San Francisco Fruit Tree Landscaping: The Best Fruit Trees to Grow Locally
- rachaelfyrn
- Aug 19, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Growing fruit trees in San Francisco is incredibly rewarding — but choosing the right varieties, placing them correctly, and caring for them long-term makes all the difference. As a professional landscape designer and horticulturist, I help Bay Area homeowners create productive, beautiful fruit tree gardens that thrive in our unique microclimates.
Why Fruit Tree Selection Matters in San Francisco
If you’ve ever dreamed of picking fresh fruit from your own backyard in San Francisco, you may have wondered which trees thrive in our unique coastal climate. Unlike inland California and most of the US, San Francisco rarely experiences frost. This means many traditional fruit trees don’t get the “chill hours” they need to produce.
The solution? Low chill fruit trees and varieties that are perfectly adapted to San Francisco’s mild, foggy microclimates. With the right selection, you can enjoy a backyard orchard in San Francisco that produces fruit year after year.
How San Francisco Fruit Tree Landscaping Differs by Microclimate
San Francisco’s fog, wind, and microclimates mean fruit trees don’t perform the same in every yard. A tree that thrives in the Mission may struggle just a few miles away near the coast. Successful San Francisco fruit tree landscaping depends on choosing varieties suited to fog, wind, and neighborhood microclimates. Soil depth, sun exposure, spacing, and pruning strategy all affect long-term health and fruit production.
When we design fruit tree gardens at Fyrn Landscapes, we consider your taste and what will grow well for decades with manageable maintenance. Learn more about our fruit-focused landscape design services.
Best Fruit Trees for San Francisco Yards
Plums
Ornamental plum trees are everywhere in San Francisco. Edible varieties grow beautifully here too. The ‘Santa Rosa’ plum, developed by local plant breeder Luther Burbank, is one of the best options for our climate. Juicy, sweet, and tangy, it’s a top choice for Bay Area gardeners.
Pluots
A plum-apricot hybrid, pluots were created in California. They thrive in coastal gardens. Their unique flavor and reliable production make them a smart addition to a San Francisco edible landscape.
Apples
Yes, you can grow apples in San Francisco! Low chill apple varieties like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady all perform well in our climate. Planting apple trees is a great way to create a low-maintenance fruit garden in San Francisco.
Pears
While ornamental pears are common street trees here, fruiting varieties perform just as well. Bartlett pears are common, but we recommend Comice pears for their rich, sweet flavor.
After a proper winter fruit tree pruning, this pear tree increased its yield to 21 pounds the following season! We provided fruit preserve recipes to this client so they could save the harvest.
Want Help Choosing the Right Fruit Trees for Your Yard?
Every San Francisco garden is different. Sun exposure, soil conditions, available space, and microclimate all affect which fruit trees will thrive.
I work one-on-one with homeowners to design fruit tree layouts that are productive, beautiful, and easy to maintain.
Figs
Figs are one of the best fruit trees for San Francisco’s Mediterranean climate landscaping. They require little maintenance and reward you with sweet fruit that can be enjoyed fresh, dried, or cooked. You can also cook with fig leaves, which have a coconut flavor.
Persimmons
Persimmons ripen in late fall, bringing bright color and delicious fruit to the garden. These beautiful deciduous trees are striking in winter with vibrant orange fruits hanging like ornaments.
Maintenance Note
All of the above trees are deciduous and require specialized seasonal pruning in the summer and winter. Learn more about Fyrn Landscape's garden care service.
Loquats
Loquats are an evergreen fruit tree that thrives in San Francisco’s foggy neighborhoods. Their tangy orange fruit is both ornamental and edible, making them a great choice for small urban gardens.
Lemons
A classic San Francisco backyard tree, lemons are incredibly productive here. Eureka lemons are the traditional variety, while Meyer lemons are sweeter and aromatic. Both thrive in our coastal climate and provide fruit nearly year-round.
Design Tip
These trees perform best when properly spaced and pruned from the start. We often include it in custom edible garden designs for San Francisco homes.
Blueberries
While not technically a tree, blueberries deserve a spot in any San Francisco edible garden. The variety ‘Sunshine Blue’ grows especially well in Bay Area soils and produces abundant fruit.
Design Tip
Fyrn Landscapes loves to include blueberry shrubs in edible garden designs because our favorite cultivars also add beauty with pink spring flowers and red fall foliage for year round seasonal interest.
Thinking About Planting Fruit Trees in San Francisco?
All fruit trees need a few years to establish before producing heavily. However, once they do, they can provide decades of harvests. Proper planting, seasonal pruning, and the right fertilization are key to long-term success.
Fruit trees are an investment, and when designed properly they add beauty, food, and long-term value to your landscape.
At Fyrn Landscapes, we specialize in:
Fruit tree and edible garden design
Professional planting and pruning
Ongoing garden and orchard maintenance
Climate-appropriate plant selection for San Francisco
Whether you want a single backyard lemon tree or a complete San Francisco orchard design, our team can help you choose the right varieties and keep them healthy year after year.