• The southeastern United States is a dynamic weather environment with Gulf Stream currents, hot summers and cool to cold winters. In the center of the region sits Georgia spanning two full climate zones and a piece of a third making it tricky to select a viable fruit tree. The specific types that thrive vary by latitude, and you have a couple more options in the central and southern regions.
  
  

Apple

• Apple trees offer Georgians from Savannah to Atlanta a hardy and productive choice, but varieties in the extreme south are limited to just Anna and Dorsett Golden apples. Temperatures in the north and central regions are ideal for a host of varietals including Red Delicious, Ozark Gold and Fuji. Red Delicious are by far the most versatile as they thrive from the northern border all the way down to Augusta.
  
  

Peach

• The state's official tree bears the fruit that gives Georgia its sweet treat and its motto. The Peach State is famous for its fuzzy delectables because the trees thrive in the warm, humid southern summers. They produce the most fruit when they're planted in sandy loamy soil instead of the clay found in Atlanta and the Tennessee border areas.
  
  

Plum

• The peach's cousin fits right in under the growing conditions that make the peach tree such a staple. Plum trees are native to the area, but they do best in USDA plant hardiness zones 8a and 8b, which comprise the middle two thirds of the state. Some hybrid varieties, like Robusto, cope well with the hotter summers of zone 9 along the Florida border.
  
  

Orange

• Citrus is not a workable choice for most of the state, but orange and grapefruit trees can manage fairly well in the southern region near the Florida border. The yield will not be as great as it is in a Florida grove and the fruit not quite as juicy, but most winters in the south are mild enough to support citrus trees.