The best fruit trees for Texas Hill country are all different and there is no one best tree for everyone. If you’re looking for a specific type of apple, pear, or peach then we have the best picks right here! But if you want to know what’s best across the board then read on because this article will provide some great tips to help you decide which tree is best suited for your needs.
It’s a tough decision on what fruit tree to plant in your backyard garden. The Texas Hill Country can be hot and dry, or cold and wet – so it’s important to know which trees will thrive in these conditions.
Here are ten of the Best Fruit Trees for Texas Hill Country:
1. Sam Houston Peach
You’ve been waiting all year for the perfect late-summer fruit. Well, as you head out to your backyard garden and set up your stake bed for this Sam Houston Peach Tree, I’ll give you a glimpse at what’s in store. Eyes bigger than your stomach?
No problem!
This baby (which can get up to 25 feet tall!) will fill you and your hungry family with its luscious peaches when it’s ripe – which is no time soon! That doesn’t mean Sam Houston can’t help us out though; he knows that we can only eat one peach a day since they’re so fragile and juicy.
So instead of picking before they’re ready, he gives himself some love by fertilizing with another variety.
This late-summer peach is best known for its big size and juicy pulp. It’s a great choice if you don’t want to do any picking, but it does need cross-pollination with another variety of late-season peach – most often Texas A&M #346 or Wescott.
The tree itself can grow up to 25 feet tall (in perfect conditions) and has an average lifespan of about 60 years making this the best fruit tree for anyone who wants to get started early!
2. Ein Shemer Apple
The best-known variety of apple trees is the Ein Shemer. It’s a Pink Lady® type, which means that it will only grow in warm climates with high levels of light and water. You can plant one to two trees per acre depending on how much fruit you want to produce.
The best time for planting this varietal is from February through April or August through October; they cannot be planted in colder months due to their sensitivity to cold weather.
They are ready for harvest between September and November and make an excellent choice if you have children because harvesting apples doesn’t require any climbing!
Ein Shemer has quickly and creatively grown in popularity over the last few decades, so many are eager to have their own apple trees! To maximize your yield, it helps to plant two trees per acre. Trees can be planted from February until October or September through November for an optimum harvest season this year between September and November!
3. Pomegranate
Pomegranates are best suited for warmer climates. They can withstand cold better than other fruit trees, but they do not tolerate frost or snow well. The best time to plant them is between April and September in the Texas Hill Country.
The best place to grow pomegranates is on the south side of a building where it will be protected from wind and sun exposure during winter months when there’s no light at all!
It takes two years before you see any fruit borne by these trees, so don’t give up hope just yet if yours doesn’t produce anything this year. In fact, Poms have been known to take as long as seven years until they’re bearing fruit-though small crops may result after three years.
A magical ruby fruit lies within its beautiful white flowers, just waiting to be picked and eaten! The best time of year is between April-September when the pomegranate can handle cold better than other fruits trees in this region.
In order for the tree to bear fruit, it takes 2 years before it begins bearing any product so don’t give up hope if you have one now as they do not produce anything this year (in fact Poms have been known to take as long as 3-4 years before producing). It needs a lot of water, light, and protection from the wind during the winter months.
4. Orient Pear
Common Name: Oriental Pear
Fruit Season: spring-summer fruiting and late-season fall fruiting.
Picking Tips: pick when they are green for the most flavor. These pears ripen on the tree so you can wait for them to get ripe if you want a more yellow color (they won’t mold).
This pear has a light sweet taste (like an apple) that is crispy, juicy, and refreshing. The Orient pear tree needs full sun and well-drained soil but once established it is very drought tolerant. It’s an excellent choice as a backyard orchard tree in Central Texas, especially if growing Corn! young trees do too much growing their first year and need frequent pruning but mature plants require little pruning.
Choose this fruit tree for the best pollination of all your other fruit trees, especially your apple trees. With the Pears, you will get an earlier harvest than with apples and they will be ready to pick while apples are still on the trees.
This makes it a good choice for an orchard that needs to provide more income as soon as possible after planting!
Pears have several pests but no disease problems even in rainy Texas conditions*. The beautiful fall colors make it worth growing just for its ornamental appearance! Planting info: Grows in zones 7-9. Pear trees are self-pollinating so there is one less thing to worry about when choosing varieties.
The Orient Pearl is an excellent choice as a backyard orchard tree in Central Texas. These pears taste light, sweet, and refreshing with the perfect level of crunchiness! They are great on their own but especially when cut up into bite-sized portions and placed atop a salad!
5. Methley Plum
Most plums, especially Japanese varieties like the Methley Plum produce fruit that needs to be cooked in order to ripen properly. This variety has great flavor and texture when eaten raw. It is one of the first varieties of plum to ripen in Central Texas, usually between June-July*!
These purple beauties can be found growing as far north as Maryland but they have a much better taste when grown in Central Texas.
Celeste is an early-season yellow nectarine with a sweet fragrance! They are self-pollinating so you do not need a second tree for pollination*.
If you find yourself eating canned peaches by the dozens this summer consider planting a peach orchard of your own*! The Tift* peach is a great variety to plant. The tree needs at least two years of growth before bearing fruit*.
The Dancy tangerine ripens early in the season*! It was originally developed by Walter Palmer and named for his friend, Miss Ida Dancy. This self-fertile variety grows well throughout Central Texas and does well in sandy, loamy, or clay soils*!
If you’ve ever heard of honeybells you know there’s no better way to start your day than with one of these mouth-watering citrus fruits. Honeybells are hybrids between a grapefruit and a sweet orange (Citrus sinensis x C. reticulata)! They have medium-sized fruit that is deep yellow in color with a thin, bumpy-rind and juicy sweet flesh.
Moisture content is unusually high as the fruit matures. The rind turns yellow in color while the inside of the fruit turns pinkish, then bright red when over maturity. Some varieties are sweeter than others!
Honeybells should be picked at optimum ripeness for maximum flavor and juice content. They can tolerate light frost but do not store well due to their tender skin!
Plant: Frost tolerance varies by the variety!
Spacing: 10-12 ft apart depending on use/need!
Flowering occurs from spring to late summer, with fruiting occurring in early fall through fall.
This fresh fruit is perfect for any season. Whether you are in the mood to eat your plums when they first ripen, or let them rest and wait for the sweetest of times. For those who long for a Georgia summertime experience, this is just what you need!
6. Peaches
One of the most popular summer fruits, peaches are very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. For the southern U.S., this is the optimal tree to grow during spring due to its frost sensitivity. Plant: Frost Tolerance varies by the variety!
Spacing: 8-10 ft apart depending on use/need!
Flowering occurs from early Spring, with fruiting occurring in late May through June.
This fruit has a texture that is both sweet and juicy while being high in Vitamin C as well as potassium. Peaches possess a fuzziness that contrasts nicely against both tropical fruits, like pineapple, or citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits.
Peaches have a fuzzy exterior that contrasts nicely against tropical fruits and citric flavors. The peel is sweet, the flesh juicy, and it’s high in potassium as well as vitamin C–and all that frost sensitivity means there’s really no other tree for the southern U.S. than peaches!
Plant now to harvest this summer! If you’re looking for a peach recipe of your own, try out using them in these delicious muffins or fruit salad with this recipe video from your friends at Home Recipe Rocks.
7. Black Berrie
The blackberry is a very durable plant, growing in almost any soil type, and able to handle extreme heat. The plant makes the humid Texas summer bearable by providing shade on hot days with its dark branches.
Blackberries are also one of the best plants for preventing erosion–which can be especially useful if you have clay or sandy soil in your yard! Not only that but as long as they’re kept pruned regularly, these little gems will produce delicious fruit for years to come.
Blackberries (and raspberry bushes) are particularly high in vitamin C and are a welcome treat during cold seasons. One cup of raw berries contains 12% of the required daily intake–about 100 milligrams! That’s enough energy for an all-day snuggle fest with your favorite cuddly blanket.
Blackberries are a bit more finicky than other fruit trees when it comes to sunlight and soil conditions, however, they usually thrive in soils that are acidic and have plenty of drainages — both things that Central Texas is known for! They also love full sun exposure and unlike mulberry trees (which tend to be prickly), blackberry bushes don’t produce painful spines.
Also worth mentioning: if you’re not fond of birds or squirrels stealing your berries, most varieties of blackberry produce smooth-skinned ‘drupe’ fruits–similar to peach pits–which aren’t edible by critters.
The blackberry is a special little plant in my backyard that thrives despite the tough heat in Texas. These hard workers provide shade with their dark branches and erosion control through pesky clay and sandy soil while adding to our vitamin C stores by producing delicious fruit before the frost arrives.
8. Cherrie
Cherries are a stone fruit that originated in southwest Asia but now grow in additional regions around the world, including Europe and North America. Commercial cherries come from plants of many species of Prunus trees such as sweet Aviums and sour Cerasus. Cherrie is your go-to for those late-night projects!
Of course, cherries are the fruit of many plants. Yet for our purposes, we’re talking about cultivated cultivars. These sweet fruits can be eaten whole or cleaved and pitted, but it’s baking that really brings out their flavor: pie crusts with loads of cherries on top can turn any dessert into a real show-stopper! Cherrie is perfect for pies, crumble toppings, jams up to ice creams. Get creative and experiment with exceptional things like chocolate cherry muffins and cherry cola cakes!
9. Grapefruit
Even though New Mexico and Texas are considered to be different parts of the US, one super common thing that they share is their love for grapefruit. The high sugar content in this juicy citrus fruit makes it a great dessert ingredient or even just as an afternoon snack with some extra seasoning.
It’s also known to help cut down on cholesterol levels as well as act as a diuretic. Grapefruit itself comes from the hybridization of Mandarin orange or pomelo.
Grapefruit is just like those friends in your life that come up with really great ideas last minute. You’ll never know what they’re going to give you, but it’s always something perfect and refreshing. Share a piece of this fresh fruit or throw them into one of your favorite dishes for the next time you crave something sweet and unique!
10. Melon
Melons are a family of fruiting plants in the genus Cucumis. The plant grows from a vine that has fruit growing on it and is mostly used for food or drink. You can find many melons, but people most commonly know watermelon which comes in a variety of colors and is sweet with low calories.
Melons are juicy, refreshing, and mouthwatering. There is a wide selection of melons including watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and casaba melon. The most well-known of all the melons have to be the watermelon.
Watermelons come in a variety of colors but it is typically green or red with stripes on them. It is very high in vitamin A, C, and B6 as well as Vitamin E, thiamine, and magnesium. In addition to being sweet, they are also low in calories (89 for one cup).
These fruits can either be enjoyed alone or added to any savory dish that you have made.
Final Thoughts
The variety of fruit trees available in the Texas Hill Country is one thing, but the quality and health benefits are another. With so many options to choose from it can be hard to decide which tree will work best for your needs.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 different fruit trees that might interest you. Consider adding these varieties to your garden this year!
I hope this article has been helpful in your decision-making process. If you are looking for fruit trees that will thrive in the Texas Hill Country, then these ten variety options should help get you started on your search! Which of these fruits do you want to grow?
Let us know and we can recommend a tree or two based on how much space is available as well as other factors such as rainfall patterns. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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Hi, I am Rahat Rubayet. I am an entrepreneur and A gardener by Hobby. I created This website to help people like you, who want to make the world greener and want to leave it as a better place for our next generation.