What do lemons, avocados, persimmons, and pomegranates have in common? They’re all fruits that thrive in the Mediterranean climate of Southern California. If you live in Los Angeles, Ventura County, or elsewhere in Southern California, and are looking to add shade to your garden and more fruit to your diet, then it’s time to plant a fruit tree.
Here are the 13 best fruit trees to plant in your Southern Californian garden, along with information on how and when to harvest fruit from our Backyard Harvest Team.
Grapefruit
Eat these extra-large citrus fruits for breakfast, squeeze them into palomas, or candy their peels for a festive treat. They got their name because they grow in clusters like grapes.
- Harvest Season: Winter – Autumn
- Harvesting Method: Hand picking and using a picker and when the fruit is ripe.
- Ripe grapefruits will be large and heavy for its size. The fruit should feel firm all the way around.
Lemons
Two of our favorite lemon varieties are Meyer and Eureka. Meyer lemons have a softer rind and are a touch sweet, whereas Eureka lemons are more like the traditional ones you see in stores. Meyer lemons rose in popularity when Martha Stewart started using them frequently. The Eureka lemon is a descendant of the Lunario lemon, a variety from Italy, though they originated in California.
Meyer
- Harvest Season: Late Autumn – Early Spring
- Harvesting Method: Hand picking by using the twist and pull method or using hand pruners.
- When Meyer lemons are ripe, they will be deep yellow with a slight orange tint. They are typically rounder than other lemons and have 2 to 3 inches in diameter. When tasting them, they will be sweet, tart, and less acidic.
Eureka
- Harvest Season: Late Winter – Early Autumn
- Harvest Method: Hand picking or using a picker when the fruit is ripe.
- Eureka lemons are ripe when they feel heavy for their size and have a pleasant aroma. Their shape will be oval and their color is a medium-gold. However, there still can be a little hint of green on the fruit.
Oranges
Navel oranges are typically better for eating while Valencias are better for juicing. The original navel orange was discovered growing as a mutation on a sweet orange tree in Brazil. Valencia oranges were originally hybridized in Santa Ana, CA but were named after the city Valencia, Spain which is known for its sweet oranges.
Navel
- Harvest Season: Winter – Spring
- Harvest Method: Hand picking or using a picker when the fruit is ripe.
- Navel oranges are ripe when they feel heavy in hand and there is a fresh fragrant scent coming from the button area of the peel. The color should be orange and uniform with no spots.
Valencia
- Harvest Season: Spring – Autumn
- Harvest Method: Hand picking or using a picker when the fruit is ripe.
Mandarin
Mandarins are considered as a traditional symbol of good fortune because the word for orange in the Mandarin language sounds like the word for wealth.
- Harvest Season: Winter – Spring
- Harvest Method: Hand pick using the twist and pull method or snipping with hand pruners or telescopic pruners when the fruit turns orange.
- Mandarins are ripe when they turn completely orange with no green on the skin. They will be soft to the touch and will be sweet and juicy.
Tangerine
The name “tangerine” originates from Tangier, Morocco, which was the port from which the very first batches of the tangerine fruit were shipped from Tangier, Morocco or Southeast Asia to Europe.
- Harvest Season: Autumn – Winter
- Harvest Method: Hand pick using the twist and pull method or snipping with hand pruners or a telescopic pruner when the fruit is ripe.
- Ripe tangerines will be a bright, vibrant orange color and will be heavy for its size.
Kumquat
The word kumquat originates from the Cantonese “kam kwat,” which means “golden orange” in Cantonese. Kumquats should be eaten whole, skin and all.
- Harvest Season: Winter – Summer
- Harvest Method: Hand picking, snipping with a sharp knife, hand pruner, or extension pruner are the most ideal.
- Kumquats are ripe when they are fully orange, plump, and firm.
Avocado
Holy guacamole! Did you know you could grow avocados in your own backyard? The most common varieties of avocados found in Southern California are Bacon, Hass, Fuerte, Reed, and Zutano. They are a bit of a long-term investment as they take several years to bear fruit.
- Harvest Season: Early Fall – Summer
- Harvest Method: Hand picking or with a picker when the fruit is still underripe. The right time to pick the fruit is when you’ve noticed that the avocado has stopped growing and the fruit has started to deepen to a black, dark purple, or dark green.
- You’ll be able to tell avocados are ripe when they are soft and yield to pressure.
Persimmon
There are two main types of persimmons: Fuyus, which are crunchy and can be eaten like an apple, and Hachiyas, which are to be eaten when soft.
Fuyu
- Harvest Season: Autumn – Winter
- Harvest Method: A hand pruner or telescopic pruner is the preferred method, but a picker using the twist and pull method can be used. Fuyus are best picked when they turn to their orange pink color.
- Fuyus are ripe when they are a bright orange or yellow color and their consistency will be firm and crisp.
Hachiya
- Harvest Season: Autumn
- Harvest Method: Hand pruner or a telescopic pruner is preferred but a picker can still be used by using the twist and pull method. Harvest the fruit when they turn orange.
- Fruit is ripe and ready to eat when they are deep orange and the skin is almost translucent. Fruit will be soft like a water balloon and hard to handle without breaking the skin.
Pomegranate
The word pomegranate means apple with many seeds. This fruit is a symbol of fertility in many cultures.
- Harvest Season: Autumn
- Harvest Method: Hand pruner or telescopic pruner when the fruit is ripe.
- Pomegranates are ripe when they are fully red and when you start to notice flat and angular sides. This is created by the growing seed sacks that push against the flesh of the fruit.
Stone Fruit
A range of stone fruit can be grown in Southern California including apricot, nectarine, peach, plum, and pluot.
- Harvest Season: Late Spring – Autumn
- Harvest Method: Hand pick or use hand pruners and telescopic pruners to harvest. The best time to harvest stone fruit is when they are at their peak flavor and sweetness but are still as firm as possible to make harvesting easier.
- Stone fruit are ripe when they are juicy, sweet, yield to pressure, and heavy for their size.
Looking to branch out further? Check out our blog for additional fruit tree care resources with more information on how to maintain your trees for the best yields and tastiest fruit. And if you’re looking to donate the abundance that comes with high-producing trees, you can register your tree with Food Forward.