Even though I've been trying my best to limit shrub and tree purchases for things that can generate income for myself like 'Annabelle' hydrangea for cutting blossoms throughout the summer for a local florist, I keep pining for fruit and or nut trees. I have a blueberry bush that I recently rejuvenated and it's provided a nice assortment of berries but not bowls, more like a handfull each visit.

Any suggestions of heavy producing smaller trees and or bushes for Maryland that are low care and still rather ornamental that I could incorporate into my homestead plan? I sell cut flowers and heirloom tomatoes from our 50 ft by 50 ft garden and I'd like the fruit trees to help contribute to that.

I was thinking perhaps persimmons, the native ones are much too large a plant for what I'm looking for, and the oriental ones I hear can get hard winter damage sometimes, so I thought the interspecies cross might be a good way to go. I saw a very very handsome plant of 'Nikita's Gift' at a local nursery that even had some forming fruit for a rather good price.

How's that one? Any that are better?

I was thinking possibly elderberries, though I don't know what they taste like, and I'd probably have to make syrup or cordial.

As much as I love peaches, apples and other members of the rose family around here we have way too many cedar so cedar apple rust is common. We used to have lots of old apple trees on our property and they all finally died due to fireblight and cedar apple rust. Any older apple varieties that stand up to all those pests/diseases better than most? I love winesap.

Any suggestions that would be low care/relatively no spray would be really appreciated, I'd like to quiet this fruit itch. I'm willing to do a copper spray once and a while if necessary, but I'd rather not have to spray all sorts of stuff on the trees.