I only know about the fig I'm growing in a container, but I love it! Try the website below for possible ideas. On their homepage there's a place where you can ask the owners about any fruit-y question you wish! Best of luck. Maureen

Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscaping

How about
miricle fruit
Praying hands banana
Buddhas hand (citrus)
Star fruit

I know these are tropical, but I am not familiar with the sunset zones.
Good luck

And lots of fun, plus you can start them from seed.

Tropicals won't grow here--it often gets below freezing in winter. I wish it didn't--I'd love to grow some interesting kind of banana, or cherimoya, or other tropical fruits. But even limes are a bit iffy around here.

I agree--alpines are great, and I already have them, as a border around one of my vegetable/flower patches. I'm not growing in containers because of lack of room, but because we may be having to move, and I want something I can easily take with me. I already have enough that I'll have to dig up, or that won't be able to be dug up ( like the lemon tree and the walnut tree.)

But thank you for the efforts!

I grow quite a few interesting fruit in pots and tubs. Im not sure what is available in the USA, but you should be able to get all or some of these.
jostaberry (is a blackcurrant/gooseberry cross)
feijoa
cherry guava
lillypilly
chinotto
pepino
babaco
white sapote (no fruit as yet)
midyim berry - one of our natives
japanese quince
tamarillo (prune to keep bushy)

Im trying new unusuals all the time
all the best and happy gardening from Aus.

There are annuals that are edible that will make in containers, how about kiwano horned mellons, or some sort of climbing squash?

If you want perenials you might like Kiwi, Pawpaw will go a few years in a pot while it matures, then you can drop it in the ground when you get to your new home.

If you can protect it from frost, try a babaco. my 6-7 foot specimen, in a half-barrel, is a head-turner in my little garden. Has lots of fruit. I'm in Sunset 24, probably similar to your area but virtually frost-free.

Anybody out there from San Francisco area (peninsula) who grows Buddha's hand? I have one in a pot, but have no experience with citrus. Would like to ask specific questions, like: Will these dozens of mini-hands ALL mature, or is it typical that only a few survive until maturity on tree? Also, why are the leaves yellowish near tips? Finally, the aphids are after my Buddha's hand. Any pesticide to recommend? Thanks for any/all responses.

Try something from the Anonna family like Atemoya or Sugar apple.

There is a site with mini fruit tree of all kinds.
But it is costly.
I do not remember the www.?????.com, sorry.

I have a cherimoya growing in a pot that I take in every winter. It hasn't fruited, and if I don't get it inside (like I didn't this year) before the temp drops below 50, it dies back a bit, but it has come back every year (including this one) once I get it inside.

I also grow a Fig in a very large plastic container. I don't bring it into my house in the summer, but I do drag it into the garage once the temps hit about 40. I'm sure in Jan/Feb my garage is in the 20's at least, but the Fig seems to be fine with it. I don't get many figs from it (at least not so far), but I like messing with it.