Quick Answer: Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Texas
The best fruit trees to grow in Texas are apples, peaches, figs, plums, pears, persimmons, cherries, avocadoes, pomegranates, grapes, citrus, loquat, jujubes, pecans, and blackberries. The best time to plant these trees is from December to early March when they are dormant.
Are you wondering about the fruit trees to grow in your Texas home gardens?
Then, check out this handy guide that will provide you with a list of the best fruit trees to grow in Texas.
Scroll down for more information!
Contents
- Quick Answer: Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Texas
- Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Texas
- What Is The Easiest Growing Fruit Tree In Texas?
- What Is The Best Time To Grow Fruit Trees In Texas?
- FAQs
- Quick Recap: Top Fruit Trees to Grow In Texas
- Bottom line
Best Fruit Trees to Grow in Texas
Texas has a varied climate ranging from arid in the west to humid in the east. It can be continental to subtropical climate in different areas. It is important to pick the right tree and variety suitable for the Texas climate to have a successful yield.
Now, let us discuss the list of fruit trees that grow best in Texas home gardens.
1. Pear
Pear (Pyrus communis) is one of the long-lived and attractive fruit trees that do well in many areas of Texas.
Why Grow Pear?
Pear trees thrive in Northern Texas as it requires chilling winter time. It is drought-resistant, giving an abundance of fruits every fall. Also, it has a few pest management problems.
Maintenance And Care
Soak the roots and plant pear trees in the winter or early spring when they are dormant. It requires two varieties for bearing fruits and major pruning in late winter.
It can be harvested when the fruits change from hard to firm. One of the serious issues affecting the plant is fire blight.
The complete growing guide of pears is covered here:
2. Peaches
Peaches (Prunus persica L.) are a deciduous and widely consumed fruit tree grown in Texas.
Why Grow Peaches?
Peaches grow in many areas of Texas as they can tolerate both heat and cold fairly well.
Also, it is a beautiful addition to home gardens with its ornamental flowers and summer fruits. It will yield rewarding fruits for a long time.
Maintenance And Care
Peaches prefer sandy, loamy topsoil, about 18-24 inches deep. Most varieties are self-pollinated and require insect pollinators to bear fruit.
It requires chilling hours to break dormancy and is picked between June and September. The major problems are scales, peach tree borers, and brown rot.
Check out this video on growing peaches:
3. Figs
Figs (Ficus carica) is a versatile fruit tree that flourishes in different areas of Texas with overwintering care.
Why Grow Figs?
Figs are well-adapted and grow well throughout Texas for their delicious fruits and eye-catching foliage.
It does not require high maintenance after being established. It doesn’t require pollination to bear fruits.
Maintenance And Care
Figs can be propagated by suckers, layerings, or stem cuttings in a sunny spot and well-drained soil. It should be spaced 12-20 feet apart.
It requires little pruning and is harvested after the fruits are fully ripened. It is susceptible to root-knot nematodes, fig rust, and cotton root rot.
Here is a useful video on growing figs from cutting:
4. Apples
Apple trees (Malus domestica) are popular homegrown trees that are successfully grown in the Northern and central areas of Texas.
Why Grow Apples?
Apples are widely grown in Texas due to their widespread availability and versatility. Many varieties are available for home gardeners to choose the best suited for your area.
Dwarf types are available for smaller yards.
Maintenance And Care
Plant apple trees while dormant in the spring. It can grow to a height of 25 feet tall and requires cross-pollination.
It can be picked from July through November. The common problems are scabs, fireblight, and bitter rot.
Check out this informative video on growing apples:
5. Plum
Japanese plums (Prunus salicina) are one of the important fruit trees among home gardeners as it adapts well to the Texas climate.
Why Grow Plum?
Plum trees thrive in central or Southern Texas. It is a great choice for beginner home gardeners. It is a prolific producer giving continuous harvests with easy care.
Maintenance And Care
Plant bare-root nursery trees in a sunny spot and sandy loamy soils. It produces fruits from late summer through mid-autumn.
It requires at least two plants to produce fruits. Watch out for plum curculio, aphids, and maggots.
Click this link to learn more about growing plum trees:
6. Persimmons
Another exotic fruit tree with striking orange fruits that can be grown in different regions of Texas is Persimmons (Diospyros kaki).
Why Grow Persimmons?
Persimmons are widely grown in most areas of Texas as they can survive in many challenging environments.
It is hardy and simple to grow, which makes it ideal for beginners. It is easy to maintain and does not have severe pest or disease issues.
Maintenance And Care
Plant persimmon trees every 15-18 feet in rows spaced 20 feet apart in well-drained soil. It has a low chilling requirement.
It requires pruning during winter. It may be occasionally affected by crown gall and anthracnose.
Click this link to grow persimmons:
7. Cherries
Cherry trees (Prunus species) can be a valuable addition to your home gardens when covered with white or pink blossoms and tasty fruits.
Why Grow Cherries?
Many varieties of cherries, including Nanking, Corum Sweet, Lambert sweet, and Sweetheart, can be easily grown in many areas of Texas. It adds ornamental value to the gardens.
Maintenance And Care
Plant cherry pits two inches deep and one foot apart in sandy soil and a sunny site with good air circulation.
Prune in late winter and harvest them when fully ripe. It can be susceptible to aphids, Japanese beetles, and bacterial cankers.
Here is a complete growing guide to cherry trees:
8. Avocado
Avocadoes (Persea Americana) are tropical tree that is a favorite and widely consumed among many Texas home gardeners.
Why Grow Avocado?
Little Cado avocado grows well in the colder parts of Texas whereas Hass and reed can do well in southern Texas. It can grow well in a wide range of soil types.
Maintenance And Care
Avocadoes can be propagated via cleft grafting. Space the trees about 20-30 feet from each other and drape the young trees with a blanket during a freeze.
It does not require pruning or training for normal growth. The common problems in Texas are tip burn and marginal necrosis.
Check this video for more tips on growing avocado trees:
9. Pomegranate
Another fruit tree that enjoys the warm and humid weather of Texas is the pomegranate (Punica granatum). Its red color fruits make them ideal for landscaping.
Why Grow Pomegranate?
Pomegranates are drought-tolerant and exhibit tolerance for cool winters and scorching summers.
Also, it thrives in a wider range of soil conditions in Texas. It can also be grown in containers with proper care.
Maintenance And Care
Pomegranates propagate from hardwood cutting taken in winter during pruning. Space them 12-15 feet apart, and it produces fruit from October to December.
Its leaves can be damaged by whiteflies, thrips, mealybugs, and stink bugs.
Check out this video for growing pomegranates:
10. Grapes
Growing grape trees (Vitis vinifera) in the backyard has become popular in Central Texas. Both table grapes and wine-producing grapes can be grown in Texas.
Why Grow Grapes?
Grapes are long-lasting trees that flourish well in many areas of Texas. There are numerous varieties suitable for Texas climatic conditions. It has prolific growth producing huge yields with proper care.
Maintenance And Care
Grape vines can be planted in late February after trimming the roots. It requires support structures to grow and heavy pruning in the winter to produce fruits.
Most varieties are self-fertile. It is susceptible to phylloxera, black rot, downy mildew, bunch rot, and anthracnose.
You may watch this video for growing grapes from cuttings:
11. Citrus
Texas home gardeners prefer citrus trees for their dark, evergreen foliage, fragrant blossoms, and delicious fruits.
Why Grow Citrus?
Many varieties of citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, grapefruits, and mandarins, can grow well in the southern and coastal areas of Texas.
It is also suitable for growing in containers for small spaces.
Maintenance And Care
Citrus trees are planted in 3-4 feet depth and soil pH range of 6-8. It requires little pruning and significant cold protection. Mulches are required to conserve moisture.
A few pest and disease problems are aphids, mites, scales, and foot rot.
Click this video for growing citrus trees:
12. Loquat
Familiar Tropical Fruit Plants In Texas
An attractive and familiar evergreen fruit tree that can adapt well to Texas and add a pop of color to the garden is loquat (Eriobotrya japonica).
Why Grow Loquat?
Loquats survive in central, east-west, and south Texas. It can adapt well to various soil types in Texas. It also adds ornamental value to your home garden and is relatively pest-free.
Maintenance And Care
Loquats can be propagated from seeds in full sun and attain a height of 25 feet.
It can bloom in late fall and mature its fruit during the winter months. It is prone to fire blight, tipburn, and Mexican fruit flies.
You may go through this video for growing loquats:
13. Jujube
Another easy-to-grow and super-hardy fruit tree that can grow well in many areas of Texas are jujubes or Chinese dates (Ziziphus jujube).
Why Grow Jujubes?
Jujubes are adaptable to a variety of climates and soil types in Texas. It is drought-tolerant, long-lived, and widely grown in West Texas. It is resistant to most diseases and pests.
Maintenance And Care
Jujubes can be propagated through a whip-graft of root sprouts in a wide range of soil types.
It will grow to a height of 30-50 feet with proper care, and the fruit ripens in July and August. Pay attention to gophers that may attack the trees.
Here is a video on growing jujubes:
14. Pecans
Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) is the state tree of Texas that can be grown in many regions of Texas. It is grown for both landscaping and nuts.
Why Grow Pecans?
Pecans are a very popular tree in Central and Southern Texas despite not being considered a fruit tree. Dwarf varieties are available as container trees.
Maintenance And Care
Pecans can be grown from bare roots or large tree transplants from December through mid-March. One characteristic feature is that it grows in cycles.
It is wind-pollinated and can be cross-pollinated with neighboring trees about ¼ mile apart. It rarely needs major pruning and can be damaged by nematodes, cotton root rot, and aphids.
Click this video on growing pecans in Texas:
15. Blackberries
Blackberries (Rubus fructicosus) can be easily grown and well-adapted to home gardens in most areas of Texas.
Why Grow Blackberries?
Blackberries are easy to grow and thrive in many regions of Texas. It is not fussy about the type of soil it grows. It is rewarding giving bountiful yields.
Maintenance And Care
Blackberries grow best in sandy soil about one foot deep with a pH of 4.5-7.5. It is usually from root cuttings in the dormant season.
It is harvested in May and early June by hand. A few problems attacking these plants are crown gall, nematodes, spider mites, and thrips.
The complete growing guide of blackberries is mentioned here:
What Is The Easiest Growing Fruit Tree In Texas?
The easiest-growing fruit tree in Texas is pears.
Pears are easy to grow and produce lots of fruits quickly. It is relatively less troubled by pests and diseases.
Also, it is hardy that can be quickly grown in small spaces too. There are many varieties suitable for the Texas climate.
The other fruit trees that can be grown in Texas are peaches, figs, and apples.
What Is The Best Time To Grow Fruit Trees In Texas?
The best time to plant fruit trees in Texas is from late December to early March.
The trees will be dormant at planting in the winter. So, planting and transplanting will be less stressful for the trees.
They will develop strong roots over the winter and acclimate to their new location.
FAQs
Few fruit trees that can withstand the climate of North Texas are the Burgundy plum, fig (Violette de Bordeaux), pomegranate (Al Sirin Nar), persimmon (Fuyu), peach (Bonfire Dwarf Patio), and jujube (Li). It can be planted in February.
A few fastest-growing fruit trees are peach, plum, apple, citrus, apricot, mandarin, cherry, figs, and pear trees. Some of these fruit trees take only two to three years to produce fruits with adequate sun and pruning.
Lemons can be grown only in the Valley area of Texas because of the warmer temperatures. It is the cold-sensitive of all citrus and can be damaged by the changing temperatures in most of Texas. So, it requires protection from the cold to survive in other areas of Texas.
Quick Recap: Top Fruit Trees to Grow In Texas
Here is a quick recap of the top fruit trees that can grow in Texas.
| Fruit Trees | Why Grow? |
|---|---|
| Pear | 1. Thrives in Northern Texas weather 2. Drought tolerant and fewer management issues |
| Peach | 1. Rewarding yields for a long period 2. Adaptable to Texas weather |
| Figs | 1. Grown in Texas for attractive foliage and versatile fruits 2. Requires less maintenance once established |
| Apple | 1. Popular home-grown fruit is successfully grown in Texas 2. Multiple varieties available |
| Plum | 1. Prolific grower producing high yields with easy care 2. Suitable for beginners |
| Persimmons | 1. Small and easy to grow in challenging environments 2. Adaptable to most of Texas |
| Cherry | 1. Multiple varieties suitable for Texas weather 2. Adds ornamental value to the home gardens |
| Avocadoes | 1. Grows well in many soil types of Texas 2. Versatile in the kitchen |
| Pomegranates | 1. Thrives in a wider range of soil conditions in Texas 2. Compatible to container |
| Grapes | 1. A prolific grower with huge yields for a long time 2. Many varieties suitable for Texas climate |
| Citrus | 1. Multiple varieties can adapt to Texas climatic conditions 2. Suitable for growing in containers for space limitation |
| Loquat | 1. Adapts well to wide soil types of Texas 2. Relatively pest-free and adds tropical flavor to your garden |
| Jujube | 1. Easy to grow in Texas and are drought tolerant 2. Resistant to most diseases and pests 1. Easy to grow in Texas and are drought tolerant 2. Resistant to most diseases and pests |
| Pecans | 1. State tree of Texas with many varieties 2. Container-friendly for small spaces |
| Blackberries | 1. Easy to grow, maintain, and harvest in many regions of Texas 2. Highly rewarding with an abundance of yields |
Bottom line
i hope this article helped select the best fruit trees to grow in the Texas climate.
If you have any additional tips for fruit trees that can thrive in Texas, we’d love to hear them!
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