Acerola Cherry is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Its spring flowers are a real draw for native bees, even though the fruit is the prize. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Zones
9-11
pH Range
5-8
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
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Score Acerola Cherry on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether acerola cherry actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score acerola cherry against your land's real conditions.
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What Acerola Cherry is
Acerola Cherry grows as a perennial and reaches around twelve feet at maturity. It blooms pink in spring.
How to grow Acerola Cherry
Acerola Cherry grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. Acerola Cherry does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground. It needs around 4,000 growing degree days to mature, a growing season of at least 270 frost-free days, and about 0 hours of winter chill to set fruit, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
9-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5 - 8
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Tolerance
41°F
The lowest temperature it shrugs off — below this, expect damage without cover.
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
4000+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
12 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
0+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
270+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set acerola cherry in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Acerola Cherry prefers pH 5 to 8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — acerola cherry isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Acerola Cherry is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators.
Before you harvest acerola cherry, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant acerola cherry for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Where Acerola Cherry thrives
Acerola Cherry is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 9–11·Where Acerola Cherry growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Acerola Cherry can grow in these states:
See if Acerola Cherry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether acerola cherry actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Acerola Cherry in my zone?
Acerola Cherry grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Acerola Cherry?
Set acerola cherry out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Acerola Cherry need?
Acerola Cherry needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Acerola Cherry need?
Acerola Cherry prefers soil pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Acerola Cherry attract pollinators?
Yes — acerola cherry's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for native bees.
Is Acerola Cherry safe for pets?
Acerola Cherry is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)