Fruit, Berries & Nuts
4,243 US plant patents cover fruit, berries & nuts, across 21 genera. 1,588 of them (37%) have already expired — those plants are in the public domain and anyone may propagate and sell them.
Genera in this group
| Genus | Patents | Free to propagate | Next to expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prunus | 1,494 | 766 | October 10, 2026 |
| Fragaria | 587 | 192 | October 10, 2026 |
| Malus | 510 | 231 | September 15, 2026 |
| Vitis | 437 | 103 | November 14, 2026 |
| Vaccinium | 362 | 32 | September 26, 2026 |
| Rubus | 315 | 78 | November 15, 2026 |
| Citrus | 124 | 28 | March 27, 2027 |
| Pyrus | 71 | 44 | August 22, 2027 |
| Actinidia | 55 | 8 | December 21, 2027 |
| Juglans | 45 | 37 | August 28, 2027 |
| Persea | 42 | 20 | October 28, 2028 |
| Olea | 37 | 8 | February 27, 2027 |
| Pistacia | 28 | 11 | December 4, 2033 |
| Mangifera | 22 | 6 | November 18, 2028 |
| Musa | 21 | 3 | March 3, 2028 |
| Ananas | 20 | 6 | June 26, 2028 |
| Carya | 19 | 4 | July 23, 2028 |
| Corylus | 19 | 1 | April 16, 2028 |
| Punica | 13 | 5 | September 4, 2028 |
| Ribes | 13 | 4 | October 27, 2031 |
| Castanea | 9 | 1 | January 30, 2028 |
Coming off patent next
- MalusSeptember 15, 2026
- VacciniumSeptember 26, 2026
- FragariaOctober 10, 2026
- PrunusOctober 10, 2026
- VitisNovember 14, 2026
- RubusNovember 15, 2026
- OleaFebruary 27, 2027
- CitrusMarch 27, 2027
- PyrusAugust 22, 2027
- JuglansAugust 28, 2027
This grouping is ours, not the USPTO’s. A plant patent records a botanical genus; it never says “fruit, berry or nut”. We group genus by genus, which means the grouping is only as good as that judgement — and a genus that spans two kinds appears under both. For the precise answer, use genus.
A patent expiring frees the plant, not the name. The cultivar name is always safe to use; a trade name may still be a live trademark. See what you may call it.