As a general rule, a plant will attract predatory insects if it has shallow flowers, so that access to nectar and pollen doesn't require long, specialized mouthparts. These plants often do well in poor soils. Sometimes, especially in highly cultivated plants such as the apple, a species will have so many different varieties that relatively few properties apply universally. If no preference is given, the plant probably does best with a pH around 6.5. Common afflictions which usually can't be ignored when they occur.
Parentheses indicate borderline regions or regions acceptable only to a few varieties.
If a particular cultivar is best suited for a range of zones different from the standard for that species, the discrepancy is noted in the cultivar descriptions, and the ideal zones for the variety are given in brackets. I limited this database to plants which are hardy in at least 3 USDA zones. However, black is not white and war still isn't peace. Popular trees, such as apples and pears, are often grafted onto dwarfing rootstock. Except for the almond, nuts do not come in dwarf varieties.