Do You Need Two Apple Trees to Get Fruit?

When we crunch into an apple, few of us think of how the tree produces its fruit. In order for this process to happen, the apple tree requires some assistance from bees, wasps and other apple trees.

According to the Colorado State University Extension, all varieties of apple trees must have some pollination in order to bear fruit. You must plant two different varieties of tree, as most apples cannot pollinate the same variety of apple; crabapple trees will work for cross-pollination, but only if they bloom at the same time. Bees are the primary pollinators, although wasps also act as pollinators.

Some apple trees are considered to be self-fertile. This means that they can pollinate themselves. These trees can produce fruit alone; however they will set more fruit and produce better fruit if they are pollinated by another apple tree. Empire, Gala, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are varieties of self-fertile apples.

Triploid fruit trees were bred to produce fewer seeds. As a result of the breeding, triploid trees have three sets of chromosomes and cannot reproduce on their own. They must be cross-pollinated by another apple tree. Varieties of triploid apples include Gravenstein, Jonagold and Washington.