Exotic Fruit Trees

Tropical fruit trees

Tropical fruit trees look impressive and are surprisingly hardy in the UK. Sharon fruits are native to China but crop well in a sunny spot. Fruits like kiwi, chilean guava and fig are almost at home in our climate. To grow a fruit salad of exotic proportions in your back garden, check out our fruit masterclass and tips below.

Best hardy exotic fruit

The best hardy exotic fruit in the UK is the kiwi fruit. The little furry fruits grow on a very vigorous vine that scramble up pergolas, walls and other trees. It’s best kept in check by light pruning. Kiwi fruit vines are either male or female, or some like the variety ‘Jenny’ are self-fertile, so bear that in mind when buying your fruit. A female vine needs a male pollination partner to crop.

A surprisingly hardy exotic fruit tree is the pomegranate which survives winters down to -15°C. It still needs warmth to ripen the leathery fruits, however it’s a great option for those in frost prone areas. Grow your pomegranate in a pot and move the tree into the warmest areas for fruit ripening.

Which is the best tropical fruit tree for growing in pots?

Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’ loves having its roots restricted in a pot. This mimics its native habitat of rocky sun drenched mediterranean slopes. This fig tree variety is a mutation of the superbly flavoursome purple fig 'Violette de Bordeaux', so you can look forward to super sweet fruits bursting with perfume.

Which is the easiest exotic fruit to grow?

The Chilean guava ‘KA-POW’ is a truly low maintenance shrub. The tiny fruits erupt on the tongue with flavours like ‘strawberry, spice, mint and bubble-gum’. Native to Chile, this tough character makes a very good low growing hedge plant. In spring, bell shaped white flowers unfurl to attract plenty of pollinators. Plant alongside the related and equally delicious berry, myrtus ugni 'Flambeau', another fantastic low maintenance option for the garden.

Are exotic fruit trees self fertile?

Some exotic fruit trees are self-fertile meaning they are happy to grow by themselves and crop well without a pollination partner. Persimmon ‘Kaki’ is a self-fertile tree reaching a height of 3m. The orange fruit ripen on the tree even after the leaves have fallen at the end of summer. Other examples of delicious self fertile exotic fruits are kiwi ‘Issai’ and plum ‘Seneca’.