Fruit Trees that Produce Fruit Fast

One of the challenges of growing fruit trees is being patient. When you purchase a fruit tree you dream of harvesting the wonderful fruit from your tree, but it can be several years before that dream becomes a reality. So, if you’re an impatient gardener, you’ll either be taught a life lesson on patience or you can find those fruit trees that fruit quickly. I reside in a hot, dry desert climate, so these fruit trees are geared towards hot climates, but some can also be grown in cooler environments.

What fruit trees produce fruit fast?

1. Mulberry
2. Tropical Guava
3. Papaya
4. Jamaican Cherry
5. Fig
6. Barbados Cherry
7. Jujube
8. Peach
9. Moringa

Mulberry

A Mulberry tree can easily produce fruit in the first year of planting, depending on the variety. I’m currently growing a dwarf ever bearing mulberry, which produces small black mulberries.

The tree produced in the first season and mulberry trees are rapid growers. If you like a sweeter version of a blackberry, than you’ll enjoy mulberries.

It’s something that you aren’t able to find in stores. Check out my complete care guide for growing mulberries in hot, dry climates.

Tropical Guava

If you’re living in a warmer climate that mainly stays above freezing temps than a Tropical Guava tree is a great option. There are several different varieties of guava that are commonly named by the color of the flesh, which is typically white or pink.

Guava trees can also easily be maintained in containers if you need to move them indoors during colder weather or you just have limited space.

I purchased a few mail order starter plants that were only a few inches and grew to around 4 feet the first year. I had some guavas within a year. Check out my complete care guide for growing tropical guavas in hot, dry climates.

Papaya

Another tropical fruit tree for those in warmer climates. Papaya trees are rapid growing fruit trees that can produce fruit in a year. Some papaya can be container grown and are dwarf types.

I’ve been growing a Tainung Papaya in a container and had fruit on the tree in just a year. Papaya’s can also easily be grown from seeds. Check out my complete care guide for growing Papaya in hot, dry climates.

Jamaican Cherry

Also sometimes referred to as Strawberry tree, due to the blossoms that look similar to Strawberry blossoms. This is another option for warmer climates and this tree can easily be killed in below freezing temps.

I planted a mail order plant that was around 6-inches in a container and four months later it was producing some fruit. This is one of the fastest growing trees I’ve seen. I’ve read that it can grow 14 feet in a year.

Mine grew around 6 feet in a year, but has been kept in a container which restricts the growth. I keep it in a container to be able to protect it in cold snaps. Check out my complete care guide for growing Jamaican Cherry in hot, dry climates.

Fig

One of the best plant purchases I ever made was buying a Black Mission Fig cutting for $2.50. Within 4 months it started producing a few figs.

My Black Mission Fig tree tends to fruit at least twice per year throughout the warm months. Figs can be grown in both hot and cooler climates, depending on the varieties.

Figs are really easy to care for and also can be container grown. A fresh fig is a wonderful treat.

Barbados Cherry

Also known as Acerola Cherry tree. Another tropical fruit tree that only tolerates some brief light frost. This tree takes on more of a bush like form that just thrives in the sun.

It has lovely little pink blossoms and can fruit the first planting season. I had a couple cherries in the fall of the first year I planted it.

These cherries have a little tartness to them due to the high levels of vitamin C. They’re really health fruits. Check out my complete care guide for growing Barbados Cherry in hot, dry climates.

Jujube

Another tree that just seems made for my desert climate. These trees absolutely love heat and will grow like a weed. I planted a bare root tree that was about a 2 foot stick and it was about 8 feet tall by winter time.

It produced a couple Jujubes in the first season. The variety I’m growing is called Sherwood, which is a later producing variety for long growing seasons. Jujubes can tolerate below freezing temps, so they can be grown in cooler climates.

Chinese culture has used Jujubes for medicinal uses for hundreds of years. Check out my complete care guide for growing Jujubes in hot, dry climates.

Peach

Peaches are an American staple and peach trees can be grown all over the country. In warmer climates, we have to consider the amount of chill hour requirements for optimal fruit production.

Since we don’t get many chill hours in my area, which are hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s best to get varieties that require as little chill hours possible.

Peaches are fast growing trees, but I’d recommend pulling the fruit the first year so the tree can focus more on growth. You’ll then have more abundant crops in the future.  Check out my complete care guide for growing Peach trees in hot, dry climates.

Moringa

Ok, so it’s not a fruit tree, but it’s edible. Moringa trees grow crazy fast in warm climates. The entire tree is edible from the leaves to the pods it produces.

It’s been dubbed as super food with many beneficial nutrients and vitamins. Powders, capsules, and vitamins are sold all over the place for large amounts of money. You can have a tree 10 feet tall from seed in a year.

Their you have it, some of the fastest growing fruit trees that typically will produce within a year or less. Another key to getting fruit faster is to buy trees that are grafted.

A grafted tree is simply a branch taken from a named variety and grafted to a rootstock. Grafted trees ensure that the tree will be a clone of the desired tree and tend to produce much quicker than growing from seeds.

Please comment below on anything that you’ve enjoyed from this post or your experiences with fast growing fruit trees.