First is that the fruits we usually eat- like apples, peaches, and pears, all require very careful pruning and pest managament. If pests aren’t controlled, blight spreads rapidly, killing trees and potentially infecting orchards nearby.

Persimmons, pawpaws, and mulberries are great zero maintence fruits for the Eastern US. But not many people recognize these as food, much less eat them regularly.

Another thing I’ve learned from stocking my yard with food is that wildlife is more than willing to take the entire harvest. A city full of fruit trees will have plentiful birds, but also many rats and raccoons. It is best to plant fruit under a watchful eye, rather than in public space. It would be a crime for a person to dump a truckload of fruit on the ground where rats could get it; we shouldn’t encourage trees to do it either.