The Best 10 Best Indoor Fruit Trees

Is that one spot next to the couch in the living room looking a like sparse? Instead of a planted palm, why not grow your own fruit tree indoors like a friendly houseplant? While it may sound impossible (they are huge outdoors!), dwarf trees are the perfect size to fit in any living room, sun room or even that bare spot in the kitchen.

Dwarf trees, which are the result of grafting a fruit tree onto a dwarf rootstock, makes it possible to grow these fruits indoors. These types of fruiting trees can be purchased at your local nursery or gardening store or even online. Each plant needs a deep pot (about 1 foot deep at least) and a large layer of drainage material at the bottom of the potting. Water the plant frequently and feed regularly with fertilizer.

1. Peaches
Peach trees make great indoor plants. Look for the Bonanza dwarf variety which grow on 30-inch stems. These trees do great in a sunny room until the fruit starts to set, when it needs to be in temperatures of 65 to 70°F. Simply set it outdoors on a porch and wait for the edible fruit to grow.

2. Apricots
Like peaches, apricots do great indoors. Buy varieties like Shipleys and Goldcot and place in a large pot filled with compost and draining. Since the flowers cannot pollinate themselves, use a paintbrush to gently transfer the pollen from one flower to another.

3. Figs

While most fig plants have large roots, the Negro Largo variety works great in a large pot. Place the fig tree in a well-lit room away from direct sunlight for the best results, feeding with fertilizer two to three times a season.

4. Lemons

Citrus trees do extremely well indoors. Grow Meyer lemons, which self pollinate, for the best crop. These plants need a lot of sunlight and humidity, especially Meyer lemon trees, which can be mimicked with a quick spray of water from a spray bottle.

5. Limes

Like lemons, limes love growing indoors. Kaffir limes (which also produce amazing leaves to use in Thai cuisine) is the tree of choice for growing inside. Lime trees require about eight to twelve hours of sunlight everyday, so keep them in your sunniest room to produce fruit.

6. Olives

These self-pollinating olive trees are easier to care for than most other fruit trees. When buying, look for the Arbequina or Picholine varieties which will grow fruits. Simply water the tree when the top inch has dried out and give about six hours of sunlight each day.

7. Avocado

While it's not easy to grow an avocado tree indoors, it is possible. Rather than growing your own fruit from a pit, use varieties like Wurtz, Gwen and Whitsell for the best results. Water the plant regularly and celebrate when the fruit starts coming in.

8. Bananas

Self-pollinating, the Super Dwarf Cavendish or Dwarf Red is the best bet for an indoor banana tree. Fertilize the plant monthly and mist with a spray bottle to mimic a bit of humidity.

9. Nectarines

Like peaches, nectarine trees can grow as short as 30 inches and love growing in a sunny indoor location. Opt for the nectarella variety and place on the porch when the fruit starts growing.

10. Oranges

Calamondin orange trees are the best orange trees inside though the fruit is incredibly source. These dwarf fruit trees are comparable to Meyer lemon trees and lime trees in that they self-pollinate.

Have you ever grown fruit plants before?

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