Oregon's climate

Our area has a pretty mild climate but every 3-4 years we have a cold outbreak in November or December that lasts 4-5 days with low temps in the teens. This limits the exotic fruit grown outdoors with no cover to deciduous trees and vines that go dormant. You can grow any fruit that can survive in a USDA zone 7 or 8 depending on your site. If you are on a hill where cold air will drain away to lower ground, and you use some kind of seasonal temporary cover, you can get lemons to survive.

Exotic fruits you can grow in Oregon

These fruits will do well most years:

• Persimmon
• Hardy kiwi
• Fuzzy kiwi
• Figs

In years with mild winters and hot summers, you can grow the following:

• Olives
• Pineapple
• Guava
• Pomegranate
• Sea berry

These all need spots with good drainage to prevent root rots. I have never seen most citrus make any significant quantity of fruit here without using winter protection.