South Florida’s subtropical climate makes it an ideal location for building a home orchard. Not only is this beneficial for the environment, but it also makes for a fun and rewarding endeavor. Drawing from my own experience, I would like to propose a selection of the best fruit trees to grow in South Florida.

With South Florida falling into the growth zones 10a and 10b, it becomes possible to cultivate numerous unique tropical fruit trees. These trees are easy to grow, bear delicious fruits, and often produce varieties not commonly found in grocery stores. This can add an element of novelty to your garden and offer a source of pride as you share your bounty and experiences with friends and coworkers.

Embarking on this journey, the first hurdle you’ll face is selecting the right fruit trees. With so many varieties, some of which you may not have even heard of, this task can be daunting. Any misstep at this stage could take months or even years to rectify. In this article, drawing on my personal experiences, I will guide you on how to select the right fruit trees and reap the benefits for years to come.

Features of an Ideal Tropical Fruit Tree

Let’s first discuss the desirable traits of an ideal tropical fruit tree for a South Florida home orchard:

Tasty

The fruits must be enjoyable to eat. It’s best to sample the fruits before planting or to watch video reviews of the fruit’s taste. While individual tastes may vary, consensus is often a reliable indicator of good flavor.

Pest/disease resistant

Opt for trees that thrive in neglect or require minimal care, which means you won’t need to frequently apply pesticides or fungicides.

Manageable Size (Dwarf preferred)

Due to limited space, you’ll want to avoid a large tree with an extensive canopy. Large trees not only make harvesting difficult, but their falling fruits can create a mess. Moreover, a diseased large tree is difficult to treat or prune.

Aesthetically Pleasing (Evergreen preferred)

The trees should add to your home’s landscape aesthetics. In South Florida, you have the option to plant numerous evergreen fruit trees, which boast dense, shiny green leaves and beautiful flowers. They can be pruned into vase or ball shapes to enhance their appeal.

Precocious

Trees that bear fruits soon after planting are highly desired. By choosing the right variety and starting size, some trees can bear fruits within the first one or two years. This will motivate you to continue your gardening efforts, while waiting for other trees to produce a substantial crop after two or three years.

Unique (Not commonly found in local grocery stores)

Growing fruits that aren’t readily available in stores can be especially rewarding. If you can buy a fruit for $2 to $3 a pound, why bother growing it? Grow the unique ones instead, especially those not commonly available or sold online for high prices. Furthermore, some unique fruits offer a much better flavor than the ones we consume on a daily basis.

Produces multiple crops every year

Having a tree that bears fruits multiple times a year is an obvious benefit. More fruit, less waiting.

While it’s hard to find tropical fruit trees that meet all seven criteria, several do exist. There are also many that come very close to meeting all the criteria. Let’s now explore some of my favorite varieties, categorized into four tiers, ranging from “Must Grow” to “Challenging but Rewarding.”

Tier one (Must grow):

Star Fruit Tree (Carambola)

Star Fruit Tree is one of the best fruit trees to grow in South Florida. And the Bell variety of the star fruit tree is my top choice. It checks all the boxes. Many star fruit varieties have some kind of astringent taste, but the Bell variety has zero of it. 

It has a dense and bushy canopy with dark green, glossy leaves, providing an attractive backdrop for its striking fruit. 

The Bell carambola fruit is medium to large in size, bell-shaped, and elongated, with five prominent ridges. The smooth and waxy skin turns vibrant yellow when ripe, emitting a pleasant citrus-like aroma. 

It typically produces two to three crops per year, offering multiple fruiting periods. The fruit also has a delightful balance of sweet and tart flavors, with a juicy, crisp texture. Its low acidity makes it a favorite for those who prefer milder fruits. 

Star fruit is a low-sugar fruit, making it a top choice for those seeking a healthy and nutritious option.

Additionally, star fruit flowers are edible and possess a delicate fragrance and subtle sweetness, which can add a unique flavor to culinary creations.

Mango Tree

The mango tree is beloved for its low maintenance and delicious fruits. With its lush foliage and wide canopy of dark green leaves, it adds beauty to any garden. Ripe mangoes offer a succulent and sweet flavor with hints of citrus and tropical undertones. When selecting a mango tree, choose the variety which is grafted, dwarf, and produces fiberless fruits. This ensures suitability for smaller spaces, improved fruit quality, and the ability to bear fruit within a shorter time. Mango trees grown from seeds often result in inferior fruit quality and a long wait for fruiting. The mango tree is a popular choice due to its visual appeal and delectable fruits.

Jamaican Cherry Tree

The Jamaican cherry tree is a fast-growing evergreen tree with a spreading, open canopy and dark green, oval-shaped leaves. It is highly resistant to pests and diseases and bears fruits throughout the year. The small, round fruits resemble cherries and have a cotton candy-like taste. When fully ripe, they range in color from pink to bright red, adding visual appeal to the tree. The Jamaican cherry tree is versatile, offering both ornamental value and delicious fruit. Its fast growth and adaptability make it a sought-after addition to gardens and landscapes.

Sugar Apple Tree

The sugar apple tree is a small, semi-evergreen tree that is easy to grow in tropical and subtropical regions. It is known for bearing fruit two to three times per year. The ripe sugar apple fruit has green or purple skin with a scaly or bumpy texture, making it eye-catching. I have both of them and in my personal opinion, the purple one tastes sweeter than the green one, which is slightly more creamy. The creamy white flesh is divided into segments, each containing a shiny black seed. The taste is a combination of tropical flavors like pineapple, banana, and strawberry, with a custard-like texture. The sugar apple tree is low-maintenance and highly productive, making it a favorite among fruit growers.

Atemoya Tree

Atemoya is a hybrid fruit resulting from a cross between the sugar apple and the cherimoya. It is larger than a sugar apple and has fewer seeds. The Lisa and Geffner varieties are popular choices. Lisa requires hand pollination and produces creamy fruits with a taste close to the purple sugar apple. Geffner is self-pollinated and bears more chewy fruits resembling the green sugar apple. Atemoya trees typically bear fruit once or twice a year, mainly in late summer or early fall, with a possible smaller crop in spring. The taste of atemoya fruit is sweet and slightly tart, with flavors reminiscent of banana, pineapple, and coconut. It has a creamy texture, similar to custard.

Everbearing Mulberry Tree

The everbearing mulberry tree features a bushy canopy with glossy, dark green leaves. It reaches heights of 20 to 30 feet and spreads 15 to 25 feet wide. Resistant to pests and diseases, it requires minimal upkeep. The tree yields sweet, juicy mulberries, reminiscent of a blend of blackberry and raspberry flavors. It produces two main crops in late spring/early summer and late summer/fall, with intermittent smaller harvests in between. While some mulberry trees thrive abundantly in South Florida, selecting a dwarf or medium-sized variety is recommended for manageable size and easy maintenance. However, dwarf varieties may have small fruit sizes. Thankfully, other cultivars exist that offer manageable tree size while producing larger, flavorful fruits. The Issai variety, for instance, grows like a bush and bears ample, delectable fruits.

Sapodilla Tree

The sapodilla tree is an evergreen tree with a dense, rounded canopy, adding charm to your landscape. It features glossy, elliptical, dark green leaves. With its low maintenance requirements, the sapodilla tree is easy to grow in tropical and subtropical regions. It is known for bearing fruit throughout the year. The ripe sapodilla fruit has a sweet, caramel-like flavor with hints of pear and brown sugar. The flesh is creamy and may have a slightly grainy texture, similar to a pear. In South Florida, sapodilla trees have the potential to bear flowers and fruits consistently. There are different varieties available, with Alano being one of the most common. It produces medium to large fruit with a sweet and rich flavor, accompanied by grainy, brown flesh. Another option is the dwarf variety called Silas Wood, which is precocious and heavy-bearing, offering smooth-textured fruit.

Passion Fruit Vine

The passion fruit vine is characterized by sprawling vines with deep green, glossy leaves and exquisite flowers that come in various colors like purple, red, or yellow. The fruit of the passion vine has a delightful tropical taste, balancing sweetness and tanginess with a subtle floral aroma. Passion fruit vines can yield multiple crops throughout the year, usually ranging from two to four harvests. While they require some care, including proper support and regular watering, passion fruit vines are generally easy to grow, making them popular among gardeners. Purple and yellow passion fruit are two common varieties, each with distinct characteristics. Purple passion fruit has a deep purple skin, tangy-sweet flavor, and juicy aromatic pulp. Yellow passion fruit has a smooth yellow skin, sour taste, and refreshing tangy flesh. Both varieties are prized for their unique flavors and are often used in juices, desserts, and culinary creations. Passion fruits can be used as a substitute or complement to lemon in some recipes, especially in drinks.

Tier 2 (Highly Recommended):

Fig Tree

Fig trees in South Florida are characterized by their irregular form with gnarled branches and large, deeply lobed green leaves. The fruits are sweet and rich, having a jelly-like texture and varying in color from light green to purple-black depending on the variety. They produce two crops a year, a smaller one in spring and a larger one in late summer to early fall. These trees are relatively easy to grow in well-drained soils and full sun, tolerating a range of soil types and pH. Fig trees can fruit at a very young age. Even after only a few months from cutting. They’re very precocious, but not every variety is. There is a huge diversity.

Green Sapote Tree

Green Sapote trees are evergreen and usually reach around 40 feet in height, with dark green glossy leaves. Their fruit is custard-like and sweet, with a flavor that is often compared to pumpkin pie. Typically, these trees bear fruit once a year, usually in winter. Green sapote trees are relatively easy to grow in South Florida. They are well-suited to the tropical and subtropical climate, adapting well to the region’s warm temperatures, high humidity, and ample rainfall. With the right care, they can thrive and produce an abundant harvest of delicious fruit. Green sapote is a better choice than the more known Mamey sapote. It tastes better, takes much shorter time from flower to fruit, and tends to be more resistant to diseases and pests, requiring less maintenance and care.

Egg Fruit Tree (Canistel)

Egg Fruit trees are small to medium-sized, generally reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet. They produce one main crop per year, generally in the late fall or winter. The tree is known for its resilience and adaptability, requiring minimal maintenance once established. They have long, glossy green leaves and their fruit is sweet, with a texture similar to a hard-boiled egg yolk. My wife loves it and describes the flavor as a mix of both Avocado and Sweet Potato. She likes to use egg fruit to make smoothies or ice cream and my daughters love the creamy texture, sweet and delicious flavor.

White Sapote Tree

White Sapote trees are large, reaching up to 25-30 feet in height, and bear fruit with a custard-like texture that’s sweet and creamy. It is often compared to a blend of vanilla, pear, and citrus. It is highly regarded for its delicious taste and can be enjoyed fresh or incorporated into various culinary creations. They generally produce crops twice a year. White sapote is an easy-to-grow fruit tree in South Florida, known for its resilience and low susceptibility to major pests. This makes it a convenient choice for gardeners who prefer a low-maintenance tree.

Taiwan Thornless Green Jujube Tree

This jujube variant is a medium-sized tree, growing up to 20 feet, with shiny, bright green leaves. Its fruit is crisp, sweet, and slightly tart, resembling an apple in flavor. They typically produce a single crop annually in late summer or early fall. These trees are fairly easy to grow, tolerating a range of soils and drought conditions. these trees are vary precocious. Some small one gallon trees can fruit within a few monts.

Tier 3 (Some Extra Work):

Dragon Fruit Plant (Pitaya)

Dragon Fruit plants are actually cacti that grow in sprawling, fleshy stems. They are usually trained up a post or trellis to support their growth. The fruit is very sweet without tartness. The plant typically produces fruit once or twice a year, generally in the summer or early fall. Dragon fruit plants are relatively easy to grow in South Florida, requiring well-drained soils with plenty of sunlight. These plants have a fast growth rate, and they are relatively precocious, often bearing fruit in the first or second year after planting. ragon fruit flowers are not only beautiful but also edible. My wife cooks it in various ways, including sautéing, adding to salads, or using as a garnish.

Loquat Tree

The Loquat tree is an evergreen tree that typically grows to about 20-30 feet high in South Florida, with glossy, dark green leaves. The fruit tastes similar to a blend of peaches, citrus and mild mango and has a sweet-tart flavor. They typically bear one major crop per year in late winter to early spring. Loquat flowers are small, fragrant blossoms. They have a sweet, delicate aroma and are often creamy white or pale yellow in color. Loquat trees are relatively easy to grow, tolerating a variety of soils, and require full to partial sun. However Loquat fruits are prone to fruit fly infestation and require protection measures. The growth rate of Loquat trees is moderate, and they are relatively precocious, often bearing fruit 2-3 years after planting.

Wax Jambu Tree

Wax Jambu trees grow up to 30-40 feet tall with a spreading canopy. The fruit is crisp and juicy with a slightly sweet, subtly fragrant taste, often consumed fresh or used in salads. Thai or Taiwan wax jambu is known for its superior quality and sweeter taste compared to other varieties. Wax Jambu trees can produce several crops per year, typically in the summer and fall. These trees are relatively easy to grow, preferring well-drained soils and full sun. Wax jambu fruits are unfortunately susceptible to fruit fly attacks. It is crucial to employ preventive strategies, such as employing traps or organic insecticides, to safeguard the wax jambu fruits from fruit fly infestations. Wax Jambu trees have a fast growth rate and are somewhat precocious, often starting to bear fruit 2-4 years after planting.

Wampee Tree

Wampee trees are small to medium-sized, usually reaching heights of 10-20 feet. The leaves are evergreen, and the fruits are yellowish, grape-like, with a sweet-tart taste. The leaves look, smell, and taste somewhat similar to leaves of the curry tree and can be used in cooking and herbal remedies. They are generally low-maintenance and can flourish with minimal care. With their attractive foliage and delicious fruit, wampee trees make a rewarding addition to South Florida gardens.

Tier 4 (Challenging but rewarding):

Lychee Tree

Lychee trees have a medium to large size, growing 20-40 feet tall with a dense, rounded canopy of glossy, green leaves. The fruit is round to oval in shape, with a tough, bumpy, and brightly colored outer shell that turns pink-red to strawberry red. The translucent white flesh is juicy, somewhat gelatinous, and has a uniquely sweet flavor with hints of pear, grape, and watermelon, along with a slight floral undertone. Lychee trees can be challenging to grow in South Florida due to their sensitivity to climate, requiring cool winters for flowering. Overwatering or poor soil drainage can lead to root rot, while underwatering can stress the tree. Pests like beetles, aphids, mites, and lychee web caterpillars, as well as diseases like anthracnose, can affect the trees. Additionally, lychee trees often bear fruit irregularly and require regular pruning and fertilization, making them more demanding to care for.

Longan Tree

Longan trees can grow up to 30-40 feet tall with a spreading, evergreen canopy. The fruit is similar to lychee but sweeter, enclosed in a thin, brown shell. Longan trees are generally considered easier to grow than lychee in South Florida, as they have better climate tolerance, more consistent fruit bearing, and improved resistance to common pests. However, growing longan in South Florida can still be challenging due to its sensitivity to climate, needing both chilling hours for flower development and protection from frost. Pests and diseases, including beetles, scales, mealybugs, birds, anthracnose, and root rot, can affect longan trees. The trees also have specific soil and nutrient requirements and can suffer from improper watering, either too much leading to poor drainage or too little causing stress on the tree.

FAQ:

– What are the most tasty tropical fruits grown in South Florida?

South Florida grows a variety of delicious tropical fruits. Lychee and Longan offer sweet, floral flavors. Loquats present a tangy sweetness, while Mangoes are rich and juicy. Sugar Apples, Soursops, and Atemoyas share a creamy, custard-like sweetness. Mulberries are mildly tart, and Sapodillas provide a brown sugar sweetness. Passion Fruits are tart and often used in desserts, while Canistels are sweet and custard-like. White Sapote, Mamey Sapote, and Green Sapote each bring their unique, creamy sweetness. Lastly, Dragon Fruit delivers a mild sweetness with a texture akin to kiwi.

– What time of year is best to plant fruit trees in South Florida?

In South Florida’s tropical climate, fruit trees can be planted almost year-round, though it’s best to avoid cooler months from December to March. Once planted, trees should be watered daily for the first few months, especially on dry or windy days. Different trees have specific needs, so check individual guidelines. Though spring and fall are most favorable, the climate permits a wider planting window.

– What are the quickest trees to bear fruit in South Florida?

South Florida boasts a selection of trees known for their speedy fruit production. The Star Fruit, Jamaican Cherry, Sugar Apple, Atemoya, Everbearing Mulberry, Sapodilla, Passion Fruit, Fig, and Taiwan Thornless Green Jujube trees are among the quickest to bear fruit. From the tangy star-shaped fruit of the Star Fruit Tree to the sweet cherries of the Jamaican Cherry Tree, these trees offer swift and satisfying harvests for fruit enthusiasts in the region.

– What are the easiest fruit trees to grow in South Florida?

In South Florida, several fruit trees thrive with minimal maintenance. These include the Mango and Star Fruit trees, known for their flavorful fruits, and the Jamaican Cherry Tree, which requires little care. The Sugar Apple and Atemoya trees adapt well to South Florida’s climate and offer sweet, custard-like fruits. The Everbearing Mulberry and Sapodilla trees, along with the Passion Fruit Vine, are also easy to grow and yield delicious fruits. Similarly, Fig, Canistel, White Sapote, Mamey Sapote, and Jackfruit trees are straightforward to maintain, each producing their unique tropical fruits.

Conclusion:

South Florida’s climate serves as an ideal habitat for unique tropical fruit trees that are both delightful to the palate and a treat to the eyes. This article helps you to learn the best tropical fruit trees you can grow successfully in your own backyard. As an novice grower, it’s essential to embrace the process, immerse yourself in the art of cultivation, and you’ll find great satisfaction in the fruits of your labor, quite literally! With proper planning, and a dash of passion, your South Florida garden can transform into a tropical paradise bearing delectable fruits that you’ve never thought of before.