Tropical / subtropical fruit

[rprimbs]

My passions seem to fluxuate between palm trees, cycads,  and fruits.  I'm in Saigon Vietnam with my family for the New Year.  I've been eating a lot durian and now I'm becoming obsessed with fruit trees again -- and I use them for "canopy".  I grow all of the standard fruit trees -- apples, apricots, plums, peaches, low-chill cherries, persimmons, pomogranates etc. -- as well as more tropical fruit.

I have sapadilla's (My Alano has been producing fruit), a star apple, jackfruit, jaboticaba, avocado's, mangoes, litchi, loquat, ross sapote, citrus   (I want to get the Shiranui mandarin but it appears to be forbidden in California because someone bought the "rights" to it),. I keep failing with durian and mangosteen but I will succeed even if I have to build a greenhouse.

What are you growing?

[Silas_Sancona]

Current list includes:
Jaboticaba: White, Blue, Red, Yellow, and "Paulista"..Want to add Sabra and some others as well.
Cherry of the Rio Grande
"Chumba", "Fl. Black", and "Lolita" Surinam Cherry
Tamarind
Ice Cream Bean
Coccoplum
Longan. Supposedly a seedling of Kohala.
Cuban Mangosteen
Saffron Plum (Sideroxylon celestranium)
Tumeric
Allspice
Grumichama
"Red" Pineapple i picked up last summer at the local rare fruit growers sale here. Not quite sure what the difference is.
Red, Pink, and White Dragon Fruit

 

[rprimbs]

I forgot about the dragon fruit.  I have "Giant Vietnamese White", "Thai Red", "Physical Graffiti" (purple), and a yellow type from Mexico.

[Ben1]

Wow sounds like you guys have a  great range of fruits. What about some pictures?

 

what do you make with the fruits? Only eat them fresh and raw, or do you make also jam and cakes out of it?

[rprimbs]

I only eat them fresh, but my wife is a great cook and we will probably do more cooking and drying in future.

We are thinking of buying a really good juicer,  and my wife is also interested in making ice cream from different fruit. And of course blackberry pie is one of my favorites.  And we've even talked about apple cider.

Now if I can figure out how to grow some fruiting coconuts..

 

[rprimbs]

I love the website fruitlovers.Com for all of the exotic fruit seeds, and I plan on trying to grow all sorts of exotic fruit this summer.

[EdInSanDiego]

Rprimbs, there is no remotely possible way of growing durian here outside; that is ultra-tropical. Much more so than mangosteen.

[rprimbs]

3 hours ago, EdInSanDiego said:

Rprimbs, there is no remotely possible way of growing durian here outside; that is ultra-tropical. Much more so than mangosteen.

You're telling me.  I have tried it three times.  My plan is plant a couple in one end of a greenhouse i am going to build -- and raise the roof when necessary.

[Silas_Sancona]

On 2/6/2016, 4:39:22, Ben1 said:

Wow sounds like you guys have a  great range of fruits. What about some pictures?

 

what do you make with the fruits? Only eat them fresh and raw, or do you make also jam and cakes out of it?

Most of my edibles are still small or haven't yet started to fruit. Regardless, plans for the Jabos include making jelly, wine ..among a few other ideas. That is if they aren't all eaten fresh first. Same with Cherry of the Rio Grande, and Grumichama.

As far as Saffron Plum?.. this ones new, a native id stumbled upon which is supposed to have sweet, edible black fruit. Will be evaluating it for similar uses ( Jam/Jelly.. wine making potential) once they start producing. Regardless, a pretty cool  native member of the Sapote family worth having for the strongly fragrant flowers and overall "tough-ness" alone.

 

[Ben1]

Good on you wich wide range of fruits you are able to grow. 

I have to admit that I'm a little envy about the tropical ones. But thank god we can grow at least many different and delicious berries here in Germany. 

[Ben1]

On 7. Februar 2016 um 13:16:11, rprimbs said:

You're telling me.  I have tried it three times.  My plan is plant a couple in one end of a greenhouse i am going to build -- and raise the roof when necessary.

Are you sure you want to grow durians? Did you already try them? 

 

I've read they would smell like hell and taste like heaven. But after I was trying it the first time, I can only verify the bad fetidness 

[rprimbs]

6 hours ago, Ben1 said:

Are you sure you want to grow durians? Did you already try them? 

 

I've read they would smell like hell and taste like heaven. But after I was trying it the first time, I can only verify the bad fetidness 

Most of the frozen ones, that I have tried, smell like hell and also have a strong sulfur smell taste to them -- that I find a bit unpleasant.  The fresh ones , that I am eating right now, do not smell like hell, lack the sulfur smell/taste and are a bit like a nut custard with various citrus and sweet berry tastes mixed in.

[Ben1]

17 hours ago, rprimbs said:

Most of the frozen ones, that I have tried, smell like hell and also have a strong sulfur smell taste to them -- that I find a bit unpleasant.  The fresh ones , that I am eating right now, do not smell like hell, lack the sulfur smell/taste and are a bit like a nut custard with various citrus and sweet berry tastes mixed in.

The fresh one I ate in Sri Lanka also tasted horribly   

So I keep my fingers crossed for you that the one you are planning to grow in your greenhouse will bring you good fruits one day!

[rprimbs]

8 hours ago, Ben1 said:

The fresh one I ate in Sri Lanka also tasted horribly   

So I keep my fingers crossed for you that the one you are planning to grow in your greenhouse will bring you good fruits one day!

I guess that is true, especially if I grow seedlings.  If they turned out bad I would use the space for something else.

[grant b.]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2016‎ ‎7‎:‎58‎:‎37‎, rprimbs said:

I love the website fruitlovers.Com for all of the exotic fruit seeds, and I plan on trying to grow all sorts of exotic fruit this summer.

thanks for sharing this website.  its like the floribunda of big island fruit trees.  I also found toptropicals.com.  I haven't bought anything from either one yet, but they both have quite impressive lists of tropical fruit offerings.

[Cindy Adair]

My farm in Puerto Rico was owned by a fruit tree collector so thanks to her efforts I am blessed with a large collection. 

From fruiting mangosteens, achachairu, rambutans and pulasans to Amazon grapes I probably have at least one of most tropical species, although not many special cultivars. 

My two durians are big, but no fruit yet and mango trees grow big, but don't fruit well on my property apparently because of too much rain.

I also enjoy the spices like turmeric, ginger, vanilla, chocolate (cacao), allspice, African nutmeg (Monodora myristica) cloves and nutmeg ( the latter  three not yet producing).

I am still learning the fruiting seasons and what to do with them all!

Of course go ahead with your plans to zone push but be happy to enjoy them in pots with no fruit as that is still fun as I did in Virginia for several decades.

 

 

[rprimbs]

On 2/11/2016, 7:19:53, Cindy Adair said:

My farm in Puerto Rico was owned by a fruit tree collector so thanks to her efforts I am blessed with a large collection. 

From fruiting mangosteens, achachairu, rambutans and pulasans to Amazon grapes I probably have at least one of most tropical species, although not many special cultivars. 

My two durians are big, but no fruit yet and mango trees grow big, but don't fruit well on my property apparently because of too much rain.

I also enjoy the spices like turmeric, ginger, vanilla, chocolate (cacao), allspice, African nutmeg (Monodora myristica) cloves and nutmeg ( the latter  three not yet producing).

I am still learning the fruiting seasons and what to do with them all!

Of course go ahead with your plans to zone push but be happy to enjoy them in pots with no fruit as that is still fun as I did in Virginia for several decades.

 

 

I have never had a pulason, or Amazon grape, or achachairu -- but I am growing achachairu.  Our Kiett and Mallika mangoes are fruiting -- even though they are newly planted little trees. Our Viet "Cat Hoa Loc" is not fruiting yet, but I think it will.

What do you think of pulason?  Are they better than rambutan?  I hear their seed is edible.

[rprimbs]

I just got an email that Roger Meyer died.  He was a nice guy.  He had a farm / nursery up in Valley Center, and a nursery up in Fountain Valley.  Apparently Rogers wife Shirley is going to sell the farm -- they grew jujubes and a yellow kiwi that is better suited to Southern California than the green.  

[Cindy Adair]

On February 12, 2016 at 1:34:08 AM, rprimbs said:

I have never had a pulason, or Amazon grape, or achachairu -- but I am growing achachairu.  Our Kiett and Mallika mangoes are fruiting -- even though they are newly planted little trees. Our Viet "Cat Hoa Loc" is not fruiting yet, but I think it will.

What do you think of pulason?  Are they better than rambutan?  I hear their seed is edible.

I have never tasted pulasan seeds. My trees don't bear predictably. This year none.

Among the lychee/pulasan/rambutan group I like rambutans best, but perhaps am unduly influenced by their interesting fun to play with red skin.

So sorry to hear about Roger Meyer's death. I had never met him, but knew his name from years of reading rare fruit articles.

[User00]

On Sat Feb 06 2016 08:39:57 GMT+0530 (Sri Lanka Standard, rprimbs said:

My passions seem to fluxuate between palm trees, cycads,  and fruits.  I'm in Saigon Vietnam with my family for the New Year.  I've been eating a lot durian and now I'm becoming obsessed with fruit trees again -- and I use them for "canopy".  I grow all of the standard fruit trees -- apples, apricots, plums, peaches, low-chill cherries, persimmons, pomogranates etc. -- as well as more tropical fruit.

I have sapadilla's (My Alano has been producing fruit), a star apple, jackfruit, jaboticaba, avocado's, mangoes, litchi, loquat, ross sapote, citrus   (I want to get the Shiranui mandarin but it appears to be forbidden in California because someone bought the "rights" to it),. I keep failing with durian and mangosteen but I will succeed even if I have to build a greenhouse.

What are you growing?

im a huge fan of durian,and mungusteen,  common fruits here 

[Xenon]

Duriansssss  

IMO, a good lychee easily trumps rambutan and longan...more aromatic and complicated...the others are kind of flat.

Anyone know what happened to tropicalfruitforum.com? Can't seem to access it...was one of my favorite places to lurk 

[Silas_Sancona]

22 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Duriansssss  

IMO, a good lychee easily trumps rambutan and longan...more aromatic and complicated...the others are kind of flat.

Anyone know what happened to tropicalfruitforum.com? Can't seem to access it...was one of my favorite places to lurk 

Been wondering the same thing. Was trying to access the site earlier over the weekend and got no where.. Might e-mail a forum member id bought stuff from to get more info.

[RedRabbit]

Does anyone know how cold tolerant ice cream bean trees are? I’m not seeing much info on them and what I do see is mixed.

[Silas_Sancona]

25 minutes ago, RedRabbit said:

Does anyone know how cold tolerant ice cream bean trees are? I’m not seeing much info on them and what I do see is mixed.

If you haven't yet, would look through the various threads on Inga ( Ice Cream Bean ) over on the Tropical Fruit Forum.. I. vera and I. feuillei are most recommended for Florida since they tolerate more humidity, supposedly. Feuillei is also supposed to have a touch more cold tolerance ( than standard I. edulis.. It's safe in 10, good when older in 9B ). Unfortunately, many plants are sold/ miss- labeled as I. edulis,  unless you purchase from someone who knows their species.

From what i remember,  they grow pretty well in/ around San Diego though, like Guamuchil, fruit is an acquired taste ..Sweet but dry, ..like sucking on a Cotton Ball soaked in Sugar Syrup. Nice foliage though.  Very productive the older they get. Popular Nursery in Vista has a large specimen. Was where i'd bought a couple several years ago. Pretty fast growing.

I'm sure others here can chime in/ share additional thoughts..
 

[kinzyjr]

2 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Does anyone know how cold tolerant ice cream bean trees are? I’m not seeing much info on them and what I do see is mixed.

Just from my personal experience here, not quite as cold tolerant as Dwarf Cavendish.  Under canopy, I had some Dwarf Cavendish get through a brief 26F radiational event with only minor burn.  Ice Cream bananas took more damage at 28F in a radiational freeze under avocado canopy.  Both had fried leaves during the 28F in Jan. 2018 that was paired with 15MPH wind all night.  Both regularly set fruit here.  A lot of my neighbors have a larger Cavendish type that I haven't bothered to ID planted out in the open.  They look a little beat up after winter, but the damage is cosmetic and the plants grow unabated once it warms up after a freeze.

@rprimbs My non-palm edibles:

Bananas: Dwarf Cavendish, Ice Cream

Citrus: Mandarin Orange, Persian lime

Papayas, Mangoes, Avocados

[RedRabbit]

3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

If you haven't yet, would look through the various threads on Inga ( Ice Cream Bean ) over on the Tropical Fruit Forum.. I. vera and I. feuillei are most recommended for Florida since they tolerate more humidity, supposedly. Feuillei is also supposed to have a touch more cold tolerance ( than standard I. edulis.. It's safe in 10, good when older in 9B ). Unfortunately, many plants are sold/ miss- labeled as I. edulis,  unless you purchase from someone who knows their species.

From what i remember,  they grow pretty well in/ around San Diego though, like Guamuchil, fruit is an acquired taste ..Sweet but dry, ..like sucking on a Cotton Ball soaked in Sugar Syrup. Nice foliage though.  Very productive the older they get. Popular Nursery in Vista has a large specimen. Was where i'd bought a couple several years ago. Pretty fast growing.

I'm sure others here can chime in/ share additional thoughts..
 

Thanks, I wasn't aware there's tropical fruit forum but I'll check it out.  

1 hour ago, kinzyjr said:

Just from my personal experience here, not quite as cold tolerant as Dwarf Cavendish.  Under canopy, I had some Dwarf Cavendish get through a brief 26F radiational event with only minor burn.  Ice Cream bananas took more damage at 28F in a radiational freeze under avocado canopy.  Both had fried leaves during the 28F in Jan. 2018 that was paired with 15MPH wind all night.  Both regularly set fruit here.  A lot of my neighbors have a larger Cavendish type that I haven't bothered to ID planted out in the open.  They look a little beat up after winter, but the damage is cosmetic and the plants grow unabated once it warms up after a freeze.

@rprimbs My non-palm edibles:

Bananas: Dwarf Cavendish, Ice Cream

Citrus: Mandarin Orange, Persian lime

Papayas, Mangoes, Avocados

Thanks @Kinzyjr. I'm actually referring to Inga sp here. I managed to locate an Inga feuille and I'm tempted to buy it provided it can do well enough here in Tampa. 

Edited April 5, 2020 by RedRabbit

[rprimbs]

I'm growing an ice cream tree -- here in Escondido California -- and it isn't fazed in the least by cold winter weather.  I don't know how tough they are though since I am in zone 9-10.  

I suspect they would have no trouble in zone 9, but might need a little protection in zone 8 -- like a frost blanket when small.

[Silas_Sancona]

17 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Thanks, I wasn't aware there's tropical fruit forum but I'll check it out.

No problem. Yea, they're a pretty big group like here in Palm Talk. Lots of great info as well..

[Moose]

On 2/5/2016 at 10:09 PM, rprimbs said:

My passions seem to fluxuate between palm trees, cycads,  and fruits.  I'm in Saigon Vietnam with my family for the New Year.  I've been eating a lot durian and now I'm becoming obsessed with fruit trees again -- and I use them for "canopy".  I grow all of the standard fruit trees -- apples, apricots, plums, peaches, low-chill cherries, persimmons, pomogranates etc. -- as well as more tropical fruit.

I have sapadilla's (My Alano has been producing fruit), a star apple, jackfruit, jaboticaba, avocado's, mangoes, litchi, loquat, ross sapote, citrus   (I want to get the Shiranui mandarin but it appears to be forbidden in California because someone bought the "rights" to it),. I keep failing with durian and mangosteen but I will succeed even if I have to build a greenhouse.

What are you growing?

A recent harvest, 40 lbs. Wife made a pile of vegan shredded pork out of it

[kinzyjr]

2 minutes ago, Moose said:

A recent harvest, 40 lbs. Wife made a pile of vegan shredded pork out of it

Nice score man!

[Moose]

Just now, kinzyjr said:

Nice score man!

Got 3 peeps that show up for the harvest. Waiting for more to ripen. All the big ones have been harvested. The remainders are 10-20 pounders. Keeping the tree at 15ft now. Too old to be on a ladder harvesting heavy fruit. Heavy pruning keeps the fruit bearing low on the trunk

[joe_OC]

Getting into tropical fruit trees as the palms are getting overhead.  Here is what I have so far:

Jaboticaba sabara

Jaboticaba 'Grimal'

Grumichama

Surinam Cherry

Psidium cattleianum - strawberry guava

Papaya - Mexican

Papaya - Holland

Acca sellowiana - pineapple guava

Cherry of Rio Grande

Eugenia selloi - pitangatuba

[Moose]

They are high up in the air, blowing like they just don't care 

[Moose]

Grow, grow, grow my little pretties 

[Silas_Sancona]

While checking in on an on going thread related to growing another type of Mangosteen, came across this... Figured it might be of interest to everyone in S. Cal.. Tagged it to check back later -as updated- Would be sweet if one survived long enough to fruit in CA.
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=41040.0