I was once a new homeowner standing on 4 acres of possibility, fully convinced I was going to grow 100% of the fruit my family would ever eat.
Naturally, my first mission was citrus.
I planted all the lemons. All the limes—Key limes, Persian limes, even Kaffir limes because I was going to become the person who cooks incredible Thai food from ingredients grown in my backyard.
And oranges? Don’t even get me started.
I sourced citrus trees from nurseries and plant shows all over South Florida. I was a woman with a goal.
I spent hundreds—probably thousands—of dollars. Countless hours researching varieties, driving all over for my new baby trees, digging holes, hauling mulch, and watering daily until everything was established.
Honestly, I’m tired just remembering it.
Once the citrus was planted, I moved on to planting the rest of my food forest—avocados, mangos, bananas, loquats, ice cream bean, and all the tropical fruits that make South Florida such an incredible place to grow food.
Over the years, I watched many of those baby trees grow, thrive, and start to produce. They flowered. They fruited. They made me feel like I knew what I was doing.
Except the citrus.
Very little real growth. Barely any flowers. Almost no fruit set. And eventually, all of them declined into such sad little disasters that I ripped them out entirely.
My heart had been set on enjoying fresh squeezed lemonade for the kids and margaritas for me. How would I ever live out my farm to table lifestyle without lemons, limes, and oranges?
At the time, I couldn’t explain what had happened, so naturally, I blamed myself. I must not have watered enough, or went too long between fertilizer applications, or maybe moles ate the roots? Do moles live in Loxahatchee?
I grew up in South Florida and remember when orange groves were everywhere. In fact, I have memories of riding in the car past acres of orange trees that existed just south of Incredible Edible Landscapes' current location. Florida is supposed to be the capital for growing citrus - oranges are on our state's license plates! So, clearly, the issue was me.
Eventually, I filled in the spaces with avocados, mangos, and starfruit. Trees that now produce hundreds of fruit each year, I might add.
It wasn't until I read about the devastating pest and disease issues affecting Florida's entire citrus industry that I realized I was not the problem.
I wish I could tell you my story was unique, but it isn’t. Which is why I’m here to guide you, young grasshopper: learn from my mistakes. And if you’ve already made similar ones and aren’t sure what to do next—keep reading.
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It’s one of the most common questions we get at Incredible Edible Landscapes:
“Do you sell citrus trees?”
And the honest answer is:
"No—and there’s a very good reason why."
We know that answer can feel disappointing at first. Citrus feels like the obvious choice for a Florida food forest. It’s familiar, nostalgic, and for many people, it’s the first fruit tree they imagine planting. If you grew up in Florida, chances are citrus is tied to childhood memories—fresh-squeezed orange juice, a backyard grapefruit tree, and family trips to the groves.
But our job isn’t just to sell you a tree.
Our job is to help you create a thriving, productive backyard that brings you joy—not frustration and fruit tree heartbreak.
Sometimes that means guiding you away from the tree you thought you wanted… and toward the one you’ll actually love.
The Problem With Citrus in South Florida
Citrus trees in Florida face an uphill battle from the moment they’re planted.
The biggest issue is Citrus Greening Disease (HLB)—a devastating bacterial disease spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. Once infected, trees decline over time, producing misshapen fruit, poor yields, nutrient deficiencies, and eventual death.
There is currently no true cure.
Even with heavy spraying, aggressive fertilization, and ongoing management, many homeowners still watch their citrus trees slowly decline just like I did.
That means growing citrus requires:
- Frequent chemical spray programs
- Constant pest and disease monitoring
- Higher maintenance and input costs
- Lower long-term success rates
- Accepting that decline is often still inevitable
If you are like me and trying to build an organic backyard food forest, that’s simply not the lifestyle you are looking for.
We’d Rather Help You Succeed
At Incredible Edible Landscapes, we believe your food forest should feel abundant—not exhausting.
We want your yard to be full of trees that reward you, thrive in South Florida's unique growing conditions, and fruit reliably.
Trees that make you excited to walk outside.
Not trees that require a chemistry degree and a weekly spray schedule while wearing a hazmat suit just to survive.
That’s why instead of citrus, we guide people toward better-performing alternatives that still deliver the bright, sweet, tangy flavors they’re looking for.
We would rather lose the sale than sell a tree that we don't believe will thrive.
What to Plant Instead of Citrus
What most people are really looking for when they say they want citrus isn’t necessarily an orange.
They want bright flavor, fresh-picked fruit, something productive and beautiful in the yard, and most importantly, something their kids will remember picking.
Good news: South Florida gives us options that are actually better.
Let’s talk about those.
1. Carambola aka Starfruit
Bright, refreshing, and highly productive, Carambola is one of the best backyard fruit trees for South Florida.
It offers that sweet-tart flavor people often crave from citrus, but with far less drama.
Why we love it:
- Heavy producer with multiple crops each year
- Beautiful ornamental tree
- Easy fruit tree for beginners
- Excellent fresh off the tree or when juiced
- Thrives in our climate
For many food foresters, this becomes the tree they wish they had planted first.
2. Passionfruit
If you love tart, tropical flavor, passionfruit is a superstar.
This fast-growing vine produces intensely aromatic fruit perfect for juices, desserts, cocktails, and eating fresh.
Passion fruit can be directly substituted in most recipes that call for fresh citrus and will elevate the cuisine to something far more vibrant and unforgettable. Passionfruit margaritas anyone?
View all Passionfruit vines here
3. Loquat
Loquat surprises people. It is one of the best fruit trees for South Florida.
It’s sweet, tangy, productive, and often much easier to grow than expected.
It also fruits during a unique season when not much else is happening in the yard—which makes it even more valuable.
4. Citrus-Flavored Mango Varieties
This is where things get fun.
Some mango varieties have a flavor profile that is citrus forward—without the headaches of citrus trees.
My favorites include:
- Lemon Meringue - a super sweet, lemon flavor, like a lemon dessert custard
- Lemon Zest - the name says it all - bright, lemony, and zesty - a true favorite among mango connoisseurs
- Orange Sherbet - like eating orange candy
- Orange Essence - like drinking a glass of fresh orange juice - delicious, refreshing, sweet and slightly acidic
- Mangos in the Indochinese flavor profile offer the sweet-tart complexity citrus lovers crave—far more exciting than a standard navel orange. Think Sweet Tart, Kathy, P-22, CeciLove, Venus, Duncan, etc.
Once you’ve tried any of the mangos mentioned above…you may stop missing oranges altogether.
Pro Tip - Collect them all and you’ll have citrus flavored mangos from May through August.
5. Lemondrop Mangosteen
One of my favorite rare fruits.
Lemondrop Mangosteen delivers a sweet-tart citrus flavor bomb that surprises everyone who tries it.
It’s unique, delicious, and exactly the kind of fruit that makes growing tropicals so much more exciting than standard grocery store citrus.
View Lemondrop Mangosteen here
Honorable Mention - Pineapple
Because when you have a homegrown pineapple, you won't even think about citrus. It's that delicious. Nothing humbles grocery store fruit faster than your first homegrown pineapple.
Your Backyard Should Work For You
The goal isn’t to plant what’s familiar, the goal is to plant what will thrive.
A successful food forest is built on smart choices—not tradition. Sometimes the best tree for your yard isn’t the one you expected - it can be even better.
And that’s where we come in. We help guide you toward the right plants for your space, your goals, and your lifestyle—so your backyard becomes something you enjoy, not something you constantly have to fight.
Let’s Build a Better Food Forest
If you’re planning your food forest and are wondering what to plant instead of citrus, we’d love to help. Truthfully, almost everyone on our team has their own sad citrus story. At this point, we should probably start a support group. Thursdays at 7. Bring photos of your struggling lime tree. 😜
Visit us in person at the nursery, explore our fruit tree collections online, or talk with our team about building a backyard that actually thrives in South Florida.
Because the best food forest isn’t the one that looks good on paper.
It’s the one that works beautifully in real life.
