I recently planted a row of bottle brush bushes along the side of my husband's workshop. I like to attract the hummers. This summer I also planted a row of Indian hawthorn shrubs in front of my house to replace the crotons that died during our recent harsh winters. I planted those because they are easy care plants and are low growing. Both locations face south. You didn't mention how high you want your plants.

If I wanted some easy care fruiting shrubs at those locations I would have planted feijoa/pineapple guava shrubs. I buy mine from sources that specify that they are edible varieties, not ornamental. If you don't mind height, pomegranate might be a consideration but they are deciduous which would cause them to not look so good in the wintertime. After you plant something in your linear planting, you could line it with pineapple plants in pots as long as you move them to a protected area during the very cold nights. So, that's my 2 cents worth. Hope I've given you food for thought.

Christine

Blueberries. I think they like it a little more acidic than blackberries but both like acidic soil, so you should be fine. Mine are very easy to deal with although they're slow growing.

I thought of blueberries but they are not particularly easy care. Plus, they need to be placed on top of the soil, not in the soil for best results. I have mine in a raised bed planted surrounded by peat moss and pine bark. No roots touch the soil.

You might be able to try some citrus plants. You're in 9a like me, so Meyer Lemons or maybe a type of mandarin might work. I would highly advise against Key Limes, which always seem to be available at the big box stores. I learned last year that they are not very cold tolerant and since then I have learned that they were the LEAST cold tolerant. And this winter we're supposed to get some "cold and wet" weather according to the LCEO. Supposedly a Meyer Lemon should be able to handle our winters needing protection on only our coldest nights, but I can not confirm this myself as this will be my first winter with one.

If you want flowering AND fruit (and you don't mind being the butt of Monty Python jokes), you might try an Elderberry bush. They are almost constantly in bloom during the warmer months and supposedly you can make jellies from their fruit. But you can't eat the fruit directly from the bush itself, they have to be prepared by being "boiled, dried and later re-hydrated or frozen" according to my Real Florida Gardeners magazine. Otherwise they are toxic. The magazine also says that just about every part of this particular bush is edible in some form or fashion. So you get both constant blooming and great utility from one plant. And since it's native to Florida, it will require VERY little attention once it gets established. The only issue you might have is keeping it trimmed if you only have 4' to work with.

There are also some native plums that might do well in this spot, but their names for the moment escape me. I hope you find what you're looking for!

I make jelly every year from fresh elderberries. In fact, that is my very favorite jelly. The flower clusters can be dipped into batter & fried, to make fritters. Delicious!

Pineapple Guava is a favorite of mine, but they can get around 8-12 feet in height/diameter without training and pruning after a good 10-15 years. The edible flower petals have a sort of sugary, cinnamon-like flavor, and then delicious fruits. Cold hardy and can take heat; they seem to thrive on neglect. Having two for pollination is best, and because of the size it might be a good idea to plant them on the ends, sort of diagonal to the corners of your house.

Another good one is pomegranate, they're like a suckering crape myrtle, but you can prune and train them however you like. A good large shrub/small tree. The Shangri-La mulberry is a smaller, shrub-like or small tree too, and reportedly does very well in zone 9.

Also, don't forget about strawberries! Great little ground-cover plants, or for edging the bed. A few of those, and you've got yourself a very berry south-facing patch :)

Attached is a picture of my 3 year old pineapple guava shrub. The roots are very shallow and they flowered for the first time this year - the fruits began to swell but eventually fell off. I guess I need a different variety for good pollination.

That firebush looks awfully familiar.

What fruit do you like to eat? How about a nice banana? Raja puri does well in zone 9.

Thanks for all the good advise!