Zone Pushing (Pasco County - Wesley Chapel Area)

[rbody2]

Anyone successfully growing tropical fruits (mainly mango & lychee) in Pasco County near Wesley Chapel?

[SoCal2warm]

Lychee can easily handle zone 9b, its favored climate range is somewhere in between tropical and subtropical.

If you're not sure, 'Emperor' and 'Hak Ip', being mountain-type lychees, may be a bit cold-hardier than other varieties. 'Mauritius' is also a mountain-type but I think it may not be as cold hardy as the first two (I could be wrong). Brewster is a bit cold-hardier than other lychee varieties, it is believed. It happens to be a water-type lychee, which also is definitely obvious from the smooth exterior skin of the fruit, and the tall heights the tree can achieve.

I don't think any lychee varieties will have too much difficulty where you're at. There may be the occasional cold year but the proximity to the water should help mitigate that.

[rbody2]

Thanks SoCal2warm!  I'm not that far away from Pasco now, but I'm wondering how much I should push my luck/limits.

[SoCal2warm]

If I can add though, you'll probably have better luck with larger trees (3+ feet). Little lychee seedlings can perish in even mild winters.

[rbody2]

If I can add though, you'll probably have better luck with larger trees (3+ feet). Little lychee seedlings can perish in even mild winters.

Luckily my trees are larger.

I do see a few tropical fruit trees near my current location, but have not seen any near the location I am inquiring about.  This worries me.

[WGphil]

Avocado for sure, lychee in years you don't have weather when in bloom

If you don't see citrus it's hard to grow mango

Jaboticabo in a warm micro climate is another that may work

Plums, pears and blueberry for sure

[rbody2]

If you don't see citrus it's hard to grow mango

Thanks!  I have seen an orange grove in the area, but I thought that citrus could handle the cold better than mango or Lychee.

[bsbullie]

Persimmons, mulberry and loquats.

[SWRancher]

My grandfather owned a citrus grove in southeastern Pasco county (Holiday) in the sixties, seventies and eighties. He also experimented growing various tropical fruits on his farm without much long term success. I recall him trying Avocado, Mango, Lychee and a few others. The only ones that survived long term were the avocado trees all the others did fine for a couple years then died once a bad cold front came through which in that area happens every few years.   

[WGphil]

Citrus does take more cold at least most do

The results grandpa had is pretty much the rule

I agree on the persimmon but fruit fly in loquat is a big problem in central Florida now

[rbody2]

Guess I will continue to search in central & Southern Hillsborough.

[achetadomestica]

When the weather is cold check your whole yard and you probably have a few warmer spots.
Usually the south part of your house also near large oaks. Then you know where to plant your
most sensitive plants like lychee. Keep them in a pot as long as possible and when you plant
get in the ground in march. Then when you have a super cold night or two water heavy and
put a good layer of mulch around the base of your trees up to three feet. If the tree gets hit hard
it may grow back from the roots and if the tree is large it will grow fast. OR Drive down to Pine Island
every year and buy 10 pounds of lychees, the problem is by the time I am driving off the island
the lychees are almost gone and I end up going back and getting a few more. I am in 9b and I lost
a mauritas that was  really doing well. It was about 5 foot tall and 3 years old but three years ago
we had a 30F for three hours in the end of February and the tree was out of dormancy and flushing.
I should have covered it but I didn't. I have a Ohia now and was told by fruitscapes it does well in Tampa/
colder areas. I planted a couple Sugar apples on the south side of my house this past spring. I also planted
a morena sapodilla under a huge oak. It is on the South side in a natural alcove and gets a good amount of
direct light.

[gnappi]

Pineapple guava (Feijoa)

[SunshineState]

Well I am in New Tampa, not far from Wesley Chapel and it's been 3 years since we've had a temperature of 32 degrees or below. We usually have a few nights around 35 degrees during the winter season. Although we did have a few nights of 28 degrees around the 2010/2011 winters.  Have you considered buying in St Pete? That city is the definition of a microclimate. Lots of massive mango trees

[rbody2]

Well I am in New Tampa, not far from Wesley Chapel and it's been 3 years since we've had a temperature of 32 degrees or below. We usually have a few nights around 35 degrees during the winter season. Although we did have a few nights of 28 degrees around the 2010/2011 winters.  Have you considered buying in St Pete? That city is the definition of a microclimate. Lots of massive mango trees

Yes...I have thought of St. Pete, but price, space, & bridge traffic cancels that out.   

[coyote]

if you wanted to try something a little different you could try some of the more rare Florida native asiminas (pawpaws)...not sure about fruit size or quality as there's not a ton of info available, but I believe adam from flying fox fruits was giving them a go