Southeast and Peaches go together like the 4th of july and fireworks!

I'm in Z8 in Charleston, SC. I have a pretty nice Satsuma Tangerine tree in a container next to the house that fruits pretty well. In our area, you have a LOT of choices: Peaches/nectarines/apricots/plums and their hybrids, some cold hardy citrus varieties, mulberries, pears, apples, a few cold hardy bananas (I know they are technically not "trees"), figs, some low-chill cherry varieties, paw-paws, and faijoas (pineapple guavas). You might even be able to swing a cold-hardy avocado like a mexicola, lula, or brogdon. I plan on trying to grow a few of them soon. Also, on the cold-hardy citrus, Just Fruits and Exotics carries a good selection. I'm really interested in the Cara Cara Oranges and Glenn Oranges they claims will grow in Z8.

My dad has a few apple, pear and plum trees at his farm. The trees grow well, but he doesn't prune or spray for bugs or fungi, so he doesn't get a lot of nice fruit. He does have several giant red mulberry trees that make tons and tons of fruit with absolutely no care. He also has a 20' tall fig tree covered in fruit. Also, pecan trees do really well at his place.

I've been looking for fruit trees in the Southeast recently to plan out my backyard orchard, so I have been checking a lot of nursery websites. Willis Orchard Co. in Georgia seemed to have a lot of options for Z8. You should check them out. I'll be ordering a M. Nigra mulberry and their low-chill cherries when the fall rolls around.

I have heard that the Southeast can be a difficult region to grow fruit. Things are warm so many fruit trees do not really get enough chill hours, but not quite warm enough for tropical fruit either. Then there is the humidity, which encourages all sorts of disease.

The typical fruits that do well in the Southeast are peaches and pawpaw. Some low-chill varieties of pear and plum can be grown, and of course there are figs.

I know your summers are like walking around in a dog's mouth. lol

I've not ordered from Willis, but have seen mixed reviews here for years. Might check Dave's Garden(are they still up and running?) for reviews before you buy... but could get some good ideas, even if you don't pull the trigger. Definitely avoid TyTy like the plague.

Figs, persimmons(Asian, American & hybrids), more pears, blueberries, blackberries, mulberries...

Pawpaws - if space is at a premium, I'd recommend you eat some before you dedicate space and years to growing them.

Have a look at Just Fruits & Exotics in Crawfordville(?) FL; Edible Landscaping in Afton VA for more unusual fruit varieties.

Yeah, I guess I should add the disclaimer that I have not yet ordered anything from Willis or Just Fruits and Exotics. I have just read about varieties they carry on their websites.

I contacted the wholesale nursery L.E. Cooke to find out where I could buy their M.Nigra mulberry trees and Willis was the closest mail-order place they supplied.

If you're willing to spray, you can grow everything you want with the exception of tropicals. There are even hardy pomegranates and citrus that work here.

All really good ideas here.Thanks to everyone. TY mholseberg for reminding me about Willis. I'm interested in Mulberrys also. I'm lucky to live "in the woods" and have tons of native pawpaws. They are tricky cuz the raccoons always seem to know just the day they turn ripe. ! I'm organic, so don't want to spray, if I don't have to, or maybe I'm lazy?! Also very interested in citrus. I'm low in zone 8 so they do well here but sometimes we have winters that kill.

I had somewhat mixed experience with Willis last year. My order arrived with a weird black gunk that looked somewhere between fungus and gaffers tape. Eventually, all the trees except for three woke up, but the two persimmons have literally just budded out in the last week (and were the worst for that gunk on them). I'm still not confident all them will survive, but I technically only lost 3 very small, very inexpensive trees, and we had a bouncy stretch in this winter. Just another data point.

I ordered grafted (or at least clonal) loquats from Willis and got worthless seedlings.

I have ordered extensively from JF&E and have been happy with everything.