Choosing fruit trees to grow with your child in your educational garden really isn't that difficult. When choosing them, you'll both learn about concepts like "chill hours" and "hardiness" in order to pick a tree that will produce the best and tastiest fruit in your area.
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With the most tropical environment of Florida's regions, South Florida has many options for tropical fruit trees.
The South Florida Growing Region
Florida generally is pretty hot and humid - the further south you go, the more humid and hot it gets. However, winters are the key difference in what fruit trees you can and cannot grow in Florida's different regions.
Including growing zones 10a to 11b, South Florida experiences winters with minimum temperatures of 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. With the mildest winters, most tropical fruits can thrive in this region.
Importantly, we run into the concept of chill hours. These are the amount of hours that a plant requires around or above freezing in order to actually set fruit. Not enough hours and the fruit won't develop, and too much cold for too long can harm the plant. South Florida receives about 50 - 100 chill hours each year.
Let's take a look at some common cultivars of some common fruit trees:
Citrus
Coconut
Avocado
Mango
Other Fruits to Grow
Citrus Cultivars
Citrus plants in South Florida definitely can be grown well because of the lack of a strong winter, but as a result are more susceptible to pests. Some growers suggest netting your trees during peak pest seasons.
Sugar Belle
Calamondin
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Sunburst Tangerine
Most Lemons and Limes
Coconut Cultivars
There are multiple different coconut palm trees to pick based on height and resistance to disease.
Jamaica Tall
Panama Tall
Malayan Dwarf
Maypan hybrid
Fiji Dwarf
Avocado Cultivars
Most avocado cultivars should be easily grown in South Florida, as they don't need to be cold hardy. Proper fertilization and care should be all you need to get these going at home.
'Hass'
'Hall'
'Donnie'
'Reed'
Mango Cultivars
South Florida hosts a large variety of mango cultivars that really should provide a flavor that you love most, even outside of these four.
'Orange Sherbert'
'Ice Cream'
'Pina Colada'
'Kent'
Other Fruits
Dragonfruit
Custard Apple
Jackfruit
Green Sapote
Mamey
Tropical Guava
Prickly Pear Cactus
Papaya
Pineapple
Fig
If you want to learn more about fruit trees for your area, take a look at these articles!
Thank you for reading!
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns by clicking here! Have a wonderful day!
-Leah Brooks
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