scottfsmith
I am in Maryland zone 7A. I have a backyard orchard of about a third an acre. I trialed a great many fruits; here are the ones I am currently calling “keepers”. To be a keeper they have to be relatively bulletproof compared to other varieties, taste excellent, be unique, store well, spread out the harvest, etc.
Plum: Satsuma, Lavina, Shiro, Laroda, Weeping Santa Rosa, Elephant Heart, Emerald Beaut, Flavor King
Euro Plum: Bavays Green Gage, Green Gage, French Petite
Peach/Nect: Rio Oso Gem, Oldmixon Free, Kaweah, Red Baron, Nectar, Baby Crawford, Kit Donnell, Clayton, Sanguine Tardeva, Gold Dust, Sunglo, Flavortop, Freckled Face, Arctic Glo.
Sour Cherry: Montmorency
Sweet Cherry: White Gold, Black Tartarian, Attika, Regina
Apricot: Ilona, Florilege, Tomcot
Apple: Abbondanza, Swayzie, Hooples Antique Gold, Reine des Reinettes, Kidds Orange Red, Sweet 16, Hawaii, Reinette Clochard, Suncrisp, Rubinette, Golden Nugget, Rambour d’Hiver, Katharine, Black Limbertwig, Mutsu, Brushy Mountain Limbertwig, Chestnut
Cider apple: Harrison, Yates
Pear: Dana Hovey, Seckel, Urbaniste, Magness, Aurora, Fondante des Moulins-Lille
Asian Pear: Drippin Honey, Kosui, Hosui, Yulu Fragrant pear
Quince: (none now, too much fireblight)
Jujube: Honey Jar, Bok Jo
Persimmon: Chocolate, Hachiya, Rojo Brilliante, 20th Century
Fig: Any reasonably hardy fig is good
Pawpaw: Leading varieties are all good, Wabash might be my favorite
Pomegranate: none (winter dieback/unproductive/rot); Salavatski has done the best
Kiwi: Soreli, HongYang
Muscadine: Sugargate, Black Beauty, Supreme, Darlene
Filbert/Hazel: Yamhill, Jefferson, Theta
Mulberry: Kokuso
Here are some also may belong on the above list (still under trial):
Plum: Mariposa
Apricot: Early Blush
Apple: Esopus Spitzenberg
Cider apple: Gilpin
Pear: Josephine des Malines, Louis Bonne des Avranches