Tamarind is one of my favorite trees to grow, and it's one of the trees I raise myself at our Miami nursery. It gives you feathery, fern-like shade, pretty yellow-and-red flowers, and brown pods full of sweet-tart pulp that goes into aguas frescas, chutneys, curries, candies and pad Thai. If you've ever wondered whether you can grow your own tamarind in Florida, the answer depends a lot on where you live. Here's how I'd approach it in every part of the state, based on what we see in our own trees and on UF/IFAS guidance for Florida homeowners.
Where tamarind grows in Florida
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tropical tree that does best in USDA zones 10 and 11. That means South Florida, from the Keys through Miami-Dade, Broward and coastal Palm Beach County, is the easiest place to plant one in the ground. Young tamarinds are tender, and frost near freezing can damage or kill them. Older, established trees handle a brief light frost better, but they are still not a cold-hardy tree.
Here's how that plays out by region:
- South Florida and the Keys: Plant in the ground in full sun. This is tamarind country.
- Southwest Florida and coastal Tampa Bay: Warm coastal spots near the water can work in the ground, especially on the south side of a building. Be ready to cover young trees on cold nights.
- Orlando and Central Florida: Freezes come often enough that I'd grow tamarind in a large container you can move into a garage or porch on cold nights.
- Gainesville, Jacksonville and the Panhandle: Grow it in a container and treat it as a patio tree that comes indoors whenever frost is forecast.
The good news is that tamarind grows slowly to moderately and takes pruning well, so it adapts to life in a big pot better than many tropical fruit trees.
Choosing your tree
The tamarinds we sell are seed-grown sweet tamarinds. Seedlings develop strong root systems, but you should know two things up front. First, fruit quality varies a bit from tree to tree, with some leaning sweeter and some more tart. Second, seedlings take longer to fruit than grafted trees, often several years, with many starting somewhere in the 6 to 10 year range under good conditions. It's a tree you plant for the long haul. If you're new to the difference between the two, our post on grafted vs. seedling fruit trees explains it.
Planting tamarind in the ground
Pick the sunniest spot you have. Tamarind wants full sun and soil that drains well, and it won't tolerate sitting in wet ground. Florida's sandy soils suit it fine.
- Dig a hole two to three times as wide as the pot but no deeper than the root ball.
- Set the tree at the same depth it sat in the pot. Planting too deep is one of the most common mistakes I see.
- Backfill with the native soil, water deeply to settle it, and spread a few inches of mulch in a wide ring, keeping the mulch a few inches away from the trunk.
- Give it room. Unpruned tamarinds can get very large over the decades, so plant well away from your house, power lines and septic system, or plan to prune to keep it a manageable size.
Fall is a good time to plant in South Florida, since the heat eases off. Just remember our dry season starts around now, so you'll be doing the watering the rain usually handles in summer.
Growing tamarind in a container
For Central and North Florida, a container keeps tamarind in your life without risking it to a freeze. Start with a pot a size or two larger than the one it came in and step up as it grows, eventually to a large container. Use a fast-draining potting mix, and make sure the pot has good drainage holes. Put it in the sunniest spot on your patio, and keep it on a plant dolly so moving it inside on a cold night is easy.
Watering and feeding
For the first several weeks after planting, water deeply two to three times a week, then taper off as the roots spread. Once established, tamarind is quite drought tolerant, though regular water during dry spells helps young trees grow faster. Container trees dry out sooner and need more frequent checks, so water when the top inch of mix is dry.
Feed lightly and regularly during the warm months with a balanced fertilizer rather than heavily all at once, and skip feeding in winter. Our guide on when and how to fertilize fruit trees in Florida covers the schedule in more detail.
Protecting tamarind from cold
When a frost or freeze is in the forecast, water the soil the day before, because moist soil holds heat better than dry soil. Cover in-ground young trees with frost cloth or an old sheet that reaches the ground, and remove it once temperatures rise the next morning. Container trees should simply come inside. Our post on cold-hardy fruit trees and protecting tender ones in Florida freezes has more tips worth reading before winter arrives.
Pruning and harvest
Tamarind needs little pruning beyond shaping when young. Choose a strong central trunk, remove crossing or crowded branches, and cut back long shoots if you want to keep the tree compact. Its branches are known for holding up well in wind, which is a nice bonus in hurricane country.
When your tree starts bearing, wait until the pods turn brown and the shells become brittle and easy to crack. Ripe pods can stay on the tree for a while, so you can harvest as you need them. Peel the shell, pull away the stringy fibers, and the sticky pulp inside is ready to use.
Grow your own tamarind
A tamarind tree is a living piece of the tropics that will outlast most things in your yard, and it makes a memorable gift for the cook in your family. Every one we sell is a tree I've looked after here in Miami. Shop our Sweet Tamarind trees and we'll ship anywhere in Florida, carefully packed and ready to plant. For a gift with a little extra wow, our Chocolate & Tamarind Gift Set pairs a tamarind with a cacao tree I grow myself. You can also browse our full fruit plant collection. Local pickup at our Miami nursery is available anytime, and if you have questions, call or text me at 786-774-2125.
Happy growing,
Tony
