D-polygamo

No

Toothache Tree, Prickly AshZanthoxylum hirsutum

D

No

Trident MapleAcer buergerianum

M

No

Vitex, “Shoal Creek”Vitex agnus-castus

M

No

Wafer Ash, Hop TreePtelea trifoliata

M

No

Wax MyrtleMorella cerifera

D

No

Western SoapberrySapindus drummondii

D

No

White LeadtreeLeucaena leucocephala

M

No

Willow, “Scarlet Curls”Salix matsudana

D

No

Wright’s AcaciaAcacia greggii var. wrightii

M

No

Yaupon Holly, “Pride of Houston”Ilex vomitoria

D

No

Yaupon HollyIlex vomitoria

D

No

Yellow Honeysuckle, “Sulphurea”Lonicera sempervirens

M

No

Yucca, “Color Guard”Yucca filamentosa x

M

No

Yucca, RostrataYucca linearifolia

M

No

(* indicates that cross-pollination, while not necessary for production, will improve yields)