Buying Fruit Trees Online in Florida: Shipping Tips

Not everyone lives close to a good tropical fruit nursery. If you're in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville or a small town in between, buying fruit trees online can open up varieties you'll never find at a big-box garden center. It also raises fair questions: Will the tree survive the trip? What should I do when the box arrives? How do I know I'm getting a good plant?

Here's what to look for when you order, and how to help your tree arrive alive and settle in fast.

What to look for before you buy

Named varieties and clear propagation

A good listing tells you the variety and how the plant was propagated: grafted, air-layered, from cuttings or grown from seed. For mangoes and avocados, grafted is the standard, because grafted trees are true to type and fruit years sooner. Some trees, like tamarind and soursop, are often grown from seed, and that's fine as long as the listing says so. Our guide to grafted vs. seedling fruit trees explains the difference.

Size and container

Check the listed height and pot size. A smaller tree ships more easily and often establishes quickly. A larger tree may fruit sooner but costs more to ship and needs more care after arrival.

Trees suited to your climate

A tree that ships perfectly still won't thrive if it can't handle your winters. Before you order, check our regional guides for Tampa Bay, Orlando and Central Florida and Jacksonville and North Florida.

Where the nursery ships

Plant shipping is regulated, and some states restrict which plants can come in. We ship within Florida and to nearby Gulf states. We don't ship to California or Arizona. If you're near Miami, local pickup at our nursery is available anytime.

A note on citrus

Florida is under citrus quarantines because of citrus greening and other diseases. Buy citrus only from a registered Florida nursery that produces certified trees, and never ship or carry citrus plants out of state. Learn more in citrus greening signs and what to do.

Trees that travel well

Some fruit trees handle a few days in a box better than others. Sturdy, young, container-grown trees tend to ship best. A few of our favorites for shipping around Florida:

Everbearing Mulberry: tough, cold-hardy and quick to settle in, a great choice anywhere in the state.
Arkin Starfruit: a productive tropical that handles a bit more cold than many once established.
Sweet Tamarind: a seed-grown, long-lived tree with feathery leaves and sweet-tart pods.
Trinitario Cacao: grow your own chocolate tree. It's very cold-tender, so outside South Florida, plan on a container you can bring indoors.

Pickering mango and Ruby Supreme guava are other good travelers.

The day your tree arrives

1. Open the box right away

Don't leave the box on a hot porch or in a dark garage. Bring it inside or into the shade and open it as soon as you can. Carefully remove the packing material and stand the tree upright.

2. Check the soil and water

Push a finger into the soil. If it's dry, water slowly and thoroughly until water drains from the bottom of the pot. If it's already moist, wait a day.

3. Let it recover in bright shade

After a few days in the dark, a tree's leaves aren't ready for full Florida sun. Place it somewhere with bright, indirect light or filtered shade for several days, then move it into more sun over about a week.

4. Don't panic about a few yellow or dropped leaves

Some leaf drop or yellowing after shipping is a normal stress response. What matters is that the stems stay flexible and green underneath the bark. Scratch a stem lightly with a thumbnail if you're worried. New leaves usually follow once the tree recovers.

5. Hold the fertilizer

Skip fertilizer for the first couple of weeks. Let the roots recover first, then start with a light feeding. Our guide on fertilizing fruit trees in Florida explains how much to use.

6. Plant when the tree has settled

Once the tree has had time to recover and is back in sun, it's ready for the ground or a bigger container. In Central and North Florida, wait until after your last frost to plant tender trees outdoors. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to plant a grafted fruit tree.

If something looks wrong

If your tree arrives damaged, take photos of the plant and the box before you unpack everything, and contact the nursery right away. With us, just call or text 786-774-2125 and we'll help you figure out next steps.

Holiday shopping

From November 1 through December 31, 2026, code HOLIDAY10 takes 10% off orders of $75 or more. Fruit trees make great gifts for Florida gardeners. See our holiday fruit tree gift guide.

Order with confidence

I'm Tony, a botanist and arborist, and I run Giardino Fresco with my family in Miami. We ship throughout Florida and to nearby Gulf states, and local pickup is available anytime.

Ready to order? Shop the Everbearing Mulberry, Arkin Starfruit, Sweet Tamarind or Trinitario Cacao, delivered to your door.

Products from the article

Young everbearing mulberry trees in black nursery pots

Everbearing Mulberry Plant Ready To Fruit

Mulberry Plants – Premium Quality, Abundant Harvests, and Nearly Year-Round Fruiting Elevate your garden with our premium mulberry plants at Giardino Fresco. These carefully selected, nursery-grown trees (Morus spp.) produce sweet, juicy berries with a delightful flavor reminiscent of blackberries and raspberries. Enjoy them fresh off the tree, in jams, desserts, or smoothies—our superior varieties are chosen for exceptional taste, vigor, and extended productivity. Why Our Premium Mulberries Stand Out: • Extended, Nearly Year-Round Fruiting: Unlike ordinary mulberries, our premium selections are bred and nurtured to deliver berries over a remarkably long season—often providing fresh harvests for much of the year in warmer climates like South Florida. • Superior Fruit Quality & Nutrition: Bursting with vitamin C, iron, antioxidants, and fiber, these luscious berries come from robust, high-performing trees that consistently yield larger, sweeter crops. • Easy Care & Fast-Growing: Hardy, low-maintenance, and drought-tolerant once established. They thrive in a wide range of soils, full sun to partial shade, and resist most pests and diseases. Self-fertile, so a single tree delivers plentiful fruit. • Beautiful Landscape Trees: With lush, heart-shaped leaves and an elegant form, our mulberries double as stunning shade trees, edible hedges, or focal points in any yard or larger container garden. Every plant we offer is hand-selected for premium health, strong root systems, and proven fruiting performance—so you receive only the best for your home orchard or edible landscape. Perfect for USDA zones 5–10, they excel in tropical and subtropical conditions. Plant one of our premium mulberry trees today and experience the satisfaction of homegrown abundance with minimal effort. Sweet rewards await you season after season! Questions about variety selection or care? We’re here to help you grow successfully. 🌳🍓

$45.00

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Arkin Starfruit Plant Carambola 28"+ / 3 Gal

Arkin Starfruit Tree (Averrhoa carambola ‘Arkin’) — The Most Popular Productive Star Fruit Variety for Home Gardens and Tropical Orchards Grow an Arkin starfruit tree and enjoy one of the most reliable, high-yielding carambola varieties available. The Arkin star fruit tree is the leading commercial sweet starfruit cultivar in Florida and the most widely planted productive starfruit variety outside Asia. Selected in Florida and named after horticulturist Morris Arkin, this Averrhoa carambola cultivar produces abundant crops of golden-yellow, star-shaped fruit with a crisp, juicy texture and balanced sweet-tart flavor. Mature Arkin starfruit trees can yield 200–350 pounds of fruit per year under good conditions, with multiple harvests possible. Young trees often begin fruiting within a few years and can produce 10–40 pounds in the early years, increasing quickly as the tree matures. The fruit is medium to large, uniform, waxy-skinned, and turns from green to bright yellow-orange when ripe. Slice it crosswise and you get the classic five-pointed star that makes star fruit a favorite garnish, salad ingredient, and fresh snack. The flesh is fiber-free, crunchy when ripe, and has a refreshing tropical taste often compared to a mix of apple, pear, grape, and citrus with mild acidity. Allow fruit to ripen fully on the tree for best sweetness. This productive starfruit variety is largely self-fertile and sets good crops even in solid plantings. It thrives in full sun, well-drained soil, and warm tropical or subtropical climates (best growth 68–95°F). Protect from strong wind, frost, salt, and waterlogged soil. Trees typically reach 15–25 feet if unpruned but respond well to pruning and can be kept smaller or grown in large containers. They are evergreen in warm locations and produce attractive pink-lavender flowers. Harvest peaks often occur in late summer/fall and winter, with some fruit available much of the year in ideal conditions. Grow your own Arkin carambola tree for a continuous supply of homegrown star fruit rich in vitamin C. Use the fruit fresh, in juices, smoothies, fruit salads, desserts, or as an edible garnish. Note: people with kidney disease should consult a doctor before eating starfruit due to oxalic acid content. A proven, productive tropical fruit tree that delivers heavy yields of beautiful, tasty star fruit. Perfect for warm-climate landscapes and anyone wanting a reliable star fruit tree.

$59.00

Sweet Tamarind Plant 24"+ / 3 Gal

Tamarind Tree Grown from Seed (Tamarindus indica) Bring home one of the world’s most iconic tropical trees with this seed-grown Tamarind from Giardino Fresco. Native to tropical Africa and treasured across India, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America, tamarind is a long-lived evergreen prized for its feathery foliage, fragrant yellow-and-red flowers, and distinctive brown pods filled with sweet-tart pulp. That pulp is the flavor behind Worcestershire sauce, pad Thai, chutneys, aguas frescas, candies, and countless curries. These vigorous seed-grown trees offer strong roots, genetic diversity, and the classic tamarind look: fine pinnate leaves that cast light, airy shade and a spreading crown that becomes more sculptural with age. Fruit quality can vary from tree to tree—some lean sweeter, others more tart—but many produce excellent pods once mature. Expect a slow-to-moderate grower that can reach 30–80 feet in the tropics if unpruned, but is easily kept much smaller (10–25 feet) with pruning for Florida yards, large containers, or edible landscapes. Trees grown from seed typically take several years longer to fruit than grafted specimens, often beginning to bear in 6–10+ years under good conditions. Mature trees can be highly productive, with brittle brown pods that dry on the tree and are easy to harvest. Why grow tamarind? • Unique sweet-sour fruit for cooking, drinks, and preserves • Beautiful ornamental shade tree with fine, fern-like foliage • Drought-tolerant once established; wind-resistant branches • Multipurpose: fruit, shade, and traditional uses for leaves and wood • A conversation piece for tropical collectors and food-forest growers Thrives in full sun and well-draining soil in USDA zones 10–11 (protect young trees from freezes below about 30°F). Once established it handles heat, humidity, and dry spells well—ideal for South Florida and other warm subtropical climates. Start your own tamarind journey with a healthy, well-rooted seedling from Giardino Fresco. Plant it, give it sun and time, and one day you’ll be cooking with fruit from a tree you grew yourself.

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Trinitarian Cacao Plant 12"-18" / 1 Gal

Trinitario Cacao Tree (Theobroma cacao ‘Trinitario’) – Premium Fine-Flavor Hybrid Bring the legendary “best of both worlds” cacao into your tropical garden with our healthy, vigorously rooted Trinitario cacao plants from Giardino Fresco. Born in Trinidad in the 18th century when Criollo and Forastero trees naturally cross-pollinated, Trinitario combines the complex, aromatic flavor of delicate Criollo with the hardiness, higher yields, and better disease resistance of robust Forastero. It is prized worldwide by craft chocolate makers for its rich, multi-layered profile—fruity acidity, floral notes, nutty undertones, spice, and a clean chocolate base—while remaining far more practical to grow than pure Criollo. Why grow Trinitario cacao? • Fine-flavor beans ideal for homemade chocolate, ceremonial cacao, or simply enjoying the fresh white pulp surrounding the seeds. • Attractive, colorful pods (often ridged and ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, to purple) that develop directly on the trunk and branches—a striking ornamental feature. • More productive and resilient than pure Criollo, making it better suited for home gardens in warm climates. • A true conversation-piece tropical tree that produces the “food of the gods.” Growing notes for South Florida & similar climates Trinitario thrives in partial shade to filtered sun when young, then full sun as it matures. It prefers rich, well-draining soil, consistent moisture, high humidity, and protection from strong winds and frost. In Miami and USDA zones 10–11 it can be grown in the ground; elsewhere it performs well in large containers. Expect flowers and pods once the tree is established (typically several years depending on size and care). Add this exceptional hybrid to your collection and experience the unique pleasure of harvesting your own fine-flavor cacao right at home. Limited stock of healthy, nursery-grown plants available now at giardinofresco.com.

$45.00