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Australia · December

What’s in season in Australia in December

In December in Australia, the fruit at its best includes avocado, apricot, blackberry, blueberry and cherry, and the vegetables include capsicum, sweetcorn, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, snow peas and sugar snap peas. Just starting: nectarine, plum, figs, pumpkin and sweet potato. Near the end of their season: bok choy, broad beans and globe artichoke. This is the cooler south; the tropical north has its own calendar.

Last reviewed 9 October 2026 · 31 items at their peak

Summer fruit at its easiest: cherries, apricots, berries, peaches, mangoes and lychees. The vegetable patch delivers zucchini, cucumbers, sweetcorn, tomatoes and basil. Pineapples and watermelon are good, and stone fruit is easy to find. Nectarines and plums start to appear.

Vegetables 16 at their best or changing

  • CapsicumAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to March. Queensland winter crops fill the cooler months.

  • CucumberAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • GarlicAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • Green peasAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from September to December.

  • LettuceAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to February.

  • Snow peasAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from September to December.

  • Spring onionAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from October to December.

  • Sugar snap peasAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from September to December.

  • SweetcornAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • TomatoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to March. Queensland winter crops fill the cooler months.

  • ZucchiniAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • PumpkinJust starting

    New in the shops. Peaks February to June.

  • Sweet potatoJust starting

    New in the shops. Peaks March to June.

  • Bok choyLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was April to May and October to November.

  • Broad beansLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was September to November.

  • Globe artichokeLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was September to November.

Also around, not at their best asparagus, baby spinach, beetroot, broccolini, carrot, celeriac, celery, eggplant, ginger, green beans, mushrooms, onion, potato, radish, rocket, shallot, silverbeet

Fruit 17 at their best or changing

  • ApricotAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to January.

  • AvocadoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to December. Hass avocados run from May to January; Queensland Shepard fills the gap.

  • BlackberryAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • BlueberryAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • CherryAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to January.

  • Honeydew melonAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • LimeAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to April.

  • LycheeAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to January. Grown in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

  • MangoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February. In the Northern Territory and north Queensland the season starts in September.

  • PapayaAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to April. Grown in far north Queensland all year.

  • PeachAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

  • PineappleAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from September to February. Grown in Queensland all year, sweetest in spring and summer.

  • StrawberryAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to January. Queensland and Western Australian crops carry the cooler months.

  • WatermelonAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to March.

  • FigsJust starting

    New in the shops. Peaks February to April.

  • NectarineJust starting

    New in the shops. Peaks January to February.

  • PlumJust starting

    New in the shops. Peaks January to February.

Also around, not at their best banana, grapefruit, lemon, orange, passionfruit, pear, raspberry, rockmelon

Herbs 6 at their best or changing

  • BasilAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to March.

  • ChilliAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to April. Queensland growers keep chillies in the shops through winter.

  • ChiveAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to January.

  • DillAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to January.

  • MintAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from November to February.

  • OreganoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from December to February.

Also around, not at their best coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme

This guide follows the cooler south, which is where most Australians shop: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart. The tropical north runs on a different calendar. Queensland and Northern Territory mangoes, for example, start in September, and bananas, pineapples and chillies come from the north all year.

How we decide. Each item carries a score from 0 to 20 for every month of the year. We call 16 or more “at its peak” and 8 to 15 “around”. The scores were checked against Australian growers’ bodies, state government pages and the Sydney and Melbourne markets, and last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Seasons shift a few weeks with the weather and the state, so treat the edges as guides. Spotted something wrong? Tell us at [email protected].
General information only. These guides are not advice about how you should prepare, store or eat any food. Please follow the packaging and the official food-safety guidance from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and your state or territory food authority.