13 Fast-Growing Fruit Trees You Can Grow From Seed

Who wouldn't love to grow a mini orchard housing diverse fruit trees to keep us and the pretty birds visiting our backyards satiated year-round. Sadly, with even the youngest seedlings costing over $100 a piece, the total investment would be astronomical, leaving such intentions a pipe dream. Or, so you think. If you're willing to put up with some uncertainty, you can grow some fruit trees at a much more affordable price using seeds, whether saved from grocery-grown fruit (assuming it isn't a hybrid) or a pack bought off the local fruit-growing farm. Papaya, mango, plum, jackfruit, and mulberry trees are a few such examples.

However, there are caveats to this method. Seed-grown fruit trees don't always taste the same as the fruit you saved them from — they may taste better or worse. So, temper your expectations before walking down this route. Also, in case you don't like the fruit but feel the tree is healthy enough, use it as an excuse to get into fruit tree grafting. The seedling can be utilized as rootstock (saving you money), while you may buy the desired cultivar as scion and create your own fruit tree. That being said, here are some of the best fast-growing fruit trees to start with seed.

You can successfully grow a papaya tree (Carica papaya) from seeds removed from supermarket fruit. Try to source a Hawaii-grown fruit because its seeds have the highest probability of producing bisexual flowers as seedlings, which are self-pollinating. Otherwise, plant at least two seeds to help cross-pollinate them through wind or insect action. Papaya can be grown in frost-free areas in zones 9b through 11 and overwintered in a greenhouse when temperatures decline to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Started indoors, seeds germinate in two weeks and are moved outdoors when they're 1 foot high. Expects flowers in under six months and fruits about five months from this event.

You can successfully grow a mango tree from seed, provided it's sourced from an Indochinese variety because they produce polyembryonic seeds, like Honey (Altaufo), Kasturi, and Bullocks Heart. Essentially, a lone polyembryonic seed contains multiple embryos. Out of the four or five seedlings usually produced, one is a hybrid (it's a slow grower and looks visually different), while the rest are clones and can be safely planted in your garden or containers to preserve the original fruit. Mango (Mangifera indica) trees can grow over 6 feet initially, but will slow down as they begin bearing fruit, which can take between two and five years after planting.

American plum (Prunus americana) is a fast-growing fruit tree that you may grow from seed in zones 4 through 9. However, be aware that their fruit tastes better after it has dried, and not raw off the tree. From fully ripe plums (they should appear yellowish-red and fleshy), extract the round seeds after removing the pulp. Spread these seeds on a moist paper and refrigerate for about three to five months until the spring temperatures are warm enough for sowing. Unless you want a groomed look, allow the tree to sucker so the pollinators can dwell in the thickets.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is an Indian introduction that bears quite a hefty, hard-skinned fruit hiding an aromatic, sweet pulp inside. It can also be cooked as a vegetable when still unripe. Jack fruit grows rapidly, gaining nearly 5 feet annually, with the speed reducing to 20 inches by maturity. If you can spare a few seeds (a hard task since they taste like chestnuts when roasted), you may sow them in frost-free warm climates within a month of extraction, or they might lose their viability. These fruit trees will become productive when they're nearly four years old.

Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea or Sambucus mexicana) is a fast-growing fruit tree that can grow over 20 feet tall and wide. Although growing it from seed doesn't preclude genetic variations, this method is generally more successful. Besides, blue elderberries exclusively host the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a threatened species, and growing seed-based trees should encourage more biodiversity. In a bowl containing cool water, soak the berries for a day and remove pulp. Extract the viable seeds (the ones settled at the bottom), lay them on a moist paper towel, seal them inside a plastic bag, and refrigerate for 90 days until sowing.

Also known as cotton candy berry and strawberry tree, Panama berry tree (Muntingia calabura) is a tropical, evergreen tree suitable in zones 9b to 11. These trees grow fast, gaining over 3 meters (10 feet) every year, and sometimes touching 10 meters in optimal conditions. Given that, some gardeners cut back their tops after harvest to contain their size. Luckily, they come without stratification requirements — you can simply pop the seeds in the soil and the young trees will become productive when they're about 18 months old. The harvest season outlasts spring and summer.

Apart from producing marshmallow-flavored pink flowers, pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana, formerly Feijoa sellowiana) trees bear tasty bluish-green berries in summer that must ripen on the tree for good flavor. Better yet, they can be reliably grown from seeds — they don't have any specific dormancy requirements — though you can expect variations in taste from the original fruit. Given optimal conditions, pineapple guava trees can grow 2 feet annually. However, remember that they may not bear fruit until they're four years old. After you've rinsed out the seeds and soaked them in a moist medium, expect them to germinate in four weeks.

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) — also known as custard apple, annon, and sweetsop — dependably produces from seeds, especially if you can get your hands on selections like 'Kampong Mauve' or 'Thai Lessard.' Extract the seeds from a fully ripe fruit and nick it with a filer to release the outer coating. Alternatively, you may soak the seeds in warm water for about four days to soften them. They should germinate in about a month and can be moved into the ground in frost-free areas in zones 9 to 11. These fast-growing trees can take about three years to bear fruit.

Red mulberry (Morus rubra) is a top contender for fruit trees that can grow fruit for over 100 years in your backyard and can also be easily started from seed. Best of all? They volunteer new seedlings every year. But be prepared for lots of weeds unless you wish to create a wild patch for birds. Mulberry trees grow about 10 feet tall in the first year, though the rates moderate once they become fruit-bearing. Seeds need to be cold stratified, preferably at temperatures ranging between 34 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit, for under three months when starting from scratch.

If you're up for an experiment, try growing pomegranate (Punica granatum) with seeds, though the new fruits may not taste the same. Also, seed-grown pomes may take about three years to set decent fruit (the fruits are borne on second-year wood). Regarding the procedure, planting the red seeds (technically 'arils') in a moist potting medium may not yield good germination rates. Instead, roll the arils on a tissue to remove this fleshy coat, wash off the seeds, and air dry for 30 minutes. Sow the seeds after refrigerating for a few weeks and move into the ground once the seedlings grow 6 inches tall.

Generally, common peach (Prunus persica) trees closely resemble their parent plant even when grown from seed. Extract the pits from your favorite fruit and de-pulp them, leaving them to dry. Hammer out the seed from the pit so it has an easier time germinating. Sow the seeds into the soil during fall, topping them with soil for winter and pest protection. Or, cold stratify them for spring planting by refrigerating them, sealed in a plastic bag, for about four months. These fast-growing trees should turn productive within three to four years, after which their growth will slow to 1 foot a year.

Sour jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. Spinosa) trees are typically started with seeds in zones 6 through 9, although the germination rates are mid at best. For better yield, soak the seeds in hot water for two days, replacing water in between at least once or using a heating pad to soften their outer coat. Afterward, lay them on a moist mossy medium in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate for about three months (maintain temperatures at 40 degrees Fahrenheit). Your seedlings should bloom within the year. If you don't like the fruit, repurpose it into a seedling rootstock and graft on a tastier cultivar.

Despite the name, soursop (Annona muricata) offers a sweet-tasting fruit that will fill your mouth with notes of apples and strawberries. Better yet, you can grow it from seed. While the seed-started trees grow vigorously, you may have to wait for about three (rarely, five) years for them to become productive. For the best germination rates, extricate the seeds from ripe fruit within a month, wash them, and directly sow them in the ground. The majority will germinate in under 20 days. Note that soursop is frost-tender and won't survive temperatures under 30 degrees Fahrenheit.