Best Fruit Trees to Plant Now in San Diego

Trees are invaluable. They provide many benefits—from cleaning the air to increasing shade cover and helping reduce energy usage—so you can’t go wrong planting trees. How about fruit trees? Fruit trees have all the benefits we just mentioned, with the bonus of enabling you to enjoy a bounty of fresh fruit picked straight from your garden!

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best fruit trees to plant now in San Diego, how far apart to plant fruit trees, and other useful tips so you can grow fruit trees in your landscape. 

Fruit Trees for Your Garden in San Diego

San Diego County’s mild climate means we can plant a wide range of fruit trees all year. And with our region's rainfall this year, now is an excellent time to plant fruit trees. 

From stone varieties to citrus, below are some of our favorite fruit trees that can thrive in San Diego.

 

Citrus trees (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit): Classic fruit trees for San Diego are citrus trees. You can grow oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. Citrus trees grow best in a location with full sun. 

• Harvest season: Year-round (varies)
• Time to produce fruit: About three years
• How far apart to plant fruit trees: 12-15 feet and about half that size for dwarf varieties.

 

Avocado: Avocados are healthy and oh-so tasty. They can be messy, so you might want to plant an avocado tree at the back of your garden. Avocados require rich soil, so be sure that there is excellent drainage. 

• Harvest season: Spring-early fall
• Time to produce fruit: 3 to 5 years
• How far apart to plant fruit trees: Plant them about 20 to 30 feet from other large fruit trees.

 

 

Santa Rosa Plum: These are some of the most popular plums in California, and for good reason—they’re tangy, juicy, and full of flavor. 

• Harvest season: Late June-early fall
• Time to produce fruit: About 3 to 5 years
• Spacing requirements:10-20 feet

 

Honey Babe Peach: Enjoy rich peach flavor with every bite. These sweet peaches bear heavy fruit and are an excellent addition to any home orchard in San Diego. 

• Harvest season: From early to mid-July.
• Time to produce fruit: About 3 to 5 years
• Spacing requirements: 10-20 feet

 

 

Fuyu Jiro Persimmon: Once established, these fruit trees are very productive. Persimmon can be delicious and aromatic.  These persimmon trees can grow up to 300 feet tall and thrive in an area with total sun exposure. 

• Harvest season: Fall-winter
• Time to produce fruit: 5 to 7 years
• How far apart to plant fruit trees: 12 to 20 feet

 

 

Pomegranate: Pomegranate’s ruby red seeds can be a tasty addition to salads, juices, or on their own, but be careful not to get the juice on white clothing. A pomegranate tree is an excellent addition to a waterwise garden as they have low water requirements. 

• Harvest season: Fall-winter
• Time to produce fruit: 5 years
• Spacing: 15 feet

 

 

Brown Turkey Fig: Plant a fig tree in a bright, warm spot. Once it starts to produce fruit, you’ll be rewarded with a large harvest of delicious figs. 

• Harvest season: Mid-summer-early fall
  
• Time to produce fruit: 3-5 years
  
• Spacing: 12 - 20 feet

 

 

How Far Apart to Plant Fruit Trees

Growing fruit in San Diego requires knowing how far apart to plant fruit trees, which we have broken down above. However, if your yard is short on space, don’t worry. You can still plant fruit trees grown in containers, like dwarf citrus trees with a cactus mix. 

 

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