Tropical Fruits that Grow in Florida

Everyone knows that Florida is a great place for growing oranges and citrus, but so many other delicious and nutritious tropical and temperate fruits grow in this climate as well. Choosing the right variety is key for success, as well as following the correct cultural practices. Follow these recommendations from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) for a veritable orchard of fresh tropical fruits, right in the backyard.

Non-Citrus Tropical Fruits Grown in Florida

Of course, any citrus will grow well in all areas of Florida. This includes oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes. The following trees are tropical in nature and therefore susceptible to cold injury. They are best planted in South Florida, but some can survive and thrive in the Central Florida counties as well.

Avocado. Guatemalan and Mexican varieties are more freeze-tolerant than West Indian varieties.

Atemoya. This tree produces a light green, cone-shaped fruit with a sweet, white custard-like pulp. It can be used fresh in ice-cream or milkshakes.

Banana. Bananas are a plant rather than a true tree. The banana plant dies after fruiting (in 1-2 years), but puts out suckers. ‚”Sword” suckers (the pointed ones) should be used for propagating new banana plants. Bananas love fertilizer and water. There are many varieties of banana; Cavendish is the typical grocery-store variety. Blue Java or Ice Cream cultivars do well in Florida.

Barbados Cherry. A little more tart than the typical cherry, this cultivar produces a bushy shrub with lovely pale pink flowers. It is very susceptible to cold injury, so be sure to wrap the trunk if planted in Central Florida.

Black Sapote. This persimmon looks like a large, green tomato. It is sometimes called the “chocolate pudding tree”, as many people find its sweet, mild flavor to be like chocolate.

Carambola (Starfruit). Carambola bears abundantly over most of the year. Plant the Bell, Kary, Arkin, Fwang Tung or Hart cultivars. Pick fruit when a gold color starts to appear in the ribs.

Coconut. Choose cultivars that are resistant to ‚”lethal yellowing,” including the Malayan Dwarf, Maypan, and Fiji Dwarf. The Jamaican Tall and Panama Tall are very susceptible. Coconut palms should not be planted where people congregate as nuts can fall without warning and deliver a serious injury.

Cherimoya (Sugar Apple). This sweet, custardy fruit consisting of pale segments loosely held together grows well on the southeastern coasts of Lake Okeechobee and protected parts southward. Dark seeds are embedded in the fruit segments.

Guava. Cross-pollination by insects improves the yields of this round or pear-shaped fruit. Bag fruits as they ripen to protect them from the Caribbean fruit fly.

This list covers just about half of the tropical fruits that can be grown in the Sunshine State. Visit additional Suite articles for more Florida-friendly tropical fruit trees as well as temperate fruits for Florida such as peaches, blueberries and strawberries. A number of vegetables also thrive most months of the year in a Florida home garden. For details on growing specific plants in a particular part of Florida, visit the University of Florida’s IFAS or contact a local IFAS Extension office.