By Malachi Leo. If you’re planting trees this season, read on for several fruit-producing varieties that are well-adapted to our climate. There are always rewards for gardening. Every moment of blood, sweat and tears is usually made worthwhile with beautiful blooms or fantastic fragrance.
But one thing you may not have considered is how rewarding it can be to grow your own fabulous fruit!
Our local climate is well suited for many kinds of fruit, from figs to pears and even (technically) pecan. Of course, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with your soil type and sun conditions before you commit to any new plant — especially a fruit bearing one — as soil type and sun can affect fruit production and quality.
If you’re taking part in tree planting season this year here are a few local favorites to consider.
Satsuma citrus: A seedless, easy-to-peel citrus that happens to be one of the sweetest members of the citrus genus. ‘Orange Frost’ and ‘Artic Frost’ are good varieties that are usually available at garden centers and are cold hardy and (somewhat) less thorny.
Peach: Nothing quite recalls memories of the summer like a ripe, juicy peach. If you’ve got the time for a little more fuss, peaches prove to be worth it with those beautiful blooms and tasty fruit. However, they do require good drainage. They also need at least 500 chill hours in winter to produce fruit, so you may not always see a reward here in South Central Texas. Honeybees love the flowers just as much as we do.
Loquat: A common sight in San Antonio with yellow fruits you can recognize from a mile away. There is heavy litter when fruit is falling, but birds and pollinators enjoy the flowers and fruit. These tasty plums appear during mild winters and can often be found in alleys and other native areas because of wildlife helping it reseed. Excellent for screening.
Oriental persimmon: With the Latin name translating to “divine fruit,” you can’t help but wonder just what this fruit has in store for you. Not as fickle as peaches in terms of soil requirements, this tree provides gorgeous color in fall as well as sweet and delicious fruit. You must wait for the fruit to be soft like custard before eating it. (If you don’t, you’ll never make that mistake again.) Unripe persimmon is extremely astringent and makes your mouth feel like all the moisture was taken from it! Ask me how I know.
Pomegranate: The pretty red blooms of the pomegranate tree are reminiscent of Fiesta with their vibrancy, looking as though they should adorn the hair of a Folklorico dancer. This plant is versatile in that it can be a shrub, a hedge or a tree depending how you train it. The iconic fruit calls forth images of the Greek pantheon, with sweet and large fruit deserving of divinity. Pomegranate fruits best with full sun, and fruit will be sweeter and more plentiful. It’s drought tolerant and should be watered infrequently once established to encourage deep, healthy roots.
With so many options to choose from and a wide variety to suit any taste, it may be a lot easier to grow your own fruit than you thought. Plentiful harvests can serve as gifts to friends, family and neighbors. You just may become the star of your street!
Malachi Leo: As a public health graduate and native San Antonian, the importance of water as our most vital natural resource is not lost on Malachi. Working as a field investigator under the irrigation plan review umbrella, he helps to ensure that irrigation systems going into the ground meet state and city standards. When he’s not doing that, you’ll find him exploring restaurants in town—pointing out native plants he recognizes to his friends along the way.
