Before you buy a fruit tree, you need to learn about rootstocks – they're the key to finding a tree that thrives in your garden

Pink plums growing on plum tree.

If you’ve ever shopped for a fruit tree, you might have noticed the term ‘rootstock’ floating around – but what are rootstocks, exactly?

Well, it’s about time we demystified them, because they’re really important when it comes to choosing bare-root trees and container-grown trees. Rootstocks control the ultimate size of a tree and how much fruit it produces every year, among other things.