Use the following photos and info to help you identify fruit trees in your area. If you live in New Waterford, Nova Scotia and would like to participate in our Town Orchard project, please fill out this form.
Apples
Apple trees have a distinct shape: a semi-broad trunk with wide, spreading branches. Apple trees can grow as big as 20 feet in height.

In the spring, apple blossom buds start off pink and as they open turn white.


In July, tiny apples grow on most local trees.

In the fall, apple trees are easy to spot—they’ll have apples on them! 🍎

Crabapples
A lot of people in town call all the wild apple trees “crabapples”—but apples and crabapples are two different trees. Crabapples are not for eating (they are much too sour) but they are great for making cider. Some apple and crabapple trees are sometimes hard to distinguish. If you’re not sure what tree you have, let us know regardless and we’ll come see what it is!

Crabapple blossoms are most often bright pink.

Crabapple fruit is tiny, hard, red, and sour.

Pears
Pear trees are a bit taller and skinnier than apple trees.

In the spring, their flowers are white.

Pear trees are easiest to identify by their distinct-looking fruit 🍐

Sour Cherry
There is an abundance of sour cherry trees in the New Waterford area! Most of the “trees” are actually bushes but with pruning now look like trees.

In the spring, the blossoms are white and usually cover the bushes.

By July, the fruit on them starts to ripen and turns bright red. The fruit is smaller and brighter red than the sweet cherries you can buy at the grocery store.

Elderberry
Elder come in both bush and tree form. They are native to North America. The fruit is a “super food” meaning it is not only healthy but medicinal, too.

Elder trees bloom in July. The blossoms grow in clusters of tiny white flowers.

Leaves sometimes turn yellow in summer. Berries are small and dark red to almost black.

Quince
Quince bushes are typically planted for ornamental purposes, but the fruit on them is quite yummy.
Quince is a very distinct bush—its flowers are bright red. They stand out in spring because they are one of the first fruiting plants to bloom.

The yellow fruit looks a lot like apples but is much firmer.

Grapes
Grapes are relatively easy to identify–the fruit grows on massive vines and look very much like grapes 🍇

Other Fruit Trees
If you have another type of fruit tree not named here, and/or don’t know the type of tree you have, don’t worry! Fill out our fruit tree form anyway and select “not sure” under “What type of trees.” We’ll come by and try to identify it for you.