We are so incredibly excited to offer this season’s fruit collection. We’ve worked hard to source as many locally grown plants as possible & our fruit section is the fullest and most diverse it has ever been. We are starting the season out with over 70 varieties of edible fruit to choose from! We hope you find this fruit report helpful. Please always remember you can come into the nursery with pictures and questions about getting started or expanding your home fruit and citrus selections.
All varieties are in stock as of October 2, 2019. Shop early for the best selection.
Citrus is the easiest fruit to grow, and consistently harvest food from in the Tallahassee area. If you are new to growing fruit we recommend you start with citrus. There are many varieties that are cold-tolerant enough to be grown outdoors. We focus on cold-hardy varieties, but we do have some tender options that should be planted in large containers so they can be moved to a safe place in hard freezes. All of our citrus varieties are self-fertile and do not require another tree for pollination.
Checkout our in depth citrus growing guide by clicking HERE
Owari Satsuma (5, 10, & 30 gallon)- the classic, time-tested satsuma in Tallahassee, easy-to-peel skin, seedless, sweet, juicy, ripens before cold weather arrives, very cold-hardy
Silverhill Satsuma (5 gallon)- just like ‘Owari’ but even more cold-hardy, plants grow more upright than sprawling
Sugar Belle Tangerine (5 gallon)- a relatively new variety that is being produced on farms all over Florida, fast-growing & vigorous trees produce huge crops of premium quality tangerines that are so good they’re used in the premium fresh fruit gift industry
Kishu Mini Mandarin Orange (5 gallon)- the most adorable little orange tree there is, Kishu produces tiny mandarin oranges the size of a golf ball, easy-to-peel and sugary sweet, perfect snack for the kids, not cold-hardy in our area, plant in containers and protect in winter
Murcott Mandarin Orange (5 gallon)- highly productive trees, richly colored and flavorful juice
Hamlin Orange (5 gallon)- very productive trees produce huge crops of oranges that make excellent juice, good for fresh eating too, historically used by Tropicana
Valencia (5 & 10 gallon)- good juicing orange, fruit can stay sweet on the tree into summer
Red Navel Orange (5 &10 gallon)- beautiful fruits have a red blush to the flesh and juice
Moro Blood Orange (5 gallon)- darkest red flesh and juice, almost purple / burgundy, a visual treat as well as a tasty one
Cara Cara Navel Orange (5 gallon)- pink fleshed oranges make pink orange juice
Washington Navel Orange (5 gallon)- seedless, easy-to-peel navel oranges, old-timey variety has been around for over 100 years
Navel Orange (5 gallon)- a traditional orange for all those fruit purists out there, a real classic
Ruby Red Grapefruit (5 & 10 gallon)- the gold standard of pink grapefruits, juicy and sweet
Marsh White Grapefruit (5 gallon)- very cold-hardy plants produce huge white-fleshed grapefruits full of perfectly tart juice
Ray Ruby Grapefruit (5 gallon)- just like ‘Ruby Red’
Pink Pummelo (5 gallon)- huge, basketball-sized fruits taste like sweetened grapefruits, gorgeous trees have huge leaves & giant flowers, plant in protected areas like under mature oaks or pines to get this more tender plant through cold winters
Meyer Lemon (3, 5, 10, & 30 gallon)- the classic lemon for Tallahassee gardens, cold-hardy and reliable, these lemons are huge and juicy with more flavor than those found at the store, they have the most intoxicating zest
Sambo Sweet Lemon (5 gallon)- a hybrid lemon that tastes just like sweetened lemonade, incredible for fresh eating or juicing
Rangpur Lime (5 gallon)- a super cold-hardy plant, this hybrid fruit ripens orange and looks like a tangerine but the taste is 100% sour lime, a must have in trendy cocktails
Finger Lime (5 gallon)- a Dr. Seuss tree if there ever was one, wild spindly branches and tiny leaves, miniature banana-shaped fruits are filled with round pearls of lime juice…its crazy, not cold-hardy in our area, plant in a container and protect from freezes
Persian Lime (10 gallon)- this is the classic lime in the grocery store, good quality fruits, not cold-hardy in our area, plant in a container and protect from freezes
Nagami Kumquat (5 &10 gallon)- very cold-hardy plants, small oblong fruits are delightfully tart, they make the very best marmalade
Meiwa Kumquat (5 & 10 gallon)- very cold-hardy plants, small round fruits are sweet little snacks that can be fresh eaten all day long
Apple may not come to mind when you think of a southern orchard, but there are a few varieties that are well suited to our climate. Back in the pioneer days, apples were an essential part of every farm and homestead (both for food and cider). Now you can make them a part of your home too with our selection of North Florida approved apple trees. Apples are well behaved, compact trees that can fit in just about any yard. Trees rarely grow more than 12’ tall and produce stunning pink blooms each spring. Most apples require a different apple variety to be planted nearby for pollination.
Checkout this information from the University of Florida to learn more about apples in Florida: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg368
Anna (2 & 5 gallon)- plant with Dorsett or Tropic Sweet, red blushed fruits look like ‘Red Delicious’ but they have a far superior flavor and texture, sweet, crisp, and juicy, 250 chill hours
Dorsett (2 & 5 gallon)- plant with Anna or Tropic Sweet, yellow fruits with a soft pink blush look like ‘Golden Delicious’ but are much tastier, sweet firm flesh has a nice crisp bite to it, 200 chill hours
Tropic Sweet (2 & 5 gallon)- plant with Anna or Dorsett, sweet firm fruits are high in sugar and low in acid, 250 chill hours
Ein Shemer (5 gallon)- self-fertile, does not need a pollinator, a good grower in the panhandle that produces yellow fruit with a tart flavor similar to ‘Granny Smith’, 350 chill hours
Pears, pears…what do I do with all these pears? That’s what you’ll be saying once your pear trees mature. They’re a super-reliable fruit crop in our area and a single mature tree can literally produce buckets of delicious treats each fall. The spring blooms look like clouds of white covering the branches, and they even have lovely fall color in some years. Most edible pears won’t get larger than 15’-20’ tall & wide in our area. Some pears will set fruit if planted alone, but most of them produce more fruit, and produce fruit of a higher quality, if planted with a pollinator.
Hood (5 gallon)- plant with Flordahome, Pineapple, or Baldwin, highly disease resistant, one of the best for the lower south, consistent producer
Flordahome (2 & 5 gallon)- plant with Hood, Pineapple, or Baldwin, UF release hybrid, partly self-fertile, strong grower and disease resistant
Pineapple (5 gallon)- plant with Hood, Flordahome, or Baldwin, tough grower, very productive bearer making bushels year after year
Baldwin (2 gallon)- plant with Hood, Flordahome, or Pineapple, partly self-fertile, good dual purpose pears for fresh eating or cooking
Shinseiki (5 gallon)- self-fertile, does not need a pollinator, yellow to green fruit, heavy producer with good disease resistance
Figs are another great beginner fruit tree. They grow happily in almost any of our local soils and require no special pruning or training. We recommend adding lots of compost around your new fig trees because they love organic matter. Be sure to keep a wide and deep ring of mulch maintained around them as well to keep the soil moist. Use any type of organic matter as mulch (like pine straw, woodchips, hay, pine bark, or leaves) because these types of material will decompose over time which builds good soil right where you need it. All our figs are self-fertile and do not require a pollinator.
Checkout this information from the University of Florida to learn more about figs in Florida: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg214
Brown Turkey (2 gallon)- this is the traditional fig of North Florida, incredibly reliable, sweet & tasty, very productive, this should be the first fig you plant if you’re just getting started, fruit is bronze with a red interior
Celeste (2 gallon)- think of this like ‘Brown Turkey’ plus, very productive trees are similar to the classic but with fruit that is a bit sweeter and a bit larger, bronze fruit with amber interior
Black Mission (2 gallon)- big round figs are exceptionally sweet, dark purple figs have a red interior
Olympian (2 gallon)- very cold-hardy plants work even in the lowest and coldest parts of our region, very large fruits are dark purple with red flesh
Juliana (2 gallon)- an heirloom variety found growing in southern Georgia, healthy mature plants can produce huge figs the size of a tennis ball
Peaches make us all think of our neighbors to the north, but we can do peaches too! A fresh picked peach is a million times better than the sad, dry, flavorless lumps you’ll find in the grocery store these days. Peaches also grow super-fast and produce a gorgeous display of pink flowers each spring. Peach tree care is more involved than other fruits, so we consider them to be of intermediate to advanced difficulty. Only try to grow peaches in wide open areas that get lots of sunshine and plenty of airflow, close quarter just won’t do. Peaches are self-fertile and do not need to be planted with a pollinator.
We think peach trees are pretty enough to grow for their ornamental value alone, however, if you want to harvest fruit take a look at these resources from the University of Florida for growing information: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_peaches_and_nectarines
Flordaking (5 gallon)- semi-cling stone pits, large fruits with yellow flesh, ripens in May, 450 chill hours, this is a really solid peach for most Tallahassee areas
Flordacrest (5 gallon)- semi-cling stone pits, medium fruits with yellow flesh, ripens late May, 350 Chill hours, this is another solid peach for most Tallahassee areas
Tropic Snow (5 gallon)- freestone pits, white flesh, ripens in May, only 200 chill hours make this a great choice for warmer protected locations like neighborhoods and urban areas,
Rio Grande (5 gallon)- freestone pits, extra-large fruits with yellow flesh, very juicy and tasty fruits, ripens in June, 400 chill hours, this is one of our best tasting peaches
Sunglo Nectarine (5 gallon)- very hardy plants grow fast, very productive trees make large crops, 300 chill hours
Plums have much the same care and maintenance needs of peaches. They require proper siting, pruning, pest management, and disease management to expect good fruit production. That being said, they are beautifully ornamental small trees even without fruit. They produce masses of delicate white flowers in late winter that feed hungry bees, and even poor quality fruit offers a snack for wildlife. Most plums require pollination from a different variety to make fruit.
These resources from the University of Florida can help you along the way: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_peaches_and_nectarines
Gold Plum (5 gallon)- plant with Flatwoods, Segundo, Robusto, Bruce, or Chickasaw, sweet yellow plums, showy spring blooms, ~400 chill hours
Flatwoods (5 gallon)- plant with Gold, Segundo, Robusto, Bruce, or Chickasaw, one of our wild native plum species, plants are lovely, small ornamental trees that feed pollinators and wildlife, fruits are too small to be of much edible use but the trees make wonderful pollinators for most edible varieties
Segundo (5 gallon)- plant with Flatwoods, Gold, Robusto, Bruce, or Chickasaw, a newer edible plum for our area, very good disease resistance, red skin with yellow flesh, fruit ripens mid-late june, ~450 chill hours
Robusto (5 gallon)- plant with Flatwoods, Segundo, Gold, Bruce, or Chickasaw, a newer edible plum for our area, very good disease resistance, red skin and red flesh, ~450 chill hours
Bruce (5 gallon)- plant with Flatwoods, Segundo, Robusto, Gold, or Chickasaw, a very good choice for our area, this hybrid of Japanese and Native Chickasaw Plum has resulted in a very strong and productive plum for North Florida, red fruits, ~500 chill hours
Scarlet Beauty (5 gallon)- self-fertile, does not need a pollinator, very low chill of only ~150 chill hours, flowers very early in the season, a great choice for warmer protected areas like neighborhoods and urban gardens, red skin with amber flesh, heavy bearing
Grape vines are strong, durable, and long-lived fruiting plants. We have a very interesting mix of grapes available this year. The local Muscadine grapes are still available, and as strong as ever, but there are new hybrids that offer a sweeter fruit on equally vigorous plants. Grape vines require a little work upfront to install the proper supports for them. You also need to learn how to prune (anyone can do it), but after that they are easy, easy, easy to care for. You need only look at the massive wild grape vines growing on the side of the road to see how vigorous these plants are. Grapes are a fantastic addition to any edible landscape that will provide food for years to come. Some grapes require a pollinator and others do not, be sure you have what you need before you get to planting. Checkout these resources about growing and pruning grapes in the deep south:
Read the Extension Office Muscadine Grape Article – HERE
Read the Extension Office Bunch Grape Article – HERE
Blanc du Bois (2 gallon)- self-fertile grape does not require a pollinator, this is one of the rare bunch grapes that thrive in Florida, white (light green) fruits are borne in large clusters, grapes are sweet and tasty as table grapes but are most treasured for wine-making, ripens in July
Southern Jewel (2 gallon)- self-fertile grape does not require a pollinator, muscadine grape released by the University of Florida that is high-yielding, disease-resistant, large black fruit produced in bunches of 6 to 12 berries that hold strong to the vine, excellent taste and a crisp texture with a palatable skin, good for fresh eating or wine
Southern Home (2 gallon)- self-fertile grape does not require a pollinator, a bunch and muscadine cross from the UF, considered the best muscadine for the home gardens due to its ornate foliage and pleasant flavor, unique oak-shaped leaves are highly ornamental
Fry (5 gallon)- requires any other self-fertile muscadine grape for pollination, Southern Home & Southern Jewel would work as pollinators, very large bronze grapes are super-high in sugar making them one of the sweetest grapes for our region, delicious fresh-eating
Razzmatazz (2 & 3 gallon)- self-fertile grape does not require a pollinator, this is really something new, vigorous vines are everbearing (they can produce fruit from spring-fall), they create clusters of small grapes that are rich in flavor, sweetness, thin-skinned, and seedless, no need to prune this vine in any particular way, just let it grow and try to keep up with harvesting the fruit, this is the best choice for smaller areas as it can be pruned back anytime of the year without hurting fruit production, we recommend Razzmatazz to any novice fruit grower, so easy to grow and reap rewards from
*we expect to see even more muscadine varieties in the spring and summer of 2020
Blueberries are a real crowd pleaser. Blueberry bushes are welcome in the garden as they don’t need much space or fancy care to produce fruit. It is, however, very important that blueberry bushes get the basic care essentials for the first few years. Fertilizer, water, and mulch are all very easy to supply, but new blueberry plants cannot go without them. We carry numerous varieties of Rabbiteye Blueberries that are improved versions of wild growing bushes from the southeast. They all produce big, pretty, sweet fruits. Plant at least 3 different varieties of Rabbiteye Blueberries together for good cross pollination and fruit set. Follow the recommendations in our own blueberry growing guide for big, beautiful plants and berries:
Click HERE to read our Blueberry Guide
Tifblue (1 & 3 gallon)- plant with other Rabbiteye varieties, old-fashioned variety is proven in North Florida, productive, vigorous, upright plants, fruit ripens late June – early July
Powder Blue (1 & 3 gallon)- plant with other Rabbiteye varieties, strong plants, sweet fruits ripen late June – July
Premier (1 & 3 gallon)- plant with other Rabbiteye varieties, good quality berries ripen late May into June
Beckyblue (1 & 3 gallon)- plant with other Rabbiteye varieties, nice large berries, ripens in May
Climax (1 & 3 gallon)- plant with other Rabbiteye varieties, very reliable producer in our region, ripens in May
Mayhaw trees were once found only in the wild woods and swamps of the Gulf Coast region. Now we are lucky enough to have improved varieties that will thrive right in our home gardens. They are super-easy to care for and require no special pruning or spraying to bear fruit. Simply give basic plant care like mulch, water, and fertilizer to your Mayhaw trees and sit back as the fruit forms. These trees produce a beautiful batch of white spring blooms followed by bright red fruit by early summer. Most people know Mayhaws from the jelly. The red fruits are said to make the very best tasting jelly you can find. Homemade Mayhaw jelly will become your signature Christmas gift once these pretty little trees start producing fruit. Mayhaw trees require pollination from a different variety so always plant at least 2 different types near each other.
Maxine (5 gallon)- plant with Double GG or Red Champ, strong disease resistance, large berries up to ¾” across, & the tendency to ripen almost all the tree’s fruit at one time
Double GG (5 gallon)- plant with Maxine or Red Champ, red fruits have a lovely strawberry colored flesh while the tree naturally forms an almost perfect form without any pruning
Red Champ (5 gallon)- plant with Maxine or Double GG, heavy production and uniform fruit ripening of large fruits that are almost 1 inch across
Blackberries are a wonderful crop for our hot hot climate. These plants thrive in summer heat, soaking up all the rain and sunshine so they can produce deliciously juicy berries. Blackberries require a support structure to help hold them up, like a chain link fence or even an ornamental trellis. They are a great crop for beginners because they can produce fruit in their first year, which is just so exciting! Our blackberries are self-fertile and do not need to be planted with a pollinator.
Checkout this resource from UF for more information: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs104
Ouachita (2 gallon)- old-fashioned variety has proven productive in our climate for many years, thornless plants, good disease resistance, produces fruit on last year’s growth
Prime Ark Freedom (2 & 5 gallon)- a newer variety that can produce fruit on the current year’s growth as well as last year’s growth, VERY disease resistant, we have seen this variety fight off diseases that would have killed other blackberries, large juicy fruits
Assorted Crops
Loquat Seedlings (5 gallon)- a really good beginner fruit tree for Tallahassee, trees are very easy to grow and require only the basic care of water, fertilizer, & mulch, plants are considered self-fertile but more fruit and better quality fruit is produced when 2 or more plants are near each other, fruit ripen in late winter to early spring and ranges from yellow to orange in color, most trees produce juicy fruits of roughly 1”+ across that have a sweet and tart flavor combination, great for fresh eating or making into jam, jelly, or fruit leather
Dwarf Everbearing Mulberry (5 gallon)- a relatively dwarf tree that grows 12’-15’ tall, produces masses of small, sweet, black berries with a nice sweet tart flavor, we find this to be a very useful tree as a small growing shade tree, an edible fruit tree, &/or feed wildlife, trees can be pruned hard if they grow too large, they will resprout readily from even hard cutting, self-fertile tree does not need a pollinator, this is a great beginner fruit tree, very easy to grow
Haku Botan Pomegranate (5 gallon)- this rare & delicate beauty produces gorgeous, frilly, double white blooms in late spring that are followed by creamy greenish white fruits in fall, edible & beautiful, though the fruit & juice is very tart, great for adding to smoothies, self-fertile plants do not require a pollinator
Wonderful Pomegranate (5 gallon)- the classic pomegranate we are all familiar with from grocery stores and juice drinks, beautiful orange blooms in spring can lead to large red fruits by late summer, we have found pomegranate trees to be rather finicky in our area, most of them grow well in full sun areas but very few reliably produce mature fruit, we believe they will do best in extremely hot areas with very well drained soil, don’t even bother planting these in heavy clay or wet areas, they seem to like a higher soil pH than we have in most of our area, consider applying lime each year to any pomegranate plants you have, they’re pretty enough to plant as an ornamental but fruit production is far from a guarantee, self-fertile plants do not require a pollinator
Arbequina Olive (5 gallon)- similar to pomegranates olives need hot hot hot conditions and very well-drained soil, sand and rocks are better than clay, well-suited to containers in sunny spots, the silvery gray foliage is truly beautiful even if you never saw an olive, olives are never eaten fresh from the tree but must be cured in salty brine first, olives in our area often require strong staking to support them, self-fertile plants do not require a pollinator
Fuyu Persimmon (5 gallon)- self-fertile plants do not require a pollinator, the most popular and sought after persimmon on the market, very flavorful fruits are non-astringent which means they can be eaten when crisp or soft, persimmons have a unique flavor that is often compared to pumpkin pie
Ichi-Ki-Kei-Jiro Persimmon (5 gallon)- self-fertile plants do not require a pollinator, the most cold-hardy persimmon for our area, non-astringent fruit can be eaten when crisp or soft, persimmons have a unique flavor that is often compared to pumpkin pie
Paw Paw Seedlings (3 gallon)- a very unique native fruit tree that produces edible fruits unlike anything on the market, soft and sweet flesh is said to taste like banana strawberry custard, small growing trees have excellent ornamental value with large tropical leaves, we think these should be planted for their beauty alone, fruit production tends to be very inconsistent, even healthy trees produce no fruit many years, plant at least 2 for cross pollination
Amling Pecan (5 gallon)- type 1 pecan, excellent disease-resistance, superior home orchard variety, plant with Elliott for good pollination
Elliott Pecan (5 gallon)- type 2 Pecan, highly disease-resistant, high-quality nut, best home orchards, plant with Amling for good pollination
Dunstan Chestnut (5 gallon)- vigorous plants produce high quality nuts, very easy crop to grow in North Florida, considered a sustainable edible crop for our region, Dunstan Chestnuts are seedlings from superior Chinese x American Chestnut crosses, plant at least 2 or more Dunstan Chestnuts together for cross-pollination
Growing food is not the easiest thing to do with your garden, but it is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your garden.
If you are new to growing fruit do some research before you buy plants, try to pick the best choice for your conditions and your skill level, but then just have fun with it. We believe gardening is best learned through trial and error. Just like parenting, you’ll never truly be ready for your new fruit tree babies, but you will learn from each one and you’ll get better and better each year. Keep in mind that patience is a virtue when it comes to growing fruit. Some trees take an average of 5-7 years to produce good crops, but then you get decades of fresh, delicious, nutritious, & home-grown food. The best time to plant a fruit tree is always the same…10 years ago. But the second best time to plant a fruit tree is right now!
*all stocking information is accurate as of 10.2.2019, shop early while we have the best selection
This article was written by Jonathan Burns (Tallahassee Nurseries Outdoor Manager, FNGLA Florida Certified Horticulture Professional) using information from years of personal observations gardening in the Tallahassee area, as well as advice from a well respected, local, fruit tree grower