If you’re like me, you probably hate re-doing stuff.
Knocking out a new project? Trying my hardest to do it right the first time. Need to order something online? I’m scouring the internet, making sure to buy exactly what I need. I dread the feeling of getting halfway through a new venture, only to find out I was misinformed at the start– and now I need to start over.
Even today, I found out that the shade cloth I ordered two weeks ago was actually oversized for the space I need to cover, because I didn’t account for the length of the tensioning wire. A simple mistake, and $500 down the drain - ouch!
Don’t you wish that someone who’s “been there, done that” would give you those crucial pointers right at the beginning, before you get started? The kind of advice that only experienced trial and error can bring. Just not my trial and (wallet-crushing) error, please!
At the beginning of my food forest journey, I went through the exact same thing. I bought tons of fruit trees from big box stores and nurseries, and later learned– painfully– that my choices weren’t great. Fruit would be minimal, if any, and pest and disease issues were already starting. Why didn’t the sellers give me any guidance? Maybe they knew I’d be back…
I ended up ripping out the trees I spent my hard-earned money on, replacing them with more reliable choices (like Mulberry and Carambola), that were bulletproof and made more fruit than I could ever eat. Over the next few years of experimenting, I discovered the small handful of fruit trees that turned my yard into an abundant, fruit-filled paradise.
In South Florida there are hundreds of choices of fruit trees to grow. In my experience growing (almost) all of them, I’ve boiled it down to these Six Essential Fruit Trees for South Florida. If you want to start a food forest, don’t plant anything until you’ve got these!
The fruit trees I chose for this list all fit an important set of criteria.
If it’s on this list, it:
1. Grows well in South Florida,
2. Is highly productive,
3. Is hardy to pests and diseases, and
4. Makes a fruit that everyone enjoys.
Let’s jump in, and get on the fast track to abundance with these six essential fruit trees.
Let’s start off with the King of Fruits – Mango!
Mango trees are without a doubt the number one best fruit tree for South Florida. It’s hard to imagine a proper food forest without at least one mango tree! They’re large and in charge, growing quickly with almost no effort, naturally thriving in our sandy soil. For true mango lovers, the calendar simply revolves around mango season (May to August). Got a bad attitude? Easily fixed with a ripe mango!
We carry over 60 unique varieties of grafted mango trees, each with its own flavor notes, growth character, and history. There’s truly a mango for everyone, and when strategically planted in a diverse food forest, abundance is guaranteed. Some mango trees quickly grow tall with a dominating canopy, others are more compact and can be managed at a smaller size. Each season is different, and weather patterns can affect the total size of the crop, but one thing is clear: Year over year, mango trees easily earn their spot at #1 on this list– and their fruit is something that everyone can get excited about!
Fun Fact: While grocery store mangos are largely imported from Mexico, Florida’s own mango industry is rapidly growing– with a shift toward specialty types whose flavor is much superior to imported fruit. Currently, Florida produces 60 million pounds of mangos each year.
Check out our Mango Variety Chart [link coming soon] to see which trees are best suited for your yard!
Coming in at a very close second (perhaps first for those with a mango allergy 😬), is the mighty Avocado tree!
Avocados are more popular than ever in the American diet, prized for their healthy fats and delicious, creamy flavor. They can only be grown in 3 US states, with Florida being the second largest producer after California, and Hawaii coming in at a close third. One of the most remarkable features of avocado trees is their widespread fruiting season– while the late summer & fall months are peak season, some varieties are harvested as early as May, with others ripening in January. It’s possible to have year-round avocados in your food forest by planting strategically! (See our Avocado Variety Chart [link coming soon] for ripening times - 28 varieties!)
Avocado trees naturally thrive in Florida, producing abundantly with minimal pests and diseases. After planting a few avocado trees, you’ll be impressed by their lush growth and plentiful harvest! Some of our staff’s favorite avocados are Day, Brogden, Mexicola, Choquette, Oro Negro, and Russell. One important thing to note is that while avocado trees love water, they can’t tolerate flooding or standing water for any period of time. Choose a location that’s “high and dry”, your tree will thank you!
Fun Fact: Old Floridians, Jamaicans, and other Caribbean folks used to call avocados “Alligator Pears” due to their pear-like shape and tough, bumpy skin. This was before the name was properly translated from its original Aztec “ahuacatl”, to Spanish “aguacate”, and finally in English “avocado”.
Rounding off the top half of this all-star list is a fruit once considered rare and exotic, but now common in every household and grocery store…
Enter the Banana! Bananas are a fruit we are fanatical about, and encourage everyone to grow. Versatile in any size landscape, and super fast to harvest– imagine your first hefty bunch of homegrown nanners, as quick as 9 months after planting! The key to growing bananas at home is simple: Plant them in a sunny area, load up the compost, mulch, and organic fertilizer, and your banana plants will reward you plentifully. A well managed banana cluster is a thing of beauty, giving an undeniable tropical rainforest vibe – your yard will be a little slice of paradise!
Want to know a quick trick to get your food forest pumping faster? Plant bananas! They’re like a swiss army knife– casting shade to protect soil life and young root systems, while smothering weeds. When managed food forest-style, bananas can add a ton of organic nutrients to your soil in a short timeframe. Talk about stacking functions! Best of all, they’ll produce a fast crop while your other trees take a few years to mature. Plant them between all of your fruit trees, and plan on relocating once they get crowded. With a successional approach, you can maximize your harvest from the start!
Fun Fact: The “Banana Wars” were a real thing! In the early 20th century, bananas were a hot commodity– hot enough that two massive fruit corporations almost caused a war between Guatemala and Honduras, including CIA involvement and a coup d'état!
Find out more in this video: The Banana Billionaire: The INSANE True Story
To kick off the second half of our list, we bring you: The lovely Loquat. Have you heard of her?
An underrated food forest champion, loquats are a classic springtime treat. The fruit is a bit bigger than a key lime, bright yellow-orange, and very juicy, with a flavor somewhere between a peach and a tangerine. Loquat trees are a gorgeous sight in the landscape, with an upright but spreading stature and large, ivy-green leaves. They are even HOA friendly– some neighborhoods have loquat trees planted in their ornamental landscaping!
Planting a grafted loquat tree in your yard is a no-brainer, even for the most impatient of food foresters. They start fruiting in the second year after grafting (usually at 7-gallon size), delivering grape-like clusters of delicious fruit every spring. Loquat trees are drought tolerant, free of pests and disease issues, and easy to keep at a manageable size of 8 to 10 feet. Plant one as a statement piece in your front yard, and surprise the neighbors with their next favorite fruit!
Fun Fact: Loquats belong to the rose family (Rosaceae), blooming clusters of small white flowers twice per year. These produce an intoxicating perfume-like fragrance, delighting your senses! The winter bloom produces fruit, which mature and ripen in March and April.
Mulberry – you've definitely heard of this one, it's got its own nursery rhyme!
Even if you missed out on the quintessential childhood mulberry experience (purple hands and stained, smiling faces), this tree is still a must-have in your food forest. You can’t mess up planting one: They’ll withstand flooding, severe drought, freezing cold, hurricane-force wind, and all sorts of other abuse, and still produce tons of sweet berries every year. Mulberries are simply described “like a blackberry that grows on a tree”, but perhaps a touch sweeter. If you have young kids, this will be their new favorite.
In late winter, mulberry trees shed most of their leaves, quickly regrowing in spring with new foliage followed by buckets of fruit. Harvesting is fun, and the possibilities are endless– mulberry pie, mulberry ice cream, jam, juice, syrup, or even freeze dried mulberries! A pro tip for harvesting lots of mulberries is to take a bed sheet and lay it around the base of the tree. Then grab the trunk and shake vigorously! All the ripe fruit will fall, making collection super easy.
Plant your mulberry tree in full sun with ample room to grow. They will grow fast, but can withstand a heavy pruning to keep the size manageable. All mulberry trees fruit heavily in spring, but with strategic trimming through the year, several crops can be achieved. If you only have room for one tree in your yard, mulberry is a strong contender for the spot!
Fun Fact: Mulberry is the most widely adapted fruit tree that we grow, being hardy from zone 4 all the way down to the equator! They are found on every continent (except Antarctica - but who knows?) and have huge historical significance. Referenced even by Jesus in Luke 17:6 – “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
The last on this list, but certainly not the least, is the beautiful and fruitful Carambola tree!
Also called starfruit for its shape, this tree comes from southeast Asia where it thrives in abundant rainfall and humidity (very much like Florida’s climate!) The fruit is juicy, slightly crunchy, and very refreshing, with a flavor similar to an apple with citrus notes. But here’s the thing: if you’ve ever had starfruit from a grocery store, you probably didn’t like it. When fully ripe, starfruit are very delicate, and only stay fresh for a few days– therefore in order to transport and stock in stores, they’re picked way too early, often tasting sour or bitter! As with most fruits, growing them yourself is the key to optimal flavor. Starfruit are full of vitamin A, C, as well as potassium and fiber, and super hydrating– perfect for those hot days spent working in the food forest!
We often recommend Carambola trees as a preferred alternative to citrus, as they are immune to all the common citrus diseases and pests. Grafted trees form a twice-per-year fruiting habit at a young age, which turns to nearly year-round at maturity. Your friends and family will be thrilled when you show up with a bag of fresh picked starfruit! The tree itself is a beautiful, spreading grower, with curving branches and lush foliage. If left unpruned they can grow large, but are easily kept at 8-10 feet tall with a routine haircut. Its pretty pinkish-purple flowers add a pop of beauty to a garden, and constant availability of fruit makes it a must-have for your food forest.
Fun Fact: Try using a fresh picked starfruit as a stamp! Slice, blot off the excess juice, and dip in paint for a fun project your kids will love. Here’s our inspiration: Star Fruit Stamps
I’ve assembled a huge collection of fruit trees over the years, and have grown, planted, and sold thousands. Time and again, I’ve found that these six are the most well-rounded choices for almost every situation. It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re just getting started, and I’d hate for you to feel discouraged after getting poor results. If you’re planting a food forest, start with this list to ensure that your investment pays off.
Ready to get started?
Browse our collection of fruit trees here. We have grafted trees available ranging from small 3-gallon size, to large fruiting specimens.
Order online for pickup or delivery, or request a quote and let us install your trees for you!
Bonus tree: If I were to add a 7th tree to this list, there’s no doubt it’d be the Sapodilla tree. Click here to read my Sapodilla Story, and find out why it’s a top choice for your food forest.