Grapefruit Trees, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Grapefruit grows well in Southwest Florida, ripening from late fall into spring on a large evergreen citrus tree that needs full sun, good drainage and about 20 ft of room. Citrus greening is present in Florida, so plan on feeding and watching the tree. We deliver and plant 15 and 25 gallon trees.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Regular; deep watering, never soggy
- Salt:
- Low; keep out of salt spray
Grapefruit Tree sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Grapefruit Tree | 15 Gallon, 25 Gallon |
Grapefruit Tree in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 15 to 25 ft tall and 12 to 20 ft wide
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular; deep watering, never soggy
- Salt tolerance
- Low; keep out of salt spray
- Cold tolerance
- Leaves and fruit take damage near 28°F; coastal Lee is usually fine, cover young trees inland on frost nights
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 20 to 25 ft apart
- Florida native
- No, a citrus hybrid
- Botanical name
- Citrus × paradisi
Where Grapefruit Tree works in a SW Florida yard
Grapefruit is a backyard fruit and shade tree for the sunny, open part of a yard. Set it where dropped fruit is easy to deal with, not over a pool deck or driveway. The dense evergreen canopy shades a seating area in the afternoon.
Keep it 15 to 20 ft from the house, and plant a smaller citrus such as Meyer lemon or Persian lime nearby for a mixed citrus corner.
- Backyard fruit tree
- Evergreen shade tree
- Mixed citrus planting
- Winter harvest
How our crew plants it
Citrus likes to be planted high: the top of the root ball an inch or two above grade and the graft union above the soil line. Our crew digs a hole twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper, waters it in and tidies up.
Mulch 2 to 3 inches, off the trunk. Lee and Collier rules allow extra water for new plantings.
Care after planting
- Citrus fertilizer with magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron goes on in late winter, spring and early fall, never during the June 1 to September 30 Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban on nitrogen and phosphorus.
- Water deeply on your assigned days once established, and keep grass and weeds out from under the canopy.
- Protect the trunk from string trimmers and mowers, since bark wounds invite disease.
- Prune lightly after harvest to remove dead wood, and pull off any shoots growing from below the graft.
What to watch for
- Citrus greening (HLB) is established across Florida, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. It causes blotchy yellow leaves and small, lopsided fruit and has no cure, so check new growth for psyllids and keep the tree well fed.
- Foot rot develops when the graft union is buried or water pools at the trunk, so plant high on well-drained ground.
Grapefruit Tree questions we hear
Can you grow grapefruit in Southwest Florida?+
Yes. Grapefruit grows well here in full sun and well-drained soil, and the fruit ripens from late fall into spring. Citrus greening is present across Florida, so a tree needs steady feeding and a check of new growth for psyllids.
How far apart should I plant grapefruit trees?+
Space standard trees 20 to 25 ft apart, and keep them 15 to 20 ft from the house and other large trees. A grapefruit canopy gets wide, and crowded trees shade each other out and fruit less.
How long until a grapefruit tree makes fruit?+
A larger container tree such as our 15 or 25 gallon can set a light crop within a few years, and production builds as the tree grows. The first fruit may be fewer and smaller than later crops, and good feeding and watering speed things up.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Grapefruit Tree
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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We deliver and plant across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs and about an hour around.