6 Best Fruit Trees To Grow In Florida (With Pictures)
- Codee Chessher
- Last updated:
Florida is famous for its warm climate, but many people don’t realize that it sees some chillingly low temperatures across its panhandle. As a result, Florida supports a wide range of fruit trees in various areas. Although most people think of oranges, plenty of other fruits grow there, too.
The most crucial aspect of fruit trees is chill hours, which are hours when the temperature is between 32° and 45° Fahrenheit. In Florida, those are pretty scarce in the South Miami area, while Tampa to Daytona enjoy a subtropical climate. The panhandle is fairly temperate, by contrast.
The 6 Best Fruit Trees To Grow In Florida
1. Orange
Annual Chill Hours | None |
Season | Winter to spring |
Soil Type | Loamy, pH 5.0 to 6.5 |
Unlike many other trees, orange trees don’t require chill hours to produce fruit. This makes them perfect all across Florida, but they may need some cold protection in the panhandle. The average orange tree can grow up to 15 feet, so they definitely need some space.
Orange trees prefer well-drained acidic soil and as much sun as you can give them, which is usually at least 6 hours a day. Eight or more hours isn’t unusual in Florida’s signature sunshine.
2. Banana
Annual Chill Hours | None |
Season | Year-Round |
Soil Type | Rocky, pH 5.5-6.5 |
Bananas are beautiful trees that produce fruit year-round, which is why you can always find bananas at the grocery store or local farmer’s market. Because of their abundant foliage, banana trees demand lots of water and soil nutrients. Thankfully, Florida has that covered with its countless summer rainstorms.
Banana trees don’t tolerate the cold very well, so you should plant them in Central or Southern Florida so they can flourish. Once established, bananas can produce fruit all 12 months of the year. Add one of these to your yard for a much-needed tropical flourish, not to mention a great source of healthy snacks!
3. Apple
Annual Chill Hours | 300-600 |
Season | Fall |
Soil Type | Sandy loam, pH 5.8-7.0 |
Apples are a tricky inclusion on this list because most varieties don’t grow in Florida due to the fact that they require a lot of chill hours to bear fruit. In recent years, though, there are plenty of low chill apple variants that are suitable for areas of Northern Florida. Anna is the most popular apple tree grown in Florida.
In order to bear fruit, you must have two apple trees of different types. Once they begin bearing fruit, though, you’ll have more than enough for the whole family and more.
4. Peach
Annual Chill Hours | 300-500 |
Season | Late summer to early fall |
Soil Type | Loamy, pH 6.5-7.0 |
Peaches historically didn’t grow much in Florida, but that’s changing. Low-chill peaches do very well throughout northern and central Florida, but unfortunately, South Florida can’t grow them because it simply doesn’t get cold enough. Another issue they face is the threat of root rot from stagnant water after hurricanes.
With that said, peaches thrive as far south as Fort Myers. As long as they have well-drained, loamy soil and full sun, you’ll have peaches for many years to come. Florida Crest is the most popular type of peach grown in Florida.
5. Lemon
Annual Chill Hours | None |
Season | Year-round |
Soil Type | Loamy, pH 5.0 to 6.5 |
Unlike other types of citrus like oranges, lemons don’t do well in tropical conditions, and actually need a lot of chill time to bear fruit. For these reasons, lemon trees are best grown in north Florida. Meyer lemons are one of the most popular types of lemons grown in the Sunshine State and are known for their large fruit.
Lemon trees have a very hard time in Florida because they don’t tolerate stagnant water very well. When hurricane season comes around, it’s absolutely vital that any lemon trees have well-drained soil.
6. Avocado
Annual Chill Hours | None |
Season | Winter to spring |
Soil Type | Sandy loam, pH 5.0-7.0 |
Avocados love Florida’s subtropical and tropical areas, but new cold-tolerant types are viable in the panhandle too. Florida avocados have a milder flavor than Mexican or Californian avocados, which is due to their lower fat content. Florida avocados are the only type of avocado that is bright green, which is how you can tell them apart.
Avocado trees will grow up to 60 feet if left unchecked, so they’ll need regular pruning to stop them from getting out of control. You still need to pick the fruit, remember? Also, avocados ripen about 4 days after you pick them.
Featured Image Credit: images72, Shutterstock
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