๐ Complete Fruit Tree Guide
Data version: Stardew Valley 1.6.15 | All fruit trees, profit analysis, payback period, and orchard layout optimization
Fruit trees are a long-term investment in Stardew Valley. Unlike seasonal crops that require replanting, a single fruit tree produces fruit every day of its season (and year-round in the Greenhouse or on Ginger Island) for the rest of the game. This guide breaks down exactly which trees pay off fastest and how to maximize them.
Data sourced from Stardew Valley Wiki v1.6
๐ณ Fruit Tree Basics
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Purchase | Pierre's General Store at the start of each season |
| Growth | 28 days to mature โ plant a full season before harvest |
| Harvest | 1 fruit per day during the tree's season |
| Quality | Increases by 1 star per year of maturity (Base โ Silver โ Gold โ Iridium after 4 years) |
| Tile | Needs the 8 surrounding tiles completely clear (no path, no grass, no sprinkler) |
| Winter | Fruit trees do NOT produce in Winter (except Greenhouse/Ginger Island) |
| Lightning | Can be struck by lightning in Summer โ use Lightning Rods nearby |
Greenhouse & Ginger Island
In the Greenhouse (unlocked via Pantry bundles) or on Ginger Island, fruit trees produce year-round. This makes them dramatically more profitable โ instead of 28 days of harvest per year, they produce 112 days (every season).
๐ฐ Fruit Tree Profit Table (Base Quality)
| Tree | Season | Sapling Cost | Fruit Price | Days Producing | Total Gross/Year | Daily Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ Peach | Summer | 6,000g | 140g | 28 | 3,920g | -74.29g/day |
| ๐ Pomegranate | Fall | 6,000g | 140g | 28 | 3,920g | -74.29g/day |
| ๐ Orange | Summer | 4,000g | 100g | 28 | 2,800g | -42.86g/day |
| ๐ Cherry | Spring | 3,400g | 80g | 28 | 2,240g | -41.43g/day |
| ๐ Apricot | Spring | 2,000g | 50g | 28 | 1,400g | -21.43g/day |
| ๐ Apple | Fall | 4,000g | 100g | 28 | 2,800g | -42.86g/day |
"Daily Profit" is negative because fruit trees require a full year to pay back their sapling cost. They're an investment, not short-term profit. The real value comes from Keg processing + long-term Iridium quality scaling.
Year-by-Year Profit (Outdoors, Single Tree)
| Tree | Year 1 | Year 2 (Silver) | Year 3 (Gold) | Year 4+ (Iridium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach | -2,080g | +2,080g | +4,184g | +7,000g |
| Pomegranate | -2,080g | +2,080g | +4,184g | +7,000g |
| Orange | -1,200g | +1,200g | +2,600g | +4,480g |
| Cherry | -1,160g | +1,160g | +2,360g | +3,920g |
| Apricot | -600g | +600g | +1,400g | +2,520g |
| Apple | -1,200g | +1,200g | +2,600g | +4,480g |
Key Insight: A Peach tree doesn't break even until Year 3 outdoors. But in the Greenhouse, it breaks even in Year 1 (112 days ร 140g = 15,680g gross, net +9,680g).
๐ชฃ Processed Fruit Value
Fruit tree fruits can be processed in Kegs or Preserves Jars for significantly more value.
Keg (Wine) โ 7 Days Processing
| Fruit | Base Price | Wine Price | Artisan Wine | Markup | Daily Profit (Processing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach ๐ | 140g | 420g | 588g | 4.2ร | 84g/day/tree |
| Pomegranate ๐ | 140g | 420g | 588g | 4.2ร | 84g/day/tree |
| Orange ๐ | 100g | 300g | 420g | 4.2ร | 60g/day/tree |
| Cherry ๐ | 80g | 240g | 336g | 4.2ร | 48g/day/tree |
| Apple ๐ | 100g | 300g | 420g | 4.2ร | 60g/day/tree |
| Apricot ๐ | 50g | 150g | 210g | 4.2ร | 30g/day/tree |
Preserves Jar (Jelly) โ 2.5 Days Processing
| Fruit | Base Price | Jelly Price | Artisan Jelly | Markup | Daily Profit (Processing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach ๐ | 140g | 315g | 441g | 3.15ร | 176g/day/tree |
| Pomegranate ๐ | 140g | 315g | 441g | 3.15ร | 176g/day/tree |
| Orange ๐ | 100g | 235g | 329g | 3.29ร | 132g/day/tree |
| Cherry ๐ | 80g | 195g | 273g | 3.41ร | 109g/day/tree |
| Apple ๐ | 100g | 235g | 329g | 3.29ร | 132g/day/tree |
| Apricot ๐ | 50g | 135g | 189g | 3.78ร | 76g/day/tree |
Keg vs. Jar for Fruit Trees
| Fruit | Keg Wine (Artisan) | Jar Jelly (Artisan) | Best Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peach | 588g (7 days) | 441g (2.5 days) | Jar โ faster throughput, only 25% less per item |
| Pomegranate | 588g (7 days) | 441g (2.5 days) | Jar |
| Orange | 420g (7 days) | 329g (2.5 days) | Jar |
| Cherry | 336g (7 days) | 273g (2.5 days) | Jar |
| Apple | 420g (7 days) | 329g (2.5 days) | Jar |
| Apricot | 210g (7 days) | 189g (2.5 days) | Jar |
Tip: Unlike Starfruit and ancient crops, fruit tree fruits should go in Preserves Jars, not Kegs. The production speed of Jars (2.5 days vs 7 days for Kegs) means you process 2.8ร more fruit per machine per season. With Artisan, Jar jelly is only ~25% less per item, but you process nearly 3ร the volume.
๐งฎ Payback Period Analysis
| Tree | Sapling | Outdoors Payback (Raw) | Outdoors (Wine) | Greenhouse (Wine) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot ๐ | 2,000g | Year 3 (1.4yr base) | Year 1 | ~3 months |
| Cherry ๐ | 3,400g | Year 4 (1.5yr base) | Year 2 | ~5 months |
| Orange ๐ | 4,000g | Year 4 (1.4yr base) | Year 2 | ~5 months |
| Peach ๐ | 6,000g | Year 4 (1.5yr base) | Year 3 | ~6 months |
| Apple ๐ | 4,000g | Year 4 (1.4yr base) | Year 2 | ~5 months |
| Pomegranate ๐ | 6,000g | Year 4 (1.5yr base) | Year 3 | ~6 months |
Apricot is the fastest-paying fruit tree โ lowest sapling cost (2,000g), payback in ~1.4 years outdoors with raw sales, or 3 months in the Greenhouse.
๐ Greenhouse Orchard Layout
Optimal 16-Tree Layout
The greenhouse interior has a tillable soil area plus a border of non-tillable tiles around the edge. Fruit trees can be planted on the non-tillable border tiles (stone/wood flooring) โ this is the standard greenhouse orchard setup.
+---------------------------------------+
| ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ | โ Trees on border
| ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ | โ Trees on border
| ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ | โ Crops in center
| ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ |
| ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ ๐พ |
| ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ | โ Trees on border
| ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ | โ Trees on border
+---------------------------------------+
16 trees = 2 of each fruit type = 16 fruit/day = 11,200g/day (base price, with Artisan Jelly โ ~4,400g/day processing profit).
Tip: The greenhouse border fits exactly 18 trees (9 on each long side). Plant 2 of each fruit type plus 6 extras of the highest-value fruits (Peach, Pomegranate). Leave the center 10ร12 tiles for Starfruit or Ancient Fruit.
๐ Seasonal Fruit Tree Planting Calendar
Plant trees 28 days before their season starts so they mature exactly in time.
| Tree | Buy Seeds | Plant By | Harvest Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot ๐ | Spring Y1 | Spring 1 | Spring |
| Cherry ๐ | Spring Y1 | Spring 1 | Spring |
| Orange ๐ | Summer Y1 | Summer 1 | Summer |
| Peach ๐ | Summer Y1 | Summer 1 | Summer |
| Apple ๐ | Fall Y1 | Fall 1 | Fall |
| Pomegranate ๐ | Fall Y1 | Fall 1 | Fall |
Year 1 Priority
- Greenhouse trees: Plant 1 of each type as soon as you unlock the Greenhouse (mid-to-late Y1)
- Outdoor trees: Only if you have spare cash after upgrading tools/barn/coop
- Apricot and Cherry go in Spring โ early, cheap
- Peach and Pomegranate are expensive โ save these for Greenhouse
Tip: Don't plant fruit trees outdoors in Year 1 unless you have surplus cash. The Greenhouse is where fruit trees earn their keep. Focus on getting the Greenhouse repaired first, then plant trees inside.
๐ Best Fruit Trees Ranked
| Rank | Tree | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ฅ | Peach ๐ | Highest fruit sell price (140g), loved by Robin, great in Greenhouse |
| ๐ฅ | Pomegranate ๐ | Same 140g fruit, loved by Elliott, also top-tier |
| ๐ฅ | Orange ๐ | 100g fruit, loved by Gus, solid mid-tier |
| ๐ฅ | Apple ๐ | 100g fruit, needed for Fodder bundle (3 Apples), loved by Kent |
| ๐ฅ | Cherry ๐ | 80g fruit, loved by some villagers, cheap sapling |
| ๐ฅ | Apricot ๐ | 50g fruit but cheapest sapling (2,000g), fastest payback |
Gifting Value
Fruit tree fruits make excellent universal liked gifts (most NPCs like or love at least one):
| NPC | Loved Fruit Tree Gift |
|---|---|
| Robin | Peach ๐ |
| Elliott | Pomegranate ๐ |
| Gus | Orange ๐ |
| Kent | Apple (surprisingly โ fried food) |
| Evelyn | Tulip (crop, not tree) โ but all fruits are liked |
Tip: Keep a chest near your fruit trees with one of each fruit type for gifting. A single Peach given to Robin on her birthday (Fall 21) gives 640 friendship points โ worth more than the 140g sale price.
โก Ginger Island Fruit Tree Farm
On Ginger Island, fruit trees produce year-round with no winter downtime. This is the optimal location for a mass orchard:
| Setup | Trees | Daily Fruit | Daily Profit (Raw) | Daily Profit (Jelly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 4 (2 Peach + 2 Pomegranate) | 4 | 560g | 1,764g (Jelly, Artisan) |
| Medium | 12 (2 of each) | 12 | 1,440g | 3,528g (Jelly, Artisan) |
| Large | 24 (4 of each) | 24 | 2,880g | 7,056g (Jelly, Artisan) |
| Massive | 48 (8 of each) | 48 | 5,760g | 14,112g (Jelly, Artisan) |
Ginger Island orchard strategy: Plant 2-4 of each fruit tree on the island farm's non-tillable soil. With Iridium quality after 4 years, each fruit sells for 280g raw โ a 48-tree orchard generates 13,440g/day completely passively.
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