In most of the US, gardeners are used to planting classic fruit trees like apples, cherries, pears, and other cold-weather fruit. But in hotter regions of the country, such as those that fall under USDA hardiness zone 10, things are a little different.
For one, the minimum average temperature range for this zone is 30 to 40 degrees F, so it lacks the minimal chill hours that many of these fruit varieties require to produce.
Instead zone 10 fruit trees steer toward citrus trees, tropical and subtropical trees, warm weather stone fruits, and more.
This means that zone 10 gardeners and homeowners have a very diverse and, in some cases, exotic variety of fruit trees to choose from.
14 Fruit Trees that Grow Well in Zone 10
1. Keitt Mango (Mangifera indica ‘Keitt’)
A popular and reliable mango variety for home growers and commercial growers is the Keitt, a wild seedling first planted in Florida in the 1930s. It is highly appealing due to its large fruits (Keitt mangoes can sometimes reach up to 5 pounds!), smooth texture, and mild but pleasing flavor.
Fruits are bright green with a slight red blush, and they have a classic mango taste with some tanginess and even a hint of lemon. It also has an excellent flesh-to-seed ratio. These mangos are great for eating in virtually every way, from juices and smoothies to chutneys and sauces.
The Keitt tree is shorter than the average mango tree, with long evergreen leaves and an attractive tropical look. It is typically highly adaptable, and able to tolerate a range of different soil types. However it requires well-draining soil, and the fruits are susceptible to bacterial black spots.
Growing Zones: 10-11
Average Size at Maturity: 18-20 feet tall, with a 15-18 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Summer
Available at: Nature Hills
2. Persian Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia ‘Bearss’)
A heavy-bearing citrus tree that will grow perfectly in zone 10, the Persian Lime is an evergreen dwarf shrub that is a cross between a key lime and a lemon and produces highly versatile fruits.
Persian Limes are super juicy, aromatic, and tangy (though less acidic than other limes), and can be used for all kinds of culinary purposes. They also have an exceptional shelf life.
Unlike some other lime species, this tree is almost entirely thornless, making it a more accessible plant for home gardening.
It produces fragrant white flowers in spring, and its dark, shiny evergreen leaves grow densely. It has a full evergreen crown that lends it well to use as a specimen or patio tree. Naturally, they grow very well in containers.
Plant the Persian Lime in full sun and fertile, well-draining soil. This self-pollinating tree is easy to grow as long as it is watered consistently and well-fertilized every growing season.
Other Common Names: Bearss Lime, Tahiti Lime, Seedless Lime
Growing Zones: 9-11
Average Size at Maturity: 12-18 feet tall, with a 5-10 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Winter to Early Spring
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
3. Chandler Pummelo (Citrus maxima ‘Chandler’)
A fantastic fruit variety developed from the Pummelo fruits of southeast Asia, the Chandler Pummelo is a hybrid cross between the Siamese Pink and Siamese Sweet Pummelo, according to the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection.
Its large round fruits weigh up to 4 pounds, and its rind is smooth and yellow. The inner flesh is reddish-pink and almost seedless, with a juicy consistency. It is best eaten fresh or used in juices and has a flavor that is sweet, mild, and slightly bitter.
The tree of the Chandler Pummelo is small to medium-sized with large evergreen leaves and even larger white flowers. It can be used as a small shade tree, accent, hedge, screen, or patio plant, and in cooler climates it can even be used as an attractive houseplant.
These self-pollinating trees grow best in full sun and sandy, moist, well-draining soil. It is not fussy about pH levels.
Other Common Names: Chandler Red Pummelo
Growing Zones: 9-10
Average Size at Maturity: 8-12 feet tall, with a 10-12 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Fall
Available at: Nature Hills
4. Tango Mandarin (Citrus reticulata ‘Tango’)
Released to the public in 2006 by UC Riverside, the Tango Mandarin has quickly gone on to become one of California’s most popular mandarin varieties and be grown around the world.
These small symmetrical fruits have smooth deep orange skin which light up the landscape in winter, and are absolutely bursting with flavor when ripe. They have a tangy sweet-tart taste and are highly convenient to eat, with easy-peeling rind and very few seeds.
Tango Mandarin trees are heavy-bearing, delightfully easy to grow, and highly ornamental, with dark glossy evergreen leaves and fragrant spring blossoms. They can be grown equally well in containers and in the ground and used as specimen trees and focal points. Not to mention your neighborhood pollinators will thank you for planting them!
These trees grow best in an elevated location with full sun exposure and well-draining soil.
Growing Zones: 9-10
Average Size at Maturity: 8-10 feet tall, with a 4-6 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Winter
Available at: Nature Hills
5. Red Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleiana ‘Strawberry or Red Tropical Guava’)
Nutritious, delicious, and attractive to boot, the Red Strawberry Guava tree offers plenty of benefits for zone 10 gardeners. This small to medium-sized subtropical fruit tree hails from South America and produces small round fruits that start off green and turn a deep vivid magenta color.
Their flavor is often compared to strawberry with notes of passionfruit and lime, and even their skins are edible. They make a luscious and healthy snack with high levels of vitamin C, A, and omega 3 and 6.
While the evergreen Red Strawberry Guava tree takes well to pruning, if you have the space to let it grow to its full height you will be rewarded with an appealing screen, hedge, or backdrop.
For best results provide this tree with plenty of sun, irrigation, and rich, loamy well-draining soil. However, it is generally unfussy and can grow in a range of environments, including poor-quality soil.
Other Common Names: Red Tropical Guava, Red Cattley Guava, Red Cherry Guava
Growing Zones: 9-10
Average Size at Maturity: 15-30 feet tall, 10-20 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Summer
Available at: Nature Hills
6. Eureka Lemon (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’)
If you’re looking for a reliable and high-yielding lemon tree to keep your kitchen stocked, the Eureka Lemon is what you need.
Since it was first planted in California in 1858 this Eureka Lemon has been known for its impressive productivity, as the tree will produce fruit consistently throughout the year with the most bountiful crops being in spring and summer.
The Eureka Lemon itself is pale yellow and has a classic tart and acidic flavor that is perfect for both sweet and savory meals and beverages. The flesh is a light pink color and yields plenty of juice.
Eureka Lemon trees are medium-sized and almost thornless with an open habit, dense evergreen leaves, and waxy white blossoms that are lovely and fragrant. These self-fertile trees can be planted in a container or as a small specimen and even trained along an espalier or trellis.
Other Common Names: Citrus Limon
Growing Zones: 8-10
Average Size at Maturity: 10-12 feet tall, with a 3-4 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Spring and Summer
Available at: Nature Hills
7. Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis)
Add a truly exotic touch to your garden with the Red Dragon Fruit tree, a specimen that is almost guaranteed to draw attention and admiration throughout the year.
This surreal-looking cactus tree hails from Latin America, and is known for its pendulous bright green cactus branches, its colorful tropical fruit, and its dramatic white flowers which are some of the largest blooms in the world!
Red Dragon Fruits are both ornamental and nutritious, with their bright red skin and protruding yellow tabs. Their flesh is magenta colored with a smooth, crisp consistency and a mild, slightly sweet pear-like flavor.
Unsurprisingly this distinctive tree is a sought-after ornamental that is able to be used as a stunning specimen that looks particularly good near patios and pools. It is technically self-pollinating, but according to the University of Guam Extension hand pollination is the most fruitful method.
The Red Dragon Fruit tree is also easy to grow, as long as it is in a consistently warm and sunny climate with plenty of space and well-draining soil.
Other Common Names: Strawberry Pear, Pitaya, Pitayaha, Costa Rica Nightblooming Cactus
Growing Zones: 10-11
Average Size at Maturity: 8-25 feet tall, with a 2-4 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Fall to Winter
Available at: Nature Hills
8. Arctic Rose White Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica ‘Arctic Rose’)
Despite its name, the Arctic Rose Nectarine actually thrives in warm and sunny climates in growing zones 6 to 10. This delightful blushing red fruit has creamy white flesh with a crisp texture and a super sweet flavor.
They can be picked and eaten early while still firm, and this firmness makes them excellent for shipping and storing as they will maintain their shape. The longer you leave an Arctic Rose to ripen, the sweeter it will be.
The tree is a lovely flowering ornamental too, particularly its aromatic pink blossoms that crowd the branches in spring. Use it as a small shade tree and specimen, or prune it into hedges or small groupings to attract pollinators.
Growing these nectarines will require a little more time and care than other fruit trees on this list. They require between 600 to 1000 chilling hours per year, full sun, and well-draining soil, and need to be regularly monitored for pests and disease.
Other Common Names: Arctic Rose Nectarine
Growing Zones: 6-10
Average Size at Maturity: 12-15 feet tall, with a 10-12 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Early to Mid-Summer
Available at: Nature Hills
9. Violette de Bordeaux (Ficus carica ‘Violette de Bordeaux’)
A gorgeous French fig variety that has been lauded around the world for centuries, the Violette de Bordeaux is a petite natural dwarf that produces mouthwatering and beautiful figs. It is highly productive too, yielding two crops of figs per year.
The fruits of the Violette de Bordeaux are small and fragrant with dark purple skin and rich strawberry-red flesh. These figs are soft and luxurious with an almost candy-like sweetness that lends it well to both fresh eating, drying, and use in baking and preserves.
This fig tree is technically self-pollinating but will do best with a compatible pollination partner grown nearby. They fit very well in small spaces and containers, and with their large bright-green tropical-style leaves they can be used as a patio plant, specimen, and screen.
Though fig trees can tolerate relatively poor soil, for best results plant the Violette de Bordeaux tree in full sun and rich, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Other Common Names: Vista, Nero, Valle Calda, Petite Negri, Negronne
Growing Zones: 7-10
Average Size at Maturity: 6-10 feet tall, with a 6-8 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Fall
Available at: Nature Hills
10. Santa Barbara Peach (Prunus persica ‘Santa Barbara’)
Perfect for warm climates and mild winters, the Santa Barbara is a great peach cultivar for zone 10 gardeners.
First discovered in southern California, the Santa Barbara has very low chilling requirements, is self-pollinating, and is one of the US’ best-tasting peach varieties. It is even considered comparable to the famous Elberta peach!
These fuzzy yellow-gold fruits are decorated with a pretty pink blush, and the taste of these fruits is just as enticing as their appearance. Santa Barbara peaches have a melt-in-your-mouth texture and intense peachy flavor with a perfect amount of sweetness. They are great for eating fresh or incorporated into baking and preserves.
The Santa Barbara tree is deciduous and its lush foliage and flowers make it a useful specimen plant and screen. It prefers to be planted in full sun and well-draining soil and should be fertilized twice a year.
Growing Zones: 7-10
Average Size at Maturity: 15-20 feet tall, with a 12-15 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Late Summer
Available at: Nature Hills
11. Gold Finger Banana (Musa acuminata x balbisiana ‘FHIA-01 Goldfinger’)
Image via Nature Hills
Healthy, hardy, and delicious, the Gold Finger Banana is an excellent cultivar for banana lovers in zone 10. Developed in Honduras and released in 1994, this variety is prized for its superior pest and disease resistance, cold hardiness, wind tolerance, and high annual yield, among other things.
And most importantly, its produce tastes great! The self-ripening Gold Finger Bananas have an excellent sweet and smooth flavor with only slight acidity. They are excellent eaten fresh and enjoyed in desserts, drinks, salads, etc.
The semi-dwarf Gold Finger tree is a worthy addition to your landscape too, with its long, bright evergreen leaves and thin leafy trunk adding natural exotic flair. They look particularly beautiful planted beside a pool.
When planting this banana variety, choose a location with full sun and moist, well-draining soil that has plenty of space for its root system to spread.
Other Common Names: Musa Goldfinger
Growing Zones: 9-10
Average Size at Maturity: 12-14 feet tall, with a 6-8 foot spread
Fruiting Season: N/A
Available at: Nature Hills
12. Ambrosia Pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘Ambrosia’)
Another stunningly unique zone 10 fruit tree is the Ambrosia Pomegranate tree, which produces some of the largest pomegranates in the world – as much as three times the size of the average pomegranate!
These large globular fruits have smooth, pale pink skins that add ornamental appeal, and inside they contain those bright red gem-like seeds that contain delicious sweet-tart juice that have the same richness and intensity of a classic pomegranate.
The tree itself is a large robust shrub with arching brushes, dense lustrous leaves, and orange spring blooms. It makes a lovely ornamental specimen, accent tree, and hedging, and will grow well in containers.
The Ambrosia Pomegranate is fairly easygoing and adaptable, growing in a wide range of environments and soil conditions (though it much prefers well-draining soil). Full sun is essential, and it has very little chilling requirements – just 150 hours a year!
Growing Zones: 8-10
Average Size at Maturity: 12-16 feet tall, with a 1-4 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Fall
Available at: Nature Hills
13. Bacon Avocado (Persea americana ‘Bacon’)
No, the Bacon Avocado doesn’t really taste like bacon – it was named after the first man who grew it in California, James Bacon. But don’t let that get you down!
These small to medium-sized green-skinned avocados are delicious, with a subtle flavor and smooth, creamy texture that make them perfect for all manner of snacks, sandwiches, and other savory meals.
Don’t sleep on the Bacon Avocado tree either, which will make quite a splash in your garden. Its upright form and spreading habit combined with its large evergreen leaves will make an effective specimen tree or even a small shade tree. Keep it pruned and shrubby and you can also use it as a hedge or privacy screen.
Provide the Bacon Avocado tree with at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, with well-draining soil and a balanced fertilizer in spring and summer. It is also a useful pollinator for other avocado trees, but as a self-fertile variety, it can be grown on its own.
Growing Zones: 9-11
Average Size at Maturity: 15-20 feet tall, with a 14-18 foot spread
Fruiting Season: Fall to Spring
Available at: Nature Hills
14. Champagne Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica ‘Champagne’)
While Loquats are not a common sight in US gardens, they are well worth considering if you want an interesting and delicious addition to your zone 10 edible garden.
A hybrid between the European Loquat and Japanese Plum, this early-season fruit has the appearance of a small apricot, with smooth orange-yellow skin.
Its white flesh is very juicy and sweet, with a nice tartness to balance it out. These small fruits can be eaten fresh or used in baking and preserves.
The most ornamental feature of the Champagne Loquat tree is its leaves which are large and leathery, with delicate veins and an orange underside. It can be used as a specimen or as part of a mixed backdrop.
This self-fertile variety is resistant to most serious pests, but fireblight is often a risk. Provide it with full sun and slightly moist, well-draining soil for best fruit production.
Growing Zones: 7-11
Average Size at Maturity: 15-20 feet tall, with a similar spread
Fruiting Season: Spring
Available at: Nature Hills
Bountiful Fruit Trees For Warm Climates
From the versatile Persian lime to the flavorsome Santa Barbara peach and everywhere in between, there are so many options for zone 10 fruit trees. It can seem overwhelming to choose the right varieties for your garden.
Consider the type of soil on your property – is it dry and compacted, or fertile and well-draining?
Is it acidic, neutral or alkaline?
What kind of micro-climate does your property exist in, and how much wind and rainfall does it receive throughout the year?
All of these things and more will help you to make the right decisions for your orchard or edible garden.
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