Best Indoor Fruit Trees to Grow at Home

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Indoor Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Your Living Room

A lot of people think you can only grow fruit trees outside, but there are actually a variety of indoor fruit trees you can grow right in your own living room.

Like regular houseplants, these trees can provide you with fresh oxygen and beautiful foliage. However, fruit trees have one major advantage over regular houseplants: they also give you fresh fruit!

If you’re interested in having a few fruit trees inside your house, check out these best indoor fruit trees.

1. Meyer Lemon

The Meyer lemon tree is one of the most popular fruit trees you can grow inside because it offers a variety of benefits. It has a compact size that makes it ideal for indoor spaces.

It’s self-pollinating and only takes two or three years to start bearing fruit. This small fruit is actually much sweeter than traditional lemons. In fact, they’re so sweet, a lot of people actually enjoy eating slices without adding any sugar.

Like most citrus trees, a Meyer lemon tree needs well-draining soil that stays moist. It also prefers at least 6 hours of sun a day.

2. Key Lime

The Key lime tree produces a small, thin-skinned fruit that’s the ‘key’ ingredient in Key lime pie. (See what I did there? 😉) The dwarf variety of this tree grows exceptionally well inside. Plus, don’t forget, dwarf trees are also an outstanding option if you want to grow fruit trees but have a small yard.

You will need to hand pollinate this tree if you want it to bear fruit. Fortunately, it’s very easy to do by using a small, clean paintbrush to gently brush the insides of each flower.

The tree requires full sun, and it will be incredibly happy if you can put it outside during the warm summer months.

3. Orange

If you’d like to grow an orange tree inside, check out the calamondin orange tree. Calamondin oranges are a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange. They have thin skins and a sweet, tangy taste.

Dwarf, self-pollinating varieties work best inside. They require full sun during the day.

4. Kumquat

The kumquat is an interesting fruit that you can grow inside. While the fruit itself is sour, the skin is really sweet. When the kumquat ripens, you can simply pop the entire thing in your mouth and eat it whole.

Just like other citrus trees, the kumquat tree needs plenty of sunlight. If you want to grow one inside, make sure it can get around 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day. It also prefers moist soil and higher humidity levels.

5. Olive

Olive trees are one the best indoor fruit trees because they’re not as needy as other trees. Yet one olive tree can a produce around 20 pounds of olives. Consider the Arbequina olive tree because it’s self-pollinating and doesn’t mind growing in a container.

This tree prefers well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Also, it’s important to note that it won’t bear fruit unless it’s able to experience about 2 months of cooler temperatures. This means you might need to move it outside or to a garage during the fall or winter.

6. Fig

Fig trees need warm weather to grow outside. If you don’t live somewhere with a warmer climate, having a fig tree inside is the only way to grow this sweet little treat.

The Brown Turkey fig is one of the best varieties for growing indoors because it’s self-pollinating. Fill your container with loamy soil, and make sure your tree gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day.

Also, keep in mind that fig trees prefer a humid environment and don’t like cold temperatures at all. You’ll need to mist your tree regularly and make sure it’s not near any drafty doors and windows in the winter.

7. Apricot

Apricots are a very versatile fruit. You can eat them fresh, dry them, use them in pies, use them to make jam, and more!

Since you need a dwarf option to grow an apricot tree inside, consider the Moorpark. With regular pruning to keep the tree small and compact, it will typically grow to around 6 feet high.

It needs well-draining soil and regular watering so the soil doesn’t dry out. It also likes plenty of sunlight, so try putting it near a south-facing window so it can get 6 to 8 hours of light per day.

8. Nectarine

If you want to grow a nectarine tree inside, you’ll need a large pot with loamy soil. Just make sure the pot isn’t too large because snug roots encourage more fruit production.

Again, look for self-pollinating dwarf varieties that are better suited for indoor life, such as Nectarcrest.

You’ll need to fertilize your tree regularly and make sure it gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. It also needs moist soil that doesn’t dry out completely between watering.

9. Peach

Not only do peaches have a similar look and flavor to nectarines, but you can also grow them indoors. Plus, peach trees also have the same growing requirements as nectarines.

Some popular self-pollinating dwarf varieties of peach trees are Bonanza and Bonfire.

10. Passion Fruit

Although passion fruit actually grows on a vine, it’s still included on this list because it’s easy to grow indoors. Like most fruit trees, it needs at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and well-draining soil that stays moist but not soggy. It will also need some type of trellis it can climb up while it’s growing.

11. Mulberry

Even though we think mulberries grow on bushes (and several popular children’s songs would also have us believe that), they actually grow on trees. Even better, they grow on trees that make excellent indoor plants.

Two dwarf mulberry tree varieties that are ideal for containers are Everbearing and Issai. Although these are dwarf varieties, they grow just as quickly as standard varieties, so you’ll have to prune them to keep them compact.

They need well-draining potting soil and at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. You’ll also need to fertilize them every 6 months.

12. Goji Berry

Goji berries are considered a superfood that are packed with antioxidants, amino acids, and Vitamins C, B, and E. If you want to grow a plant inside, place it in a south-facing window so it gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day.

Unlike a lot of indoor fruit trees on this list, goji berries are actually drought tolerant and don’t deal well with soil that stays moist. You’ll want to make sure your plant has well-draining soil and that you let it dry out between each watering.

13. Ground Cherry

The ground cherry is a unique little fruit that a lot people don’t know about. It’s sometimes also called a Cape gooseberry and grows on a bush instead of a tree.

It belongs in the same family as tomato and pepper plants. Plus, like tomato and pepper plants, it’s an annual plant. This means you’ll need to grow a new plant each year, so make sure you save some of those seeds from your harvest!

The plant needs well-draining soil with full sunlight during the day. The fruit itself has a citrusy taste that some people describe as a cross between a tomato and a pineapple.

14. Banana

As someone who has banana trees growing in her backyard, I can tell you these trees get incredibly tall. If you want to grow one in your home, you’ll need to look for a dwarf variety.

One popular option is the Dwarf Cavendish banana tree. It gets up to about 8 feet tall and produces small, slim bananas. Since banana trees are tropical plants, they require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight and lots of humidity. Place your tree in a south-facing window and mist it regularly.

15. Avocado

You’ve probably seen the videos online about growing an avocado tree from a pit. While it’s fun to do, there are two main problems with growing an avocado tree inside.

First, standard avocado trees are massive. We have one in our front yard that’s around 18 to 20 feet tall. Second, getting indoor avocado trees to produce fruit is really hard.

If you want to try growing an avocado tree inside, look for a container-friendly dwarf variety. It will need well-draining soil and at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. You’ll also need to prune it regularly to keep it compact and manageable.

Best Indoor Fruit Trees

You don’t have to rely on the grocery store to get the fruit you love. Instead, consider growing your own fruit with some of the best indoor fruit trees that can grow right inside your own home!

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