When we were shopping for our first house, we looked at what felt like a million places. I’m fairly certain our realtor deserved some kind of endurance medal by the end of it. But one house completely stopped me in my tracks. You walked in and looked down into a sunken lower level where, right in the middle of the room, stood a fully grown lemon tree thriving in a giant pot. I had never seen anything like it before, and I immediately became obsessed with the idea of growing fruit indoors. Naturally, I went online and ordered myself a 3-foot Meyer lemon tree to see if I could pull it off myself.

And honestly? It worked! For a while, anyway. My little lemon tree was thriving until I accidentally left it outside a bit too long one chilly season, and it peacefully retired to the great garden in the sky after that. I’ve wanted to try again ever since.

If you live somewhere with four real seasons like I do, it’s easy to assume fruit growing is strictly a spring and summer activity. But growing fruit indoors is not only possible, it can actually be surprisingly successful with a little planning and patience. Better yet, there are plenty of easy fruits to grow in pots that don’t require an enormous sunroom or a greenhouse attached to your house. Some are compact enough to happily live in a sunny corner of the kitchen or beside a bright window.

And honestly, who doesn’t love fresh fruit within arm’s reach? There’s something wonderfully satisfying about picking a ripe piece of fruit for breakfast or grabbing one as an afternoon snack. Plus, once you start growing your own fruit year-round, it’s very easy to fall down the rabbit hole of homemade jams, jellies, smoothies, pies, and desserts. (Speaking as a proud jam-aholic myself.) Here are six of my favorite easy fruits to grow in pots inside your home.

Blackberries

Pies, muffins, crumbles, cobblers, cakes, and jams have all been blessed by the existence of the blackberry! An easy fruit to grow in pots, the varieties Prime-Jan and Prime-Jim are the best for indoor growing. These indoor plants like a deeper pot of at least 8 inches and do well with supplemental growing light.

Figs
I know I know, I said no fruit trees, but the fig deserves a moment! While technically a fruit tree, planting an indoor fig tree will not take up the same type of space as its outdoor version. The thing I love most about an indoor fig tree (aside from the obvious delicious fruit) is how pretty it looks in a room. The delicate curvy leaves and winding stems are a beautiful accent to a sunny living room or kitchen.

The trick with an indoor fig is to get the right variety. Stay away from the Fiddleleaf Fig which is more decorative. There’s a type of fig called Brown Turkey that has been cultivated over the years. Figs are easy fruits to grow in pots because they self-pollinate and can tolerate a good deal of pruning. Just adding a shameless plug for any type of appetizer that includes figs and cheese. Drool.

Cape Gooseberries (a.k.a. Ground Cherries)
I love a good gooseberry! They have such a distinct texture and flavor often described as a cross between a pineapple and a tomato. I call these dessert tomatoes and they make a great addition to a cheese board. I also really like these in a chutney which can also be served on that cheese board, because well, YUM! Gooseberries are easy to grow from seed and need full sun (at least 6 hours). You can supplement natural sun with a grow lamp, especially in the winter months.

Mulberry Bush
Okay, these might actually be the easiest of the easy fruits to grow in pots! With some good potting soil and proper drainage, these mini bushes can thrive indoors. You’ll want to prune them every six months or so, otherwise, you’ll wind up with giant mulberry bushes. I suppose there are worse things! These berries make delicious sorbets, cobblers, and jams.

Alpine  
A smidge easier to grow indoors than their larger garden variety, the Alpine strawberry is suited well for windowsill living. I like these because you can pot them indoors in late autumn, have delicious berries beginning in late spring and if you want, you can transfer them outside in the summertime. In fact, these are so delicious that I mostly just eat them fresh or throw them on top of some vanilla ice cream. Of course, you can make delicious jams and jellies from these easy fruits to grow in pots, too.

Kaffir Limes

The kaffir lime tree, also known as the Thai lime tree is one of the most versatile trees you can grow indoors, because the leaves are edible too. They are often cooked in a number of Thai dishes, added to rice and soups.

What are your favorite easy fruits to grow in pots? Have any tips or tricks for your indoor fruit plants? Let me know in the comments!