Container tree recommendations for South florida?

[DRFixembones]

I would like to purchase some trees that I can grow and keep in containers in front of my office. I have no problem putting them in larger containers as they grow but does anybody have recommendations for reliable sturdy production? I was thinking of carambola, but my mind went blank after that. What can I grow in a container that can fruit heavily and consistently??

[demingcr]

Guava grows and bears well in pots, but can be quite pungent depending on variety.

small mango such as Pickering can do well in a pot, but they do not bear consistently (only during season) or terribly heavily, but can bear satisfying amounts of fruit.

I have been successful with Miracle fruit, Fig, sour citrus (lime, lemon, etc), blueberry, Jaboticaba and cashew in a pot.

I believe many types of anonna such as sugar apple would do well as well.

West coast FL but should be the same environment pretty much.

[bsbullie]

Depending on your pot size limits, anything is possible.  What is the maximum pot size you want to limit to?  Exactly where in relation to walkways and entry areas are you looking to put these pots?

[CGameProgrammer]

You mean outside, right?

[jmc96]

Almost all citrus can be grafted onto Flying dragon (dwarfing) rootstock these days. Lemonade (sweet lemon) will fruit almost all year round, it does here. There's tons of smallish bushy fruiting trees, you'll  have to look around and find something you like. Some trees are slower growing, ie Natal plum, Jaboticaba, Rio Grande Cherry. I must say,  I'm a little ambitious, I'm attempting to grow a grafted Jackfruit in a pot. Will probably end up in a cubic metre pot going by the size they can get to, with heavy pruning.
 I have all my grafted Jujubes in pots as well as all my Blueberries and pineapples..

[SWRancher]

Try planting a Meiwa kumquat. Very tasty and good looking orange fruits, plus the tree stays small and is very ornamental.   

[NaturalGreenthumb]

Pineapple guava / feijoa

Lovely flowers

[Millet]

Kumquats, both Meiwa and Nagami, are very very slow growing, and fruit just once a year normally during late spring or early summer.  If you wish to plant a citrus variety that blooms and fruits year around  Lemon and Limes are the only citrus varieties that bloom and fruit year around.  However even with lemon and lime the main crops are in the spring. - Millet

[natsgarden123]

th only issue with mango is that they do outrgow their pots and need to be root pruned - I have a Mallika in a pot and I will need to prune it again, for the third time this year- I keep going up in pot size as well.

I have some citrus in pots and they are doing very well

[zands]

How about a dwarf red or not red banana. The red would be a good ornamental plus you get fruit. I would go for a few pots of small citrus like lemon and lime. Meyer lemon is very in these days.... and Persian lime. Customers would get a kick out of being given a few...so it would help business

[bsbullie]

Mallika is not a small mango to grow in a pot.  It will reach heights of 20 - 30 feet with no problems.

Problem with most citrus is either you will need to spray or deal with leaf mi er and other possible pest and fungus issues.

Bananas will require a large pot.

As I initially asked, a lot depends on location, space and intentions/restrictions/limitations. 

Jaboticaba is an excellent choice.  Looks very ornamental, will give fruit and will do well in a pot..

[DRFixembones]

I don't want anything larger than maybe 25-50 gallon...ideally 25.....problem with mangoes is they are seasonal. I would like something that fruits consistently & more than once a year......

[DRFixembones]

Mallika is not a small mango to grow in a pot.  It will reach heights of 20 - 30 feet with no problems.

Problem with most citrus is either you will need to spray or deal with leaf mi er and other possible pest and fungus issues.

Bananas will require a large pot.

As I initially asked, a lot depends on location, space and intentions/restrictions/limitations. 

Jaboticaba is an excellent choice.  Looks very ornamental, will give fruit and will do well in a pot..

Rob: how long will it take to get fruit from a Jaboticaba in    container assuming I start with a 3 or 7 gallon container. It would be in full sun sitting in a sandy area that is contained by concrete about 10 feet by 12 feet...

[bsbullie]

Mallika is not a small mango to grow in a pot.  It will reach heights of 20 - 30 feet with no problems.

Problem with most citrus is either you will need to spray or deal with leaf mi er and other possible pest and fungus issues.

Bananas will require a large pot.

As I initially asked, a lot depends on location, space and intentions/restrictions/limitations. 

Jaboticaba is an excellent choice.  Looks very ornamental, will give fruit and will do well in a pot..

Rob: how long will it take to get fruit from a Jaboticaba in    container assuming I start with a 3 or 7 gallon container. It would be in full sun sitting in a sandy area that is contained by concrete about 10 feet by 12 feet...

We have some nice 7 gal that might be 3 years (give or take) to fruit if watered and fed well and put into larger pot.

[CGameProgrammer]

Surinam cherry does well in pots, is very ornamental, bears most or all of the year, and in my opinion the good ones make great snacks. Carambola (star fruit) also looks great and in SoFL bears August to March according to Pine Island Nursery, which is over half the year.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

red jaboticaba and Pitangatuba (starcherry)

two of my favorite fruits...both are excellent for containers...

the red is better than sabara for container culture, so get a red jabo if possible.

[Treees]

...I must say,  I'm a little ambitious, I'm attempting to grow a grafted Jackfruit in a pot. Will probably end up in a cubic metre pot going by the size they can get to, with heavy pruning.

Nice to know I am not the only one attempting to grow Jackfruit in a pot.  I have a young MAI2 in what looks like a 15-20gal pot, and no hope for fruit for few years or possibly ever.

How is Jujube working out in a container ?  What variety ?  Does it fruit ?

I also have in containers indefinitely:
   Fig - fruits fine
   Miracle fruit - fruits well
   Guava - TBD
   Avocado (Choquette)  - though i would definitely NOT recommend keeping this in a pot
   Strawberry tree - fast grower so far, flowers and fruit fine
   Longan (Kohala) - TBD
   Kumquat (Meiwa) - heavy fruiter
   Dwarf banana - TBD
   Acerola - in a 3gal and already flowers
   Mango (Fairchild, Lancetilla) - hoping for fruit next year

Thinking about keeping more in pots indefinitely:
   Atemoya
   Dragonfruit
   Persimmon
   Soursop/Guanabana
   Mango (Keitt, Kent)

To make it clear: this is out of necessity - no more space in ground.  Other than possibly Fig, which seem to like their roots tight and also hate nematodes, I would definitely plant them in ground if space were available.

[gunnar429]

I was just wondering about strawberry tree in a container, since I don't want to deal with the roots/suckers

[gunnar429]

I enjoyed the ones I tried recently.

[Treees]

I was just wondering about strawberry tree in a container, since I don't want to deal with the roots/suckers

Strawberry tree is doing fine in a container so far and is productive.  It is still young though - probably no more than 2 y.o. - so it remains to be seen in longer term.  Requires pruning to keep managable.  I tried rooting pruned branches and was able to root two out of four successfully, which means that with so many cuttings left over from frequent pruning, it is easy to propagate quickly.

Talking about growing fast and roots/suckers problem - I have the same about Mulberry and have it also in a container for the same reason, and it fruits there too.  Mulberry is also super easy to propagate from cuttings, so now I have few that I do not know what to do with.

[Treees]

DRFixembones, I just remembered this page has very good information and suggestions of fruit trees in containers in south Florida: http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/container-trees.shtml

On another note, my joints hurt, can you recommend a way to fix them ? ;-)

[bsbullie]

I was just wondering about strawberry tree in a container, since I don't want to deal with the roots/suckers

Strawberry tree is doing fine in a container so far and is productive.  It is still young though - probably no more than 2 y.o. - so it remains to be seen in longer term.  Requires pruning to keep managable.  I tried rooting pruned branches and was able to root two out of four successfully, which means that with so many cuttings left over from frequent pruning, it is easy to propagate quickly.

Talking about growing fast and roots/suckers problem - I have the same about Mulberry and have it also in a container for the same reason, and it fruits there too.  Mulberry is also super easy to propagate from cuttings, so now I have few that I do not know what to do with.

A Strawberry tree (assuming you mean muntingia sp.) will quickly outgrow pot culture.

Green mulberry, arguably the best tasting of all mulberries, does not root well or barely at all from cuttings.  Success of Air layering is poor.  Grafting is the most successful method of propagation.