11 Edible Houseplants That Make Delicious Home Decor

Coffee

While you shouldn’t expect to make a dent in your Starbucks budget, Martin recommends coffee (Coffea arabica) as one of the easiest edible houseplants plants to grow. “It’s great for growing under lower light conditions,” he says, including partial sun in a south, east, or west-facing window.

Left to their own devices, coffee plants can grow over 6 feet tall into an upright tree with glossy dark green leaves. If that’s too big for your space, they can handle heavy pruning and be restrained by growing in a smaller pot. Note, however, that the deliciously fragrant flowers that turn into coffee cherries (which, like the foliage, are toxic until they’re dried and roasted) likely won’t bloom unless the plant reaches 3 feet.

Australian Beach Cherry

Good things come to those who wait, and that’s exactly the attitude you should take with this slow-growing, bushy shrub from the land down under. Once it reaches 12 inches, the Australian beach cherry (Eugenia reinwardtiana) starts producing an abundance of small, red fruit nearly year-round. It tops out at 3 feet with minimal pruning.

Make sure to place your Australian beach cherry in a sunny window where temperatures won’t drop below 60°F. Martin describes the fruit as very sweet with the texture of a peach. He also marvels at its resilience, as this no-fuss member of the myrtle family can handle dry conditions and inconsistent watering. “It’s a great little plant for a windowsill,” he says.

Acerola

If you’re looking for something tasty that may also help give your immune system a boost, look no further than acerola (Malpighia glabra), also known as the Barbados cherry. Its sweet-tasting berries are often added to smoothies because they’re loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Although its growing habit can be somewhat lanky, Martin says it can be reined into a tidy shrub (3-5 feet is ideal for maximizing fruit production) by pruning to encourage lateral woody branches and stems. Acerola also appreciates plenty of direct sun and warmer temperatures. If its pretty (and abundant) pink flowers aren’t setting into fruit, you’ve likely placed it somewhere that’s too dark or too chilly.

Star Fruit

If you want to try growing delicious star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) as a houseplant, not all varieties are created equal. Out in the wild tropics, they can grow into enormous trees stretching well over 20 feet. So unless you’ve got very high ceilings in your home, Martin recommends ‘Dwarf Hawaiian’ or ‘Dwarf Maher.’ Both are smaller varieties that don’t mind living in a container, can be pruned into a multi-stemmed tree of about 2-4 feet, and perhaps most importantly, fruit freely.

“I have some specimens in 8-inch pots that have six or seven fruit on them,” Martin says. Keep in mind, however, that star fruit needs full sun and warmer temperatures to produce a harvest. In Northern climates, Martin suggests moving the container outdoors to encourage fruit set. Ensure you’ve got a warm and sunny spot for them and that temperatures are close to 80°F or higher.

Sapodilla

Native to Central America and grown widely in Southeast Asia, sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) may not be familiar to many since its ripened fruit—light brown and about 2 to 3 inches in diameter with flesh that tastes a bit like brown sugar—doesn’t travel well. But under the right conditions and with some patience, it can be a prolific showcase houseplant with a sprawling tree growth habit and green leathery leaves. Martin recommends ‘Silas Woods,’ a variety that takes to pots well, tolerates varied soil conditions, and can be pruned back to 5 feet. Patience is required: fruit can take months to grow and ripen.

Australian Finger Lime

If you’ve got kids in your life (or adults who are kids at heart), an Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) will be a huge hit in your home. This dense, bushy citrus with small dark leaves produces slender green fruit about the size of a finger. If you cut them in half and give them a squeeze, tiny juice vesicles emerge that you can pop in your mouth for a fun and sour treat. Plus they make an attractive and tasty garnish for salads, cocktails, and sparkling water.

The trees, which need partial to full sun, can be pruned into a manageable 1 to 2-foot tree and are excellent candidates for bonsai culture. Be warned, however, that finger limes do produce thorns, but its compact, weeping growing habit makes it ideal for elevating in a hanging basket away from pets and children.

Lemon

If something sour and thorny isn’t your speed, you can’t go wrong with a reliable ‘Meyer’ lemon (Citrus limon)—a variety that’s prized by chefs over the lemons found in most U.S. grocery stores for its fragrance, juiciness, and more sweet-than-sour flavor. “For those of us not living in a temperate area where they can grow outside,” says the Connecticut-based Martin, “they can really make a wonderful houseplant over many, many years.”

The key to growing these lemons successfully inside is location: they need a south-facing window (the bigger, the better) that gets plenty of sun. You can prune them into either a shrub or a tree that’s about 3-5 feet tall, prioritizing branches and a structure that can support the weight of the fruit.

Passion Fruit

Many of the plants listed above grow into shrubs or trees. If you’re looking for an edible houseplant that breaks that pattern, look no further than passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), a woody vine with show-stopping flowers that can grow wild (within reason) up a trellis or wrap around a hanging basket. Look for Passiflora edulis over other commercially grown varieties. They self-pollinate, set fruit easily, and can be trained and pruned into a smaller plant.

‘McCain’ produces yellow fruit, while ‘Possum Purple’ gives you something more the color of a plum. Both are sweet, tangy, and easy to gauge when they’re ripe. They’ll drop right off their vines or break free with a gentle pull. Place your passion fruit vine in full sun and fertilize regularly during their growing season.

Black Pepper

Martin warns that black pepper (Piper nigrum) plants can be a bit of a long-term project, both in terms of growing and harvesting. But if you’re up for the challenge, this woody vine can be rewarding. After several years (yes, years) of careful training up a support system, pepper plants will start producing clusters of green peppercorns nearly year-round. Once they turn red, they’re ready to harvest, brine, and process. One silver lining? Unlike many of the plants listed above, black pepper plants can grow in partial sun and even some shadier conditions.

Orangeberry

In Martin’s book, Edible Houseplants, he and co-author Laurelynn Martin call the orangeberry (Glycosmis pentaphylla) Northern Australia’s “well-kept secret.” It bears loads of tiny berries from spring through fall that are incredibly sweet and loaded with Vitamin C, while also having an aftertaste reminiscent of gin.

To maximize your harvest, place in a sunny, warm window and prune into a 3-6-foot tree. Don’t be afraid to shape and cut back aggressively after a heavy-fruiting cycle. They’ll bounce right back with new growth and a fresh round of blossoms.

Papaya

Imagine having guests at your home and plucking a four-pound fruit from a houseplant to share with them. Grown under ideal conditions, a ‘TR Hovey’ papaya (Carica papaya) could provide you with just that. Martin recommends this variety because it’s an early bearer, allowing you to collect your harvest and then prune to keep them within a reasonable height. “They’re almost like a tomato,” he says. “They grow very fast and they fruit very early, but you’ve got to give them room and a lot of sun.”

Investing in a sturdy hand cart can be helpful, especially if you live in a northern climate. Keep your papaya outside during the warmer months to encourage fruit set and ripening, and then wheel them inside to a sunny window to protect them from winter cold.