Which Fruit Trees Should I Plant in San Diego?

Which Are the Best Fruit Trees to Plant in San Diego?

It is important to choose fruit trees that will thrive in your area, which will help you avoid wasting money and having to provide special care to help your trees survive.

Fortunately, San Diego’s warm weather and sunshine make this a prime location for growing the most common fruit trees.

Many fruit-bearing trees grow well in the alkaline sedimentary soil in this area, which means few or no soil amendments should be required if you primarily stick with the subtropical trees that are known to thrive in this region.

Most of the San Diego area falls under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone 10b, but some of the more inland areas of the county are USDA hardiness zone 10a.

There is only about a five-degree temperature difference in these zones, which means that the majority of plants and trees that will do well in the 10a areas will also do well in the 10b areas.

Here are 15 fruit tree varieties that grow well in the San Diego area:

1. Oranges

2. Lemons

3. Limes

4. Most varieties of peaches

5. Most varieties of nectarines

6. Pomegranates

7. Avocados

8. Pluots

9. Some varieties of pears

10. Some varieties of apricots

11. Figs

12. Grapefruits

13. Guavas

14. Tangerines

15. Persimmons

While many home gardeners have success with certain types of apples, Asian pears, cherries, and bananas, these are not ideally suited to the San Diego climate.

If you would like to grow fruits that generally need colder temperatures in winter to allow them to go dormant to properly produce their blossoms and fruit – like apples and cherries – talk to an expert at your local nursery to find the varieties that have the best chance of thriving in this area.

Since most common options can thrive here, you can select the types of fruits you and your family enjoy the most, or the fruits you are most interested in including in your meal planning or annual canning.