Spring fruits in Australia
September to November, which is now. 13 fruits are harvested somewhere in Australia across those three months, and 8 reach their peak.
Spring is strawberry season twice over. Queensland and Western Australia are at the peak of their winter crop in September, and Victoria and South Australia start picking theirs in October, so there is rarely a gap.
The tropics supply much of the rest. Northern Territory mangoes arrive well before Queensland's, Queensland pineapples and papaya are at their sweetest, and blueberries run strong in New South Wales and Queensland. Western Australian avocados come into their peak.
A thin time for southern orchards
Apples and pears in spring are out of storage rather than off the tree, and cherries do not start until late November. A spring farmers market in Melbourne leans on strawberries and citrus rather than orchard fruit.
Spring fruits list
★ Honeydew melon- Queensland: August to December
Queensland melons come in spring, Western Australian and Northern Territory crops through the dry season, and New South Wales in summer.
★ Avocado- Western Australia: August to January
- New South Wales: July to October
- South Australia: August to October
Queensland picks through autumn and winter and Western Australia takes over in spring, which is why avocado never quite feels seasonal even though each region's crop is.
★ Blueberry- New South Wales: June to February
- Queensland: August to December
- Western Australia: August to December
The mid north coast of New South Wales grows most of the country's blueberries and starts picking in winter, well before Victoria and Tasmania pick in summer.
★ Mango- Northern Territory: August to December
- Queensland: October to March
- Western Australia: September to February
Australia's mango season runs north to south. Darwin picks from late winter, Queensland from October, and Carnarvon in Western Australia carries it into summer. No mango is grown commercially in Victoria or Tasmania, so a producer only market there will not have any.
★ Strawberry- Queensland: June to November
- Victoria: October to April
- Western Australia: June to November
The one that surprises people: Queensland grows strawberries through winter, so the southern summer berry and the Queensland winter berry are two different seasons rather than one long one.
★ Orange- New South Wales: June to February
- Victoria: July to October
Navels are the winter orange and Valencias the summer one. The New South Wales Riverina grows the most of both.
★ Grapefruit- South Australia: April to October
- Queensland: May to October
A winter citrus from the New South Wales Riverina, South Australia's Riverland and Queensland.
★ Pineapple- Queensland: February to November
Queensland picks pineapple for most of the year, with autumn and spring peaks. Summer fruit is noticeably sweeter.
Rockmelon- Queensland: September to December
Queensland supplies rockmelon in spring and New South Wales in summer. Wet weather in growing districts has caused Christmas shortages in recent years.
Raspberry- New South Wales: April and June to October
- Victoria: October to February
- Queensland: June to October
Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales pick raspberries in summer, and Queensland grows a winter crop.
Dragon fruit- Northern Territory: September to April
Up to 80% of dragon fruit sold in Australia is imported. The local season starts with white flesh fruit from the Northern Territory in spring and moves to red flesh fruit from Queensland in autumn.
Banana- Queensland: All year
- New South Wales: February to November
- Western Australia: All year
Queensland grows over nine in ten Australian bananas and picks them all year. Lady fingers are the smaller, sweeter variety worth looking for from autumn to spring.
Papaya- Queensland: All year
Papaya and pawpaw are grown almost entirely in far north Queensland and picked all year, with the sweetest fruit in spring and early summer.
★ At its peak in at least one state this season.
Month by month
September
October (this month)
What each state picks in spring
A farmers market only sells what is grown within a drive of it, so the spring list in Hobart and the one in Brisbane have less in common than you would expect.
- Victoria (3): strawberry, orange, raspberry
- New South Wales (5): avocado, blueberry, orange, raspberry, banana
- Queensland (10): honeydew melon, blueberry, mango, strawberry, grapefruit, pineapple, rockmelon, raspberry and more
- Western Australia (5): avocado, blueberry, mango, strawberry, banana
- South Australia (3): avocado, strawberry, grapefruit
- Northern Territory (2): mango, dragon fruit
Where to buy spring fruits
A farmers market is where spring produce turns up within a day or two of picking. Every market listing carries its real trading days.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What fruits are in season in spring in Australia?
- Spring runs from September to November, and 13 fruits are harvested somewhere in Australia over those months, including honeydew melons, avocados, blueberries, mangoes, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit and pineapples. What you will find at a market depends on your state.
- Which fruits are at their best in spring?
- Honeydew melons, avocados, blueberries, mangoes, strawberries and oranges reach their peak in at least one growing state during spring.
- Do spring fruits differ between states?
- Yes, often by months. In spring, honeydew melons, pineapples, rockmelons, dragon fruit and papayas come mostly from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Avocados and oranges come mostly from further south. Your state's in season page lists what is being picked closest to you.
- When does spring start in Australia?
- Australia uses meteorological seasons, so spring starts on 1 September and runs to the end of November.
Harvest months from our own research across Australian growing regions and national production figures.