Indoor fruit plants – enjoy the taste of fresh fruits, can be with fragrant blooms and delectable taste of your homegrown indoor fruit plants. Here are some plants you may consider adding to your home:
Indoor fruit list of plants
Alpine strawberry
The Alpine strawberry is a great ever bearing variety to grow indoors because they do not require much sun and make a very neat potted plant. The fruit of this plant is eaten alone, or can be mixed in juices, smoothies, jams or syrups. You can also make a wine out of it. The best soil for growing strawberry plants indoors has pH between 5.3 and 6.5. The best time to plant it is in spring or autumn in the form of plant or seed, although starting from seed is a bit hard.
Calamansi tree
Calamansi fruits are often processed to juice, concentrate, acidulant for other juices, jellies, jam and marmalade. It is a small bushy evergreen with a mix of sweet and tangy flavor similar to lime and tangerine is what makes calamansi tree a great choice for indoor fruiting plant. Calamansi growing requirements are similar to other citrus plants. Proper exposure to sun and temperature improves its productivity. Although it needs full sun, it can also thrive in half shade. Calamansi usually starts bearing fruits 2 to 3 years after planting.
Calamondin tree
Calamondin is commonly used by squeezing its juice and served with iced tea, seafoods, or meat marinade. It is also preserved whole in sugar syrup, or made into sweet pickles, or marmalade. It can also be used like lime or lemon juice to make gelatin salads or desserts, custard pie or chiffon pie. Calamondin is considered a dwarf citrus tree and is highly shade tolerant which makes them ideal for indoors. However, they are most productive when grown in full sun. The flowers require no cross pollination and will produce fruit at two years of age, continuing to bear almost all year around.
Cocoa tree
Cocoa beans are used for producing chocolates. Relatively small in size (about 20-15 feet) and can be kept small, cocoa tree is a novelty choice for indoor fruit plant since it does best with filtered sunlight and should not be exposed to direct sunlight as it may scorch its leaves. The choice of soil for this plant is a light, fast-draining one and thrives in a very humid environment. For this reason, some home growers encase their cocoa trees in plastic bags to increase humidity. Cocoa flowers contain both male and female parts and can pollinate on its own.
Cranberry
Cranberry fruits are famous for its juice, aside from that it can also be eaten fresh or used in salads for its tartness. This plant does not take too much space and can grow in containers inside your home. They are very resistant to cold and frost and can be planted any time of the year. It can take a few years before it bears fruit but will continue to do so indefinitely if they are cared of properly. You cannot start growing a cranberry plant through seeds, but there are cuttings and seedlings available in the market.
Curry tree
The berries of the curry tree are black and edible but the seeds are poisonous and must be removed before consumption. These fruits can be eaten fresh or made into juice. It is a culinary plant whose leaves are used as an aromatic and the fruit of the plant is a component of desserts. Curry tree loves a warm place with plenty of light. You can grow it with direct or indirect sun light or artificial white light and is can be planted in pots in balconies or terrace. You may plant your curry tree alongside herbs you use in the kitchen.
Dragon fruit
Dubbed as a super food, dragon fruit is best consumed chilled, as a smoothie or sorbet. The plant responds well to pruning to keep it small and can be grown in a container indoors near a window with plenty of sunlight. It is a quick growing cactus hardy and can be placed near the window where there are no obstacles from the outside that can block the sunlight. The dragon fruit tree produces a fleshy, oblong berry with a red or yellow peel and scales.
Gaultheria mucronata
The fruit of this plant can be eaten raw or cooked. When consumed, it almost melts in the mouth, has a very pleasant slightly sweet flavor and makes a very good dessert fruit. A shrub with simple leathery leaves and small bell-shaped flowers in white and pink followed by long lasting fleshy fruits, the gaultheria mucronata is perfect for indoors since it is relatively small (1-1.5 meters in height). It also thrives in half or full shade so it will do well as an indoor plant. Generally, it is pest and disease free and grows in moist but well-drained soil.
Grumichama
Grumichama is a type of cherry which is a very pleasant fruit for nibbling. In some countries, half-ripe fruits are made into pie, jam or jelly. This plant grows very well in containers as long as you provide an adequate size pot for root development. It is an erect slender tree with small berry sized fruits hanging from long stalks and go from vibrant green to bright red then purplish black as it ripens. It is fast growing and easy to maintain. When the blooms appear, it will only take 30 days before they turn to fruits and ripening happens over a few days time.
Karonda
Also known as Carissa carandas, Karonda is an evergreen shrub grown for its medicinal and culinary uses. The fruit is usually collected and consumed unripe, or can also be cooked and turn into syrup or puree. If left to ripe on branches, the fruit turn from light green to pink or red color. It is rich in iron and vitamin C and is often used in preparation of pickles. Although full sun exposure is needed in growing Karonda, you may plant it indoors by placing it near a sunny window. This shrub is easy to maintain, does not require much care and can survive drought spells.
Meyer lemon tree
Meyer lemon tree sweeter than the fruit of other lemons and even their thin skin is tasty and great for cooking. Its juice if used to make lemonade, soft drinks, and cocktails. It may also used in marinating meats and seafoods. The rind is used to make marmalade, lemon curd and lemon liqueur. And it is smaller than the other varieties making it perfect for indoor planting. It is self-pollinating and produces fruits indoors as long as it is cared for properly. Place your Meyer lemon tree near a window with direct sunlight in order for it to thrive inside your home. Expect this plant to bear fruit even when it is still young.
Miracle fruit
Miracle fruit is a small, red, oblong berry (with one large seed) that makes everything taste sweet. When you eat the fruit and allow the pulp to coat the inside of your mouth, it will mask the real taste of bitter foods for a few minutes to several hours. It use often consumed fresh. This evergreen shrub will only grow up to 5 feet when grown indoors. It requires a room with a very bright light to perform well. Place your miracle fruit plant in a room with high humidity. You may do this by placing a humidifier nearby or covering your plant with clear plastic bag to conserve moisture.
Monkey Cocoa
It is a relative of the cocoa tree with yellow lobed pods filled with edible white flesh and large seeds used like chocolate. Monkey cocoa does well in shady or part-shade locations, so it will also do well indoors. A small rainforest tree, it usually grows up to 15 to 20 feet but can grow smaller if planted indoors. You can plant Monkey cocoa anytime of the year and will take 3 to 5 years before it bear fruits.
Monstera deliciosa
The fruit of monster deliciosa is similar to a sweetcorn cone in shape and becomes ready to eat when it poke out from its cover. You can cut the core and eat it fresh when it’s ripe, with flavor similar to jackfruit or pineapple. Eating the fruit unripe can cause mouth irritation. Monstera deliciosa is a climbing shrub ideal for larger rooms in your home with gentle sunlight. It is commonly grown for its lush green and glossy heart-shaped leaves that start from a full leaf then begin to form its slits or holes as it matures.
Myrtus communis
The fruits of this plant are edible but do not taste very good. It is often used to produce an aromatic liqueur by macerating it in alcohol, jams and can also be used as a pepper substitute. Also known as Common Myrtle, this evergreen shrub usually grows 24-35 inch when placed indoors. They thrive well in full sun to light shade so place them near a sunny window. Myrtus communis is a branching shrub with densely crowded, pointed-oval leaves, which are dark green, shiny and fragrant when crushed.
Pineapple plant
Pineapples are known worldwide and consumed as fresh fruit or with a salad, a garnish to some dishes, and may also be crushed and make jams, yogurt, sweets and ice cream. Growing pineapples is very easy to do because they have small root systems and are not fussy about the quality or quantity of their soil. Because of this, they make excellent container plant indoors. Pineapple plant’s tough leaves make it lose only a small amount of water through evaporation. Choose a sunny spot when planting a pineapple indoors, although it may survive in partial shade.
Salak
Salak fruit is eaten fresh or made sweets and pickles. From the outside, the fruit is scaly like a snake and prickly like a cactus, but the flesh inside is sweeter than honey, sour like a pineapple and incredibly juicy Salak is a shade palm plant and does not tolerate direct sunlight which makes it a good indoor plant.. It requires a rich moist soil and high humidity in order to thrive well.
Syzygium oleosum
Also known as the blue lilly pilly, Syzygium oleosum’s sweet-tasting berry-like blue-purple fruits fruits is typically eaten raw with crisp and apple-like taste, with a hint of cloves. It also makes good jams, relishes, desserts, tarts, pies, cakes and ice cream. Syzygium oleosum typically grows 2 to 3 meters as a shrub and can survive half or full shade but prefers rich, well-drained soil. The plant may be grown from seed or from cuttings.