Carroll’s Nursery, LLC

Fruit pollination is important when considering which varieties to plant.  Without proper pollination, the seed of the plant will not set and as a consequence, most plants will not bear fruit.  There are a few exceptions to this, however, in all cases the types of flowers a plant or tree has determines what is required for pollination.

Perfect flowers have both male and female flowers. The male flower part generates the pollen which fertilizes the female portion called the stigma.  Some plants and trees have devices which keep them from self pollinating themselves. A few place the stigma well outside of the pistil (pollen carrying portion of the flower) which keeps the plant from fertilizing itself.  An example of this would be an Amaryllis.  Others may not allow stigma reception while the pollen is shedding.

Pecan trees are an example of this to a degree.  Pecans usually shed their pollen only part of time while the stigma is receptive.  Pecan flowers are separated by sex on the tree.  These flowers overlap in activity to a great degree.  Some varieties have a large degree of overlap making them self fertile, while other pecan flowers have no overlap in the activity of the pollen and stigmas.  See the pollination chart for pecans at the end of this article.

Other plants are even more peculiar in makeup compared to what we think of in reproductive terms.  Muscadine vines are of three types.  There are perfect flowers with both male and female parts.  Vines that have perfect flowers are self fertile.  Other vines have female flowers only.  There are male vines as well.  Male vines are not sold commercially since they will not bear fruit.  Self fertile vines are used to pollinate female vines and both of these types will bear muscadines.

Another factor to consider in pollination is when the flower opens.  Many low chill plants will open earlier in the season and they tend to bear their fruit earlier in the season.  However, very low chill hour plants will bloom so early that late freezes will kill the flowers. 

Even with self fertile flowers, it is generally better to mix varieties so a higher pollination rate can be achieved.  Planting two or more varieties also can mean having fruit for a longer period if you use early, mid and late season varieties.  In addition, some years may be better for one variety than another depending upon how much cold or heat the plant received.