The short answer: in the Brazos Valley, figs, hybrid pears from the groups bred for fire blight resistance, and the cold-hardy citrus (satsumas and tangerines) are the forgiving choices. Peaches, apples and cherries can work too, but only when the variety's chill-hour requirement is close to what your spot actually gets in winter. Match the tree to the winter first, then to your taste.
Everything below leans on Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's fruit fact sheets, which are written for Texas growers and linked at the end. Our part is simpler: the fruit trees on the farm's list are grown in containers, so they can go in the ground whenever the season is right for that tree.
Why does the winter matter more than the summer here?#
Most fruit trees can take a Brazos County summer if they get water. What trips people up is winter. Deciduous fruit trees count the hours they spend at or below 45°F, and they need a set number of those "chill hours" before they bloom normally. A variety that needs more chilling than it gets breaks dormancy late and may not set fruit. One that needs much less than it gets tends to bloom early, right into a late frost.
Winters also swing from year to year. After the winter of 2025–26, AgriLife reported chill hours well below average across Texas, with peaches and apples hurt by the shortfall and by a March frost. Asian persimmons came through better, because they need less chilling and bloom later. The fruit specialist quoted in that report gave the advice this whole post rests on: pick varieties whose chilling requirement is close to what your region normally receives.
AgriLife's peach guide suggests matching within about 100 hours of your site's average. Its statewide map runs from roughly 1,000 hours in the Panhandle down to a couple of hundred in deep South Texas. Look up your own spot on that map, or ask the Brazos County Extension office, before you commit to a high-chill peach.
Which fruit trees on our list fit which situation?#
| Tree | What the AgriLife guides say | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Celeste fig | Most cold hardy of the figs evaluated in Texas; tightly closed eye | Heavy pruning of mature trees cuts the crop |
| Brown Turkey fig (Texas Everbearing) | Reliable, ripens over a long summer stretch | Less cold hardy than Celeste; fruit can sour or crack in very wet years |
| Moonglow pear | A European hybrid pear; listed for both the Hill Country and East Texas zones | Needs a second pear variety to pollinate |
| Ayers pear | Listed for the Hill Country and West Texas zone | Check your zone on the pear map first |
| Owari and Brown's Select satsuma | Satsumas are among the most cold-hardy citrus | Still needs freeze protection while young |
| Dancy and Sunburst tangerine | Tangerines are on AgriLife's cold-hardy citrus list | Plant on the protected side of the house |
| Ranger and Red Globe peach | Listed as high-chilling varieties (about 1,000 and 850 hours) | Only worth it if your winters reliably deliver that chill |
| Fuyu persimmon | Asian persimmons need less chilling and bloom later | Ask us which size suits your yard |
The farm's list also carries apples, plums, cherries, avocados, lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit. Those are the trees to talk through with us before buying, because the cold and the chill hours matter more for them.
Why do figs do so well here?#
Figs are close to the easiest fruit tree you can plant in the Brazos Valley. The common fig sets fruit without pollination, so one tree is enough. The AgriLife fig guide notes that figs usually take some winter injury in all but the warmest parts of Texas, and that when trees are frozen to the ground, some varieties still bear on that season's new growth while others return to production the next year.
Choosing between our two main figs comes down to cold versus season. Celeste is the tougher tree, and its crop often comes in during June. Texas Everbearing, the same fig sold as Brown Turkey, spreads its crop from early summer into late summer but is less cold hardy. Its eye is only moderately closed, so in a wet year the fruit can sour.
Give a fig full sun, well-drained soil and room: the guide says trees can reach 20 feet, so it suggests planting them at least 16 feet apart. The south or east side of a house or barn helps in a hard winter, and morning sun dries the leaves after an evening rain.
What should I know before planting a pear?#
Pears are one of the few fruits AgriLife says can be grown in every region of Texas, and they tolerate heavier, wetter soils better than many fruit trees. That makes them a good match for a lot of Brazos Valley yards.
The problem is fire blight, a bacterial disease. Classic European pears such as Bartlett are held back by it everywhere except far West Texas, and many need more than 1,000 chill hours. The European hybrids and Asian pears need roughly 200 to 800 hours, and the hybrid group includes many varieties bred for better resistance, though they vary widely. The pear guide divides Texas into three zones and lists Moonglow for both the Hill Country and East Texas zones, while Ayers appears on the Hill Country and West Texas list.
Plan on two trees. Pears are cross-pollinated, so you need more than one variety with a similar chilling requirement.
Can citrus survive a Brazos County freeze?#
Some can, with help. AgriLife's citrus fact sheet tells residents of freeze-prone areas to grow only the cold-hardy types, naming satsuma mandarins and tangerines among them. It gives a sense of the range: a satsuma may survive 18°F in early February, when it is fully dormant, and still be badly damaged at 24°F in early December, before it has hardened off.
The same guide's protection steps are practical:
- Plant on the south or southeast side of the house, away from northwest cold fronts.
- Bank soil up around the trunk of a young tree before a hard freeze.
- Water the tree and the ground around it thoroughly several days before the freeze.
- Wait to fertilize until the tree starts new growth after planting.
It also says citrus does best planted from fall to late winter, so the roots settle in before hot, dry weather.
When should I plant?#
Each guide has its own timing. Citrus goes in from fall to late winter. Figs are traditionally planted in late winter or early spring. Because our trees are grown in containers rather than dug bare-root, you have some flexibility, but the cool months are still the kindest for new roots. Our size guide explains what each container size means for how big the tree is on day one.
Where to start#
Email the tree farm to confirm what's in the rows today, then come and look at the trees in person. If you'd rather not haul a tree home, we deliver and plant, priced by distance, and you can ask for a quote online. Browse the tree list first, or check that your ZIP is on our delivery list.