ECHO's Tropical Fruit Nursery
Specializing in a diverse selection of tropical and sub-tropical fruits, edible plants and tropical clumping bamboo for Southwest Florida.
Nursery Hours
Please Note: The Nursery will be closed Monday July 6th
Open 9 a.m. to Noon
Monday - Saturday
(except holidays)
We close at Noon
Spring is here!
Spring has come to SW Florida and now is a great time to plant a fruit tree! Come and take a look at the many types of tropical and sub-tropical fruit trees for sale at ECHO's tropical fruit nursery. This is an especially good time to plant our dwarf "Red Lady" or "Maradol" Papaya plants. It is also a great time to start either a "Goldfinger" banana or the "Misi Luki" desert banana.
Tree Care Tips
The arrival of spring also means that it is time for fertilizing your fruit trees and pruning off any dead or damaged wood. You should see buds swelling or already breaking on your fruit trees, even those damaged by this winter?s freeze. Prune off any dead wood, cutting to the first sign of live tissue. This will encourage proper healing and prevent disease from entering the healthy portion of the tree.
If you have not yet fertilized your fruit trees you should do so now. If you are a winter resident we recommend using slow release fertilizer to feed your plants during the summer and fall.
New! Worm manure plus
Jumpstart your spring planting with a bag of Worm Manure Plus, which combines cow manure (80%) and worm castings (20%) together to build healthy soil and completely natural fertility for your plants.
Introduction to ECHO's Tropical Fruit Nursery
NOTE: The Tropical Fruit Nursery is for retail customers who can visit our farm in North Fort Myers, Florida. We do not ship plants!
Purpose and History
When ECHO's director visited several botanical gardens in Hawaii, he was frustrated that he could not purchase some of the interesting plants that he saw. He decided that ECHO's visitors should be able to purchase plants or seeds for most of the plants they would see at ECHO.
The nursery has grown to the point that today it is has well over 100 species of trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and perennial vegetables. Beyond that, we sell many varieties of some species. For example, we have over 30 varieties of bananas and close to 50 varieties of citrus.
We are so fortunate here in SW Florida because we can grow all the subtropical fruits and vegetables, most of the tropical ones, and even a surprising number of temperate fruits. Your yard can be more productive than you ever thought possible, while making it look like well-landscaped yard instead of a garden.
Many customers are not familiar with the wealth of food plants they can grow, and how to chose which variety to grow. For example, do you want a banana like the ones in a grocery store, or an ice cream banana, a rajapuri banana etc. We have spent a GREAT deal of time preparing a copyrighted listing and description of the plants and varieties of each plant.
Business Hours
Please note that we have peculiar hours for a business. ECHO must not stray from our main purpose, which is helping our overseas network and training our interns. So we only open the nursery between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon, Monday through Saturday. We are closed on Sunday.
Directions
For Driving Directions to ECHO, please click here. ECHO is located one mile east of Interstate 75 (exit 143) on Bayshore Road. You will see a prominent "ECHO" sign on the corner of Bayshore and Durrance Road, a road that only goes left. In 2/10 of a mile you will see the nursery sign on the right. (If you are coming for the bookstore or the tour, choose the parking lot on the left instead.) You can also visit MapQuest to get directions from where you are.
Phone
(239) 567-1900 - We will try our best to answer your call during business hours. If you call after hours, please leave a message and we will get back to you promptly.
You can also email us at nursery@echonet.org
Educational Workshops
Periodically throughout the year, ECHO's Tropical Fruit Nursery offers workshops on various activities pertaining to Tropical Landscaping. Examples of workshops that have taken place in the past are grafting and container gardening.
NOTE: These classes are limited in size, so registration is encouraged. For more information check the events calendar.
