Plant Profiles: Trees and Shrubs for Your Backyard Orchard

Citrus, blueberries and figs are some of the most popular edibles found in North Florida yards, but the fruit-growing doesn’t have to end there. To the surprise of many, there are varieties of fruits like apples, olives and pomegranates that perform well in North Florida. Here are brief profiles for a diverse variety of fruit trees and shrubs that will thrive in our region.

Fuyu persimmon

Popular for their heavy production of large, non-astringent kaki-like fruits, Fuyu persimmons are self-fertile, full-sun-loving and reach 12-15 feet at maturity. Fruits are harvested in the fall, through the winter. Though they are adaptable, Fuyu persimmons prefer moist, well-draining, loamy, slightly acidic soil. Drought tolerant once established.

Wonderful pomegranate

A year-long showstopper, Wonderful pomegranates bear orange-red (edible!) blossoms in the spring and vibrant, large fruits in the fall. The flowers are a food source for butterflies and hummingbirds. Dense and bushy, Wonderful pomegranates generally grow to be 8-12 feet tall, and they are very responsive to pruning. Give your Wonderful pomegranate full sun, well-draining soil, and consistent water from spring to fall. Self-fertile, but having more than one tree increases each tree's fruit production. 

Arbequina olive

Hailing from Catalonia, these self-fertile, highly aromatic olives are prized for their oil and for eating at the table. Aberquina olive trees are adaptable and cold hardy to 5°F. They need full sun and well-drained soil, and are drought-tolerant. In the ground they will reach around 18-22 feet at full maturity; in pots or containers they will be a bit smaller. Fruit ripens in the fall.

Ouachita blackberry

One of the most common cultivars grown at U-picks throughout the state, Ouachita blackberry is a high-yielding, thornless variety that yields plump, flavorful berries during the early summer months. They are self-pollinating, full-sun-loving, and prefer acidic, well-draining, loamy soil with ample moisture. Water consistently through drought. These blackberry bushes are erect, and can grow to be 4-5 feet tall and spread just as wide. Excess fertilizer can damage or kill the plant. This cultivar is resistant to rosette disease.

Dwarf Everbearing mulberry

Dwarf Everbearing mulberry is hardy, adaptable and low maintenance. Choose a site with full sun or light shade. Though adaptable, it thrives in infertile, sandy soils. Once established, Dwarf Everbearing mulberries are drought-tolerant. Easily grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or as a tree, if pruned. The maximum height is 10-15 feet at maturity. Self-pollinating, and fruits ripen in late spring through summer. Berries are large and packed with rich flavor.

Anna apple

Especially suited for warm winter climates, Anna apple trees are cold hardy to 15°F and need only 200-300 chill hours. The fruits are crisp, sweet and tart, with yellow skins that bear a beautiful pink-red blush. Pollinators love the showy spring flowers. Average mature height is 25 feet. Give your Anna apple tree full sun and consistent deep watering—especially in extreme heat—and do not plant in a low-lying area. Needs another cultivar for cross-pollination. 

Dorsett apple

Dorsett apples trees bear crisp, aromatic, medium-sized fruits that are golden and rosy, and ripen early. Golden Delicious-like, the fruits are great for eating fresh off the tree, baking and preserving. Pollinators love the showy spring flowers. Average height is 20 feet at maturity. Give your Dorsett apple full sun, well-draining soil, and do not plant in a low-lying area. Not self-fertile. A perfect companion for Anna or Tropic Sweet, Dorsett apples are suited for warm winter climates, as they require around 200 chill hours and are hardy to around -10°F.

Tropic Sweet apple

Hailing from University of Florida's breeding program, Tropic Sweet apples live up to their name: the fruits are indeed super sweet and not too tart. Spring flowers will attract pollinators. The mature height is 20-25 feet. They want full sun and well-draining soil; do not plant in a low-lying area. Another low-chill apple variety, Tropic Sweet apples require only 250 chill hours and are cold hardy to 15-20°F. Not self-fertile; perfect companion for Dorsett and Anna apples.

Bruce plum

A chickasaw-Japanese hybrid, Bruce plums are one of the tougher plum varieties. The fruits have a sweet, mellow flavor, and ripen in the summer. Flowers are pollinator magnets. They are semi-dwarf and have a weeping growth habit, reaching 12-18 feet in height. Needs another variety for cross-pollination. Requires 500 chill hours and is cold hardy to 15-20°F. Give your Bruce plum tree full sun, heavily-composted and well-draining soil, and water sufficiently when young. Established trees are drought-tolerant. Prune and thin damaged fruit in spring to encourage high yield. 

Segundo plum

Known for their robust flavor, Segundo plums bare bright red skin and blush orange flesh. They’re soft, sweet and juicy. Pollinators love the spring flowers; the fruits ripen in the summer. Mature height is 12-18 feet. Needs another variety for cross-pollination. Requires 500 chill hours and is cold hardy to 15-20°F, like Bruce. It wants full sun, heavily-composted and well-draining soil, and lots of water during dry periods. 

Unique Native Shrubs

Bumble bees, like this one, are regular visitors to wild hydrangea. Photo by Donna Legare.

North Florida and South Georgia have a wealth of native shrubs. Many are quite common and well known, such as American beautyberry. Others occur throughout our area but are relatively unknown in the gardening community. Of the native shrubs that are available in the nursery trade, a few are especially interesting and deserve use in our landscapes. Some have beautiful blossoms, some offer nectar or pollen to native pollinators, some have excellent fall color, and some provide berries for birds.

Wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is a lesser-known relative of oakleaf hydrangea. My six-foot tall, bushy plant has produced almost 60 white, flat flower clusters from three to six inches across in June. Bumblebees race all over the flowers, back and forth, presumably collecting pollen on their legs. The flowers also attract many smaller pollinators – bees and weevils (a type of beetle). Wild hydrangea is deciduous. Plant in light shade in moist to average, rich soil.

Virginia sweetspire ‘Little Henry’ is quite showy in springtime and has good fall color.

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is another six-foot tall, deciduous shrub. In the nursery trade special varieties are sold that grow shorter and more compact than their wild cousins. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ grows to six feet and ‘Little Henry’ can reach four feet. Both have three-to-four-inch white flower spikes in spring. They are slightly fragrant and a favorite of many native pollinators, including butterflies. Fall is the second season of interest with beautiful maroon leaf color. The branches have a graceful arching habit. Plant in light shade in wet (rain gardens) to average rich soil.

This southeastern blueberry bee is the primary pollinator of blueberry plants in our region. Photo by Blair Sampson.

We are fortunate to have six species of native blueberries in our region. Two need very well drained sandy soil, usually south of Tallahassee. One becomes a 25-foot tree. For average soils, I love the shrub species called highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum). The plant just outside our home office window is six feet tall but may grow to eight. In April, southeastern blueberry bees pollinate the small white flowers; we can easily observe them from our window. The blueberries ripen in June, and we are happy to share them with the cardinals. They perch in the shrub, plucking off the berry and spitting out the peel. The open form of this graceful shrub makes for great bird and bumblebee viewing. It will grow in a wide variety of soils, from very dry to very wet. Give it full sun to light shade. Quite often this deciduous shrub has beautiful red fall color.

Florida anise, ideal for shady gardens, is an evergreen shrub sporting showy maroon flowers every spring.

Florida anise (Illicium floridanum) is an evergreen shrub growing to twelve feet. The dark red, two-inch-wide flowers are rather unique among native shrubs of our region, with multiple (20) petals. The leaves are dark green and reminiscent of the appearance of North Carolina rhododendron foliage. In your yard, use it as part of an evergreen border for privacy or as a featured specimen. It is most happy in shade with moist (not wet) rich soil. During droughts this is the main plant in our yard that may need extra watering.

If you live near the Gulf coast, or even if you do not, Simpson’s stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) may be the most unique plant for you. As the botanical name suggests the blossoms are very fragrant. The evergreen leaves contrast beautifully with the fresh, new leaves which can range in color from chartreuse to deep wine. When crushed, the leaves give off a spicy-citrusy scent like nutmeg. Planted in full sun, the plants will grow densely making a great hedge. Despite its natural limited occurrence in Florida, from St. John’s County to the Keys, it does well in North Florida landscapes. The dainty but showy white flowers attract bees and butterflies. Orange to red berries ripen in late summer. Plant it in full sun to light shade. Soils can be coastal sand or average inland soil. Once established it will be very drought tolerant.

These are just five of the many interesting native shrubs underused in our landscapes. Their presence in your yard helps to build a healthier ecosystem for wildlife, from bees and butterflies to lizards to songbirds. The late Tallahassee botanist Dr. Robert Godfrey wrote in his 1988 tree and shrub book, “as is the case with so many plants, their deciduousness mitigates against their more frequent use.” Embrace this wonderful aspect of seasonal change; use these unique native plants in your yard!

Book Review– Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard

Jody and I started Native Nurseries in 1980, specializing in the sale of native plants. We had attended forestry school, studying wildlife ecology, followed by working at a nature center in Gainesville. During those years we observed many unique relationships between native plants and wildlife – from insects to birds and mammals– and founded our business on those observations. Every native plant seemed to have some relationship with a native animal.

In 2007, entomologist and ecologist Douglas W. Tallamy from the University of Delaware published his first book, Bringing Nature Home, that presented years of research in an eloquent and understandable manner on just how dependent native insects are on native plants, forming the base of a complex food web. Just like that, everything that we had been teaching and promoting based on our own observations, was verified and supported with scientific data.

In Nature’s Best Hope (2020), Tallamy takes his ideas based on his research one step further, encouraging readers to turn their yards into conservation corridors by planting native plants, particularly ones that he considers keystone species, ones that large numbers of Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species utilize as food. These caterpillars are then eaten by birds, spiders, lizards and other wildlife. We can increase biodiversity in our community just through the simple act of planting native plants in our yards and parks. He see this as a way an individual can combat the huge loss of biodiversity world wide due to development. Most suburban landscapes are dominated by large areas of lawn and non-native ornamental trees and shrubs that have little to no value to wildlife.

In this book, Tallamy shows you how to get started on your own ecological landscape. This is a fast, interesting, mind opening read! Watch Tallamy’s YouTube videos to learn even more. You may also enjoy his latest book, The Nature of Oaks.