Santa Rosa County What type of fruit or nut trees? (University: to buy, university)

[patticaryl]

Anyone know what kind of fruit trees grow well in the panhandle around Gulf Breeze? What about nut trees? Is it too cold in the winter for the citrus? How about avacado trees?

[southernnaturelover]

You'll find pecan trees pretty much everywhere in the panhandle, especially inland. Chinese Chestnut trees aren't as popular, but they grow well here too.

For fruit....

Peaches (low chill types like 'Flordaking' etc)
Plums (especially the ones developed by Auburn University)
Asian Pears
Figs
Japanese Persimmons (Fuyu is great)

Citrus is mostly limited to Satsumas, but even those will need protecting in extreme winters like this past one.

Sorry, no Avacados.

[beachmouse]

If you're right on the coast, you get more options than inland because overnight lows frequently run a good 5 degrees warmer than inland, and that makes a world of difference.

We've got both a small orange thing (probably satsuma or mandarin, I can't remember exactly) and a grapefruit tree in our front yard. The orange thing needs to cross-pollinate from the grapefruit to bear fruit.

We're too far north for lemons and limes to really work, but a lot in the orange and grapefruit spectrum of things can survive okay if you spend the money to buy a relatively large tree to begin with and then are willing to really baby it the first couple winters until the roots really get deep and happy.

I was worried that we'd lose the grapefruit this winter when we had those cold snaps, and it lost about the top 1/3 of leaves in the cold, but roots and trunk are sturdy, and it's now leafing out again nicely.

Kumquat/loquat are nice medium-sized trees that handle winter well and bear interesting fruit.

[southernnaturelover]

I forgot to mention Rabbiteye blueberries. I get so many berries on my bushes that I have to give many of them away and freeze the rest.

'Rabbiteye' is the southern type that performs best here with the sandy acidic soil, the more northern types that you see at big box stores don't do so well.

[Jenny O.]

I live in Pace.
We Have Blueberries
kumquats
oranges,,huge oranges
lemons.......they were sooo juicy and as big as grapefruit last year and they made it through the winter
pears
peaches
necrarines
gala apple
grannysmith apple
grapes
a HUGE FIG
blackberrys
And My very VERY favorite....MY WEEPING MULBERRY...I was told by people it would not produce, I think of that every spring as I am standing under it eating killer Mulerrrys

Oh and 2 plum trees......and No avocado, I want to order a tree and keep it inside, as well as a pomagranite...

[patticaryl]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I can get a nice variety, whenever we can finally get moved there! Too bad about no avacado trees, though. I remember not even knowing what a good peach tasted like until we lived in Alabama for a while. Delicious!!!

[southernnaturelover]

Jenny O, do your Gala and Granny Smith apple trees produce decent fruit? I have 'Anna' and 'Ein Shemer' which are both supposed to be low chill types, but they're still young so the jury is still out on them. They do seem a little fussy though and they never seem to look "good" IMO.

[Jenny O.]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Jenny O, do your Gala and Granny Smith apple trees produce decent fruit? I have 'Anna' and 'Ein Shemer' which are both supposed to be low chill types, but they're still young so the jury is still out on them. They do seem a little fussy though and they never seem to look "good" IMO.

They are youngins, actually they have their first blossoms on them now,
My citrus, fig, blueberry, mullberry, are all producing A LOT..


Not fruit or nut, but I want to get more whisteria, chinese elm, and eucalipis...OMG..fast growing HUGE And BEAUTIFUL..

please excuse my spelling.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Jenny O.

They are youngins, actually they have their first blossoms on them now,
My citrus, fig, blueberry, mullberry, are all producing A LOT..


Not fruit or nut, but I want to get more whisteria, chinese elm, and eucalipis...OMG..fast growing HUGE And BEAUTIFUL..

please excuse my spelling.

Look for the native Winged Elm rather than the Chinese Elm. The Lowes on Nine Mile Rd in P'Cola has them planted around the parking lot. They have interesting corky "wings" on the twigs.

My blueberries are just finishing blooming. Those big fat bumblebees are VERY defensive of those so I usually avoid them while they're blooming.

[EscAlaMike]

Don't forget pecan trees, they grow very well here.