Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00001660
11/12/99
Failure to fruit
A plant may fail to fruit because of all the reasons
listed for failure to flower. If there are no flowers,
there can be no fruits. A plant may flower but fail to
have fruits. This section covers possible reasons.
One of the most common explanations is lack of proper
pollination. Some plants can not pollinate themselves --
they require a plant of the same species but of a
different variety for cross-pollination. Two trees of
the same variety will not pollinate each other -- they
must be different varieties.
Lack of pollination can occur if cold, rainy weather
occurs when a plant is in full bloom. Such weather will
keep bees from working, thus reducing or preventing
pollination and fruit-set.
A frost while a plant is in flower will kill the flowers
and prevent fruit-set.
Some plants are dioecious. This means all the flowers on
a plant are either male or female. Both a male and a
female plant must be present and cross-pollination must
occur for the female to produce fruit. Examples of
dioecious plants are holly, bittersweet and yew.
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to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
This file was generated from data base ZZ on 01/19/00.
Data base ZZ was last revised on 11/12/99.
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