What are some Surprisingly cold tolerant fruit trees (tropical) ?

Cris Bessette wrote:Cold hardy tropicals (or tropicalesque) that I've had luck with here in North Georgia:

Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana), I've noticed no winter damage to these.

Cris,  What varieties of Pineapple Guava have oyu had success with? I am in North Alabama (Zone 7B) and want to try to grow these on the east side of my house. Would roots be a concern?
THanks

Dennis Bangham wrote:

Cris Bessette wrote:Cold hardy tropicals (or tropicalesque) that I've had luck with here in North Georgia:

Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana), I've noticed no winter damage to these.

Cris,  What varieties of Pineapple Guava have oyu had success with? I am in North Alabama (Zone 7B) and want to try to grow these on the east side of my house. Would roots be a concern?
THanks

The truth is I have no idea about variety, I just ordered a few off the net somewhere (Amazon? Ebay?)  and planted them, it's been 5 or more years ago.   I'm pretty sure they stay pretty small as trees,
maybe 10 feet tall on average, so I don't imagine the roots would be big enough to damage anything.  

I'm in fair oaks California zone 9b, and I successfully grow bananas (blue Java, Orinoco, praying hands, raja puri) guava (red Malaysian, tropical pink,) cattley guavas, avocados (Mexican varieties) white sapote, longan (Kahala and sri champoo) cherimoyas, Yerba mate, ginger, tumeric and galangal,  Inga feuilleei (ice cream bean) tamerillos mountian papayas, sugar cane, Inca berry and chayote.   Most important things is to utilize overhead canopy for frost protection,  many of these species get more adaptable as they get more mature!

Hi Matthew,

Welcome to Permies.

Hi Matthew, good tip on the canopy protection - also works against too much sun for cooler loving plants...
Although far North, my winters are also warm enough for me to risk mediterranean plants if not tropical. I have several from Japan and Chile. My pineapple guava and Olive have survived a couple of winters with no cover on the polytunnel. I'm also surprised how well my Akebia have been doing - already coming into leaf although it is still pretty early spring for us.
Other shrubby plants that may be worth a try are Murtillo (Myrtus ugni) and chillean myrtles (Amomyrtus luma and Lumo apiculata). The Murtillo in particular has extremely fragrant berries, like wild strawberries dipped in sherbert. It seems to struggle here, but I'm deteremined to give it another go....I think I know just the place to try it.