Best Tropical Fruits
The best tropical fruits to grow are worth a close look. These fruits come in a range of shapes and sizes. Banana, pineapple and coconut are probably the best known, but there are many more to add to the list. The number and variety of fruits that originate in the tropics is amazing. When added to fruits from other regions that grow in the tropics, choice abounds.
Tropical Fruits to Grow
This is our list of favourites:
- Black Sapote
- Custard Apple
- Dragon Fruit
- Grumichama
- Guava Tree
- Jaboticaba
- Kumquat Tree
- Lemonade
- Mamey Sapote
- Natal Plum
- Passion Fruit
- Paw paw
- Rambutan
- Star Apple
- Watermelon
Don’t let the fact some of these trees can grow very large put you off. The backyard gardener simply has to prune to keep those monsters under control. Indeed, when grown commercially, most of these trees, such as the mango, are pruned regularly as a matter of coarse.
Other fruit trees that grow in the tropics
Many of the non tropical fruits grown in the tropics are citrus. We are fans of the lemonade fruit in particular. However, there are many other citrus that will grow and thrive in the tropics.
Citrus Champions
- Grapefruit
- Lemons (The Meyer Lemon in particular thrives in the tropics)
- Mandarin
- Oranges
- Tangerine
- Tangelo
Of course some citrus actually originate from the tropics! One of these is the West Indian lime, known as the key lime. The grapefruit is another. However, my favourite tropical citrus is the pummelo (aka pomelo). The pomelo is related to grapefruit, but is sweeter. There are several types of pomelo, including Nam Roi, which produces a large sweet seedless fruit.
Another Non Tropical Hero
Why not grow mulberry trees?
Yes. Unlike mulberries grown in southern climate, mulberries grown in the tropics will grow into a bush, not a tree. However the fruit is just as sweet.
Other Tropical Fruit
Lychee fruit is the most obvious thing missing from the above list. We love to eat them, we just don’t grow them. Lychee trees are one of the larger trees and we just don’t have room for one in our yard. However, if you do – go for it! For us, eating lychees is a natural part of life in Far North Queensland.
Bananas are another tropical fruit you can grow very easily. However, we are just not banana lovers. Fortunately there is a lot of information already out there on how to grow bananas.
The mangosteen is another popular tropical fruit. Don’t let the name confuse you, it is nothing like a mango. The fruit has a white flesh with a ‘sweet and tangy’ taste. A tropical evergreen tree, the mangosteen is widely grown in Southeast Asia.
Non Tree Fruit
Of course not all fruits grow on tropical fruit trees. There are a number of fruits that grow on tropical vines. Passionfruit is a great example.
The monstera or Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) is another popular vine. It requires rich, well-drained soil and a shaded spot and can grow to 30 feet. Monstera flowers are long, white spike that grow at ground level.
Kiwi vines (Actinidia deliciosa) is also grown in the tropics. Plant kiwi vines in well-drained soil and a sunny spot. Provide a support structure such as a trellis and cut back the branches that produce fruit to encourage fresh growth.
Don’t Even Try
In these days of artificial micro-climates and genetic modification it seems almost anything is possible. However, it remains easier to work with the environment than to try to modify it. Some of the non tropical fruits we would not even try to grow in the tropics include apples, pears, peaches, cherries and other temperate specialists.
