In NorCal I have cherries (Van, Lapins) in the same part of my yard as my guava, lime, and banana. Pretty crazy. I have red raspberries that do well, like heritage and caroline, my yellows are very weak and I don't think they can take the climate. The fruit is good but very scant. Can't really get currants or gooseberries to work though...not enough chill.

Well, there is no climate that is perfect for everything, but Mediterranean climates (like socal) are as close as it gets I think to being able to successfully grow both tropical fruits and deciduous fruits.

I've read some reports that vanilla orchids can be grown here too, I'll have to get some. Cherries and vanilla...

Interesting I'm in Scottsdale now and many maps put it as zone 10

just bought a flame grape in a 5 gal

Arizona is not the same climate as coastal Southern California, and neither is the Bay area, despite the fact that they may all be considered in climate zone 10. The Bay area has lower average temperatures and doesn't get as much heat in the summer, while Arizona has higher average temperatures and a lot of periods of blazing hot dry weather that are difficult for tropical plants to contend with (although there are some microclimates in Arizona). The climate zone designation just has to do with winter lows, and doesn't tell you much else about the climate.

There are people in the Bay area and Arizona growing tropical fruits but these places are not as suitable for growing tropicals as Southern California near the coast. If we're trying to compare the Bay area to Scottsdale, AZ, each climate has its advantages, and probably different species would do better in either place and require different care. Shade cloth in Arizona. Arizona would have the advantage that many things would be able to fruit and ripen well that would not in the Bay area.

The ideal climate for growing tropical fruit next to cherries would probably get a consistent block of 47-55°F temperatures in the Winter, with 63-84°F the rest of the year.

I wasn't comparing the climate, I was comparing the lack of chill hours. they are still the same usda zone.

you might get more chill hours, I dont know. But I'm sure it's nothing like what I had in Michigan.

id like your input though on what you think would be best here. I obviously am getting new citrus I'm already up to 8 trees. I have dragon fruit, San Pedro (for the novelty) and just bought a new cacao but I know that will probably die.

The coastal fog areas do tend to get more effective chill hours than their climate zone number suggests because during the Winter the temperatures can often hover just above 45°F in the night, and not go much above 60°F during the day. This can give temperate deciduous fruit trees the accumulation they need without being too harsh on tropical plants.

I've noticed a little bit of chill can add up as long as the days don't get too hot. Temperate fruit trees don't necessarily need freezing cold temperatures. Chill accumulation is more about the heat the trees do NOT receive over a period of time than the cold.

If that cacao is smaller than 2 or 3 feet, it needs to be protected. I wouldn't take it outside (in Arizona) except during Spring and Fall. Hot (or cold) dry wind will kill it. Cold nights will kill it. Too much blazing sun when the temperatures are over 80-85°F will kill it. Make sure the soil is well watered and remains moist. Put it in a larger pot with plenty of root space. Do you have a greenhouse?

I've heard some people have had success planting a mature cacao plant next to a large pond of water. The water helps moderate the temperatures throughout the day and adds moisture into the surrounding air.

There's someone growing a lychee tree in Phoenix, Arizona. It's not the best climate for a lychee, but it can be done.

" The Brewster lychee tree [...] was planted 3 years ago and the fruit [shown in the picture] are part of its first significant crop. It is located on the eastern side of the house part way under an overhang and has a peach tree planted on its east side approximately 10 feet away. The house gives the lychee afternoon shade and since the peach tree is deciduous it provides partial shade during the hottest parts of the year and allows more sun to come through during the cooler months. The fruit from this tree was surprisingly sweet and juicy, despite the fact that it matured in the middle of July, the hottest time of the year. Lychee trees grow and produce in Phoenix Arizona when they are given a good microclimate and sufficient water. They can handle the lower desert heat as long as they have some protection from the sun during the hottest part of the day." http://www.phoenixtropicals.com/lychee.html

Something I'll throw in here: In my opinion Mauritius and Emperor have a slightly better tolerance for dryer climates than the other lychee varieties, if anyone was actually thinking about trying to grow lychee in Arizona. Normally lychees (as with many other kinds of tropical fruit trees) prefer a more humid environment.

Some people have had success growing cherry trees in Phoenix (the lower chill varieties) though it can be challenging for them to thrive in the heat.

Here's a picture of a cherry tree in a backyard filled with other tropical fruit trees that appeared on the [now inactive] Tropical Fruit Forum.

(it was posted by xshen who lives in Southern California)

Btw, Oroblanco basically has a flavor like a pomelo, with a bit smaller fruit size, but is able to fully ripen in this climate. Oroblanco tastes just as good as the best pomelos grown in the tropical climate of Southeast Asia.

xshen also was growing guavas, longan, and atemoya.

I'm not sure which is sold in stores oro or chandler but whichever is is real good.

but I only want hirado. For now.

And the cacao is dead already. Forgot to plant it. Oops.

See this yard in OC

A lot of Vietnamese immigrants are growing tropical fruits in their yards.

I think that might have been Pandan leaf by the side of her house she was growing, which is used to give flavor to desserts.

Recipe for the best healthy wholesome snow cone:

snow (or shaved ice), 3 parts tart cherry juice, 2 parts freshly juiced sugar cane

The sugar cane juice is not just sugar water, and it's not as sweet as one might think, it's actually fairly healthy and full of nutrients.

Sugar cane can be grown in your own yard as far north as Sacramento. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9nvTPKT5VU

By the way, if you're looking for a tart cherry variety, for making tart cherry juice, that could be grown in the Los Angeles area, the best one I am aware of with the lowest chill requirement is a variety from Persia known as 'Abaloo'.

I live in NC and just planted a low chilld Royal Lee and Royal Minnie a couple seasons ago. How do you handle the high heat with the cherries? My leaves tend to browna nd drop early in Aug. here. We're zone 7b/8a

It's even worse here. At least in NC you have humidity in the air (which is not good for cherries in another way) but in S. CA it's even harder because of the dry air. The cherry leaves tend to get baked, scorched, and desiccated.

Shade cloth can really be helpful for young cherry trees in hot climates.

That being said, it's still possible. I've seen a cherry tree growing out in the desert. It didn't look good but it looked like it had been surviving there for several years. Planting it in a spot with just a little partial shade will really help in the first few years, especially if that shade is in the latter half of the day. Make sure the soil is kept moist.

I think one reason cherries are not more popular in many regions is because people tried planting a young tree and it did not seem to do well and finally died a year or two later. In hot climates cherry trees can need a lot of care the first few years of their life, they need adequate watering to prevent drying out in the heat and sun. Later on it will become easier when the trees are more mature. First two years are the hardest.

Something else I've noticed, and it's true for many tropical plants as well, is that in this climate certain plants seem to thrive better when in close proximity to lots of other plants. They provide mutual protection to each other from too much direct exposure to sun and hot/cold wind. Just like in nature where the forest canopy creates its own microclimate. I think it also helps increase localized humidity levels a little bit to help prevent the plants from drying out. (obviously this may not be such a good thing in other parts of the country where the humidity levels are already really high, since cherries are prone to disease there)

Royal Minnie grafted onto a Bing cherry. It was just grafted at the very end of December, and as you can see the graft took, the top is now bursting with blossoms (and those little leaves are new). The Bing at the bottom was growing very well last year.