WA Rare Fruit Quick Guide
2026 edition · treestock.com.au · Printed:
What Grows Well in Perth and Southwest WA
Perth's Mediterranean climate (hot dry summers, mild wet winters) suits a surprisingly broad range of fruit. The following species are well-established in the WA collector community and are available from local nurseries.
Avocado
Hass and Shepard dominate. Reed does well in hot spots. Need good drainage.
Fig
One of the easiest rare-adjacent fruit. Brown Turkey, White Adriatic, and many heritage varieties do exceptionally well.
Mango
Honey Gold, Kensington Pride, Palmer. Perth's summers are marginal — north-facing walls, frost-free zones essential.
Lychee
Seedless varieties getting easier to source. Needs warm humid conditions — challenging but possible in coastal north suburbs.
Pomegranate
Extremely drought-hardy. Wonderful, Parfianka, Salavatski. One of the best low-maintenance rare fruit for Perth.
Mulberry
Shahtoot (white mulberry) is the most popular. Fruit develops in October-December. Vigorous growers.
Feijoa
Underrated in WA. Pineapple guava relative. Fruits April-June. Grafted varieties (Mammoth, Unique) outperform seedlings.
Jujube
Chinese red date. Extremely heat and drought tolerant. Fruit in March-April. Rare varieties hard to find. Rare
Finger Lime
Native Australian. Grafted trees preferred — seed takes 5+ years. High demand, often out of stock.
Jaboticaba
Slow grower but worth it. Fruits directly on trunk. Red and Sabara varieties most common. Rare
Guava
Tropical strawberry guava does well in Perth. Common white guava is very productive in warm spots.
Dragon Fruit
Thrives in Perth heat. Red-flesh and white-flesh varieties available. Need support structure.
WA Local Nurseries
These four nurseries are based in or close to Perth and can be visited in person. Stock levels are tracked daily at treestock.com.au.
Primal Fruits Perth
Parkwood (southern Perth metro) · Pickup only · Tropical and subtropical specialist
Best for: rare tropicals (Ackee, Jaboticaba, Cherimoya, Blimbi, Cacao, Jackfruit, exotic citrus)
Perth Mobile Nursery
Perth metro delivery · Premium container-grown stock
Best for: established rare mango cultivars, large-format fruit trees, immediate impact plants
Guildford Garden Centre
Guildford (inner east Perth) · Browse in person · Perth metro only
Best for: citrus, figs, avocados, olives, mainstream and mid-range edibles. Good seasonal turnover.
All Season Plants WA
Perth metro · Tropical specialist · Pickup available
Best for: tropicals suited to WA's warm climate, rarer subtropical varieties
WA Quarantine — What Can't Be Shipped In
WA has strict biosecurity laws. Many eastern states nurseries cannot ship plants directly to WA without a special interstate permit. Always confirm before ordering.
- Bare-root plants — generally cannot be shipped to WA (soil risk). Bare-root season (June-Aug) effectively excludes WA buyers from most eastern states dormant-season specials.
- Citrus — high quarantine risk. Some nurseries have permits; most do not. Check before ordering.
- Stone fruit — similar restrictions. A few specialist nurseries (e.g., Daleys with seasonal permit) can ship; most cannot.
- Soil-grown root stock — often blocked. Container-grown plants in potting mix are usually acceptable.
- Check the DPIRD website (dpird.wa.gov.au) for the current approved plant list and permit requirements.
Nurseries that can ship to WA (tracked at treestock.com.au): Daleys (seasonal permit), Fruit Salad Trees (first Tuesday of month), PlantNet (via WA-grown Olea Nurseries stock), Heritage Fruit Trees (restricted range). Always verify current status on their websites.
Perth Planting Calendar
Best times to plant fruit trees in Perth (Mediterranean climate, Zone 4b — warm coastal).
BestOK / seasonalAvoid
March-May and September-October are Perth's prime planting windows. Heat stress and summer fire risk make December-February difficult for establishing new trees. June-August bare-root season applies mainly to temperate deciduous species (peaches, plums, apples, pears).
Hard-to-Find Species to Watch For
These species come into stock rarely — set up stock alerts at treestock.com.au so you don't miss them.
- Jaboticaba — Sabara and Red varieties. In stock at maybe 1-2 nurseries at any time. Sells quickly.
- Jujube (rare cultivars) — Li, Lang, and other named varieties. Chinese sweet dates. High demand, low supply.
- White Sapote — Suebelle, Vernon varieties. Excellent for Perth climate, rarely stocked in WA.
- Canistel / Yellow Sapote — Occasionally appears at tropical specialist nurseries. High value, rarely available.
- Longan — Seedless lychee relative. Sometimes available from interstate nurseries with WA permit.
- Cherimoya / Atemoya — African Pride (atemoya hybrid) comes into WA stock occasionally. Custard apple family.
- Muntries / Quandong — Native bush tucker fruit, rare in commercial nurseries.