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Can you grow soursop in Central Florida? That's the question I had after bringing home a soursop tree for the food forest I'm slowly creating.
My first instinct with a new fruit tree is usually to start figuring out where I can plant it. But this one is different. Soursop is a tropical fruit tree, and our Central Florida winters can occasionally bring freezing temperatures.
So instead of putting this one directly into the ground, I decided to move it into a larger pot. That gives it more room to grow while still allowing me to move and protect it when cold weather arrives.
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Can Soursop Grow in Florida?
Yes, soursop can grow in Florida, but where you live in the state makes a big difference.
Soursop's scientific name is Annona muricata. You may also see it called guanábana or graviola. It's a tropical fruit tree and is much better suited to consistently warm conditions than to areas that regularly experience cold weather.
According to University of Florida IFAS guidance, soursop grows best in warm locations that don't freeze. That's obviously easier in the warmest parts of South Florida than it is here in Central Florida.
That doesn't mean I'm giving up on growing one. It just means I'm treating this tree differently from some of the more cold-tolerant fruit trees I'm adding.
How Cold Can a Soursop Tree Tolerate?
This is the biggest issue for me.
UF/IFAS lists the optimum growing temperature range for guanábana (soursop) at approximately 68–86°F. Mature trees can experience freeze damage at around 30–32°F.
Cold doesn't have to reach freezing to become an issue, either. UF/IFAS notes that more than a few days with temperatures below approximately 50°F can result in chilling injury.
Since we can get freezing temperatures in Central Florida, planting my soursop in the ground right before winter would make protecting it much more difficult.
Why I'm Growing My Soursop in a Pot
For me, the pot is really about flexibility.
I'm giving the tree more growing room, but I'm not committing it to a permanent location yet. If a freeze is coming, a container gives me options that I wouldn't have with a tree planted permanently in the ground.
It also gives me some time to learn how this particular tree handles our climate before deciding whether I ever want to try planting it permanently.
Does Soursop Need Full Sun?
UF/IFAS recommends planting soursop in full sun. If it is eventually planted in the landscape, they recommend choosing a location about 15 to 30 feet away from other trees, structures and power lines.
For Central and North Florida specifically, UF/IFAS recommends using the warmest spot in the yard and choosing a location that will be convenient to protect from frost.
That's an important combination for me to think about. I don't just need to find a sunny location — I need a sunny location that also makes sense when winter arrives.
How Big Does a Soursop Tree Get?
Soursop isn't necessarily a tiny patio plant forever. UF/IFAS information for Florida tropical fruit trees recommends maintaining soursop trees at roughly 8 to 12 feet tall in the home landscape.
So even though mine is manageable in a pot right now, I'm keeping its future size in mind as I plan where all of these fruit trees might eventually go.
What Does Soursop Taste Like?
This is one of the reasons I'm excited to try growing it.
Despite the name "soursop," the fruit can be sweet. UF/IFAS describes the inside as having a custard-like consistency and notes that the flavor has been compared to a combination of strawberry, apple and citrus. Some varieties are sweeter than others.
That's a pretty interesting combination, and I'd love to eventually be able to taste fruit from a tree I grew myself.
Protecting Soursop During a Central Florida Winter
This is going to be the real experiment.
I'm planning ahead for the tropical plants that need more protection during winter. One option I'm looking at is using a greenhouse so I have a protected place for plants that aren't nearly as happy about our occasional freezes as some of my other fruit trees.
This is the greenhouse I'm looking at on Amazon for helping protect some of my more cold-sensitive plants.
I'm definitely not assuming a greenhouse makes a tropical plant freeze-proof. I'll still have to pay attention to the actual temperatures and learn what level of protection these plants need. But having a dedicated protected space could make managing them much easier.
Soursop vs. Citrus in Central Florida
One thing I'm learning while building this food forest is that I can't treat every fruit tree the same way.
I recently brought home a Hamlin orange tree that was originally around $200 and marked down to about $50. I had to research whether I should plant that tree in fall or wait until spring, too.
You can see that project here: When Should You Plant an Orange Tree in Florida? My $50 Hamlin Orange Tree .
The soursop takes that question to another level because it is much more sensitive to cold. That's why this one is staying mobile for now.
Watch Me Repot My Soursop
Here's the short video where I repotted the tree and explained why I'm not putting it into the ground yet:
Can You Grow Soursop in Central Florida?
So my answer right now is: I'm going to try — but I'm not treating it like a fruit tree that can simply be planted anywhere in the yard and forgotten about.
Its sensitivity to cold means winter protection is going to be part of growing soursop here. Keeping mine in a container gives me more control while I learn what works.
And that's really what this whole food forest project is becoming: finding interesting fruit trees, figuring out which ones can handle Central Florida, and learning how to grow the ones that need a little extra help.
If you've successfully grown soursop in Central Florida, I'd love to hear how you protect yours during winter.