Spring and Summer get the glory, but Autumn gives us a glorious harvest of fruits and vegetables.
We can sometimes overlook Autumn’s bounty. We’re here to remind you of everything Autumn gives us for our eating pleasure.
Here is a list of almost every fruit and vegetable in season in Autumn in Australia.
Apple
All the most popular varieties start to peak in Autumn: bonza, Braeburn, Cox’s Orange Pippins, fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathan, Mutso, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, and Sundowner.
Artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes appear from March to May, with globe artichokes in season from May.
Asian greens
Bok choy, choy sum, gai lan and wombok are at their best at this time of the year.
Avocado
The Shepard avocado season runs to about May. Hass season takes over in May, with Sharwils appearing from late Autumn to mid Spring.
Banana
Cavendish and lady finger bananas grow all year, but some of the more exotic varieties such as red Dacca appear in April.
Basil
Available all year, but most plentiful in late Summer and Autumn.
Beans
Green beans are available all year. Butter bean and snake bean season ends around May. Borlotti beans shine in the cooler Autumn weather.
Beetroot
The best beetroots, and most variety, appear in Autumn and through Winter.
Blackberry
The blackberry season starts to wind down in April.
Broccoli
Another vegetable that seems to be perpetually available, but it is at its best in Autumn.
Brussels sprouts
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Brussels sprout season runs from Autumn to early Winter.
Cabbage
It’s at home in hearty cool weather food, which is just as well since its season runs from Autumn to early Spring.
Capsicum
It favours warmer weather. In colder regions, it fruits in Spring and Summer. In warmer climates it grows virtually all year.
Carrot
Bugs Bunny’s favourite food doesn’t like extreme heat or cold. Which makes Autumn a perfect time for carrots.
Cauliflower
Another of Australia’s favourite cold weather foods – cauliflower soup, anyone? At its peak in Autumn.
Celery
Not a lover of extremes, celery is happiest through Autumn.
Chervil
A delicate herb that grows best through Autumn and into Winter.
Chilli
Most varieties mature throughout Summer and into Autumn.
Chives
Chives grow around the country through Spring, Summer, and Autumn.
Coriander
Thanks to Australia’s varied climates and to glass houses, it’s around all year.
Corn
The corn season peaks in late Summer and early Autumn.
Cucumber
In cooler regions, cucumbers are at their best through Summer. But there are plenty of them coming from up north in Autumn.
Cumquat
The cumquat season runs from late Summer through to early Winter.
Custard apple
Grown on our tropical and subtropical east coast, harvest starts late Summer and lasts through to the end of Winter.
Daikon
Spring and Autumn are the best seasons for this favourite of Japanese cuisine.
Dill
A delicate herb that grows around the year.
Eggplant
The many varieties of eggplant grown in Australia peak in late Summer and early Autumn.
Feijoa
Harvest is usually from early Autumn to early Winter.
Fennel
It’s often listed as a summer vegetable, but thanks to our diverse climates, you’ll find great fennel through Autumn.
Fig
At their most plentiful from late Summer. Generally, not much around after mid April.
Garlic
Harvested from late Spring to mid Summer, there’s plenty of new season local garlic around into Autumn. After that, it’s imported.
Ginger
In much of the country, harvest is early Autumn to early Winter. In the tropics, the season lasts ten months.
Grapefruit
They grow all year, but the main season is late Summer to late Autumn.
Grapes
Wine grape harvests are from February to April. Fresh table grapes are available from November to May.
Guava
Australia’s guava season is from March to May.
Kiwi fruit
The Australia season is from March to July. Outside of that, the fruit is imported.
Leek
A favourite base for soups. Like onions, leeks are in season in Autumn.
Lemon
Available all year, but the best is picked from mid Summer to early Autumn.
Lemongrass
It’s harvested all year, but most growth occurs through Summer, so it’s perfect harvesting in Autumn.
Lettuce
We associate lettuce with Summer salads. However, it’s at its best in the cooler months.
Lime
Peak local season is from mid Summer to early Autumn.
Makrut lime
Grown mostly for its leaves, there’s new growth through Summer, so plenty of succulent young leaves available in Autumn.
Mandarin
Grown mostly in Queensland, they’re available from April to October.
Mangosteen
The season peaks around February, but there might be some still around in early Autumn.
Mint
A perennial that’s around all year. Its peak is probably Spring.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms grown indoors are harvested all year. The best time for wild mushrooms is from late February to early May.
Nashi
There are several varieties available, with late-season varieties available into April.
Okra
Popular in Mediterranean, Indian and north African cooking, okra season is late Summer and early Autumn.
Onion
A year-round staple, onions are harvested through Spring, Summer, and Autumn, and kept in cold storage to supply the colder months.
Orange
Most are grown in the Riverina region on the New South Wales/Victoria border. Harvest is from May to November.
Oregano
Available all year, oregano dislikes extreme heat and extreme cold.
Papaya
It’s available all year, with peak supplies during Autumn and Spring.
Parsley
It grows the year round in most climates. There’s plenty of it in Autumn.
Parsnip
Like other root vegetables, a staple of cool weather cooking. Grows best through Autumn and Winter.
Passionfruit
The season for passionfruit is a long one, running from December through to September.
Peach
One of the joys of Summer, there are still varieties of peaches available into April.
Pear
Pears are at the best and most plentiful in Autumn.
Persimmon
The persimmon season starts in late February and lasts until mid June.
Plum
Like other stone fruit, plentiful in Summer, but several varieties are available into Autumn.
Pomegranate
In most of Australia, pomegranates ripen in late Summer and Autumn.
Prickly pear
As you’d expect of a Mexican native, it loves heat. Harvesting is late Summer into early Autumn.
Pumpkin
Peak season for pumpkins is February to March.
Quince
Harvesting usually runs from mid February into April.
Raspberries
Most abundant from November until late April.
Rhubarb
Peak season for rhubarb starts in April.
Rosemary
It flowers in Spring and Summer and can be harvested throughout the year.
Sage
In season from late Spring until the first Winter frosts. In warmer climates, it flourishes all year.
Shallot
In cool and temperate climates, harvest is late Summer and early Autumn.
Silver beet
It grows throughout the whole year.
Spinach
At its best between March and June.
Spring onion
Available year round in tropical climates, and Spring to Autumn in temperate and warm regions.
Squash
February to April are peak months for squash.
Strawberries
They’re available all year, thanks to greenhouses and hydroponics. They’re at their best at the end of Autumn and early Winter.
Swedes
Swedes are generally harvested from early Autumn, but they can be left in the ground into Winter to extend the season.
Sweet potato
They’re available at any time, but their flavour is best in late Autumn and early Winter.
Tamarillo
The first fruits ripen at the start of Autumn, but this can happen as late as September in colder regions.
Tarragon
Tarragon is a Summer herb, but it continues to thrive until colder weather arrives.
Thyme
Like tarragon, thyme is at its best in the warmer months. It will be around in many regions well into Autumn.
Tomato
A lot of tomatoes grow in greenhouses. In the field in temperate climates, the best is available from late Summer through to early Winter.
Turnip
Baby turnips peak in June. Winter turnips are available all year.
Watercress
Watercress is at its peppery best from April to October.
Witlof
Witlof and its relative chicory grow all year. The best flavour comes from cooler growing environments, so Autumn and Winter are ideal.
Zucchini
In cooler regions, harvest is mid Summer to early Autumn. In warmer parts of the country, the seasons stretches from September to April.
At IIF, we’re always on the lookout for farmers growing something special like a rare variety or an unusual fruit or vegetable. If you’d like a chance to invest in their produce in the future, sign up as a member of the Invest in Farming Co-operative. You can do that here.
