PLANT CATALOG
ABIU
Common Name: Abiu
Botanical Name: Pouteria caimito
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: Brazil
Avg. Height x Width: 20' X 25'
Varieties: Caribou
Season: September- October
Damage Temp: 30F
COMMENTS
The Abiu is a spectacular fruit native to the Amazon region of northwest Brazil. The pulp has a smooth, creamy texture, and it tastes like caramel flan. Production thus far has been concentrated in southeast Brazil and in Australia, but the coastal regions of South Florida are also ideal for the Abiu.
ATEMOYA
Common Name: Atemoya
Botanical Name: Annona squamosa x Annona cherimola
Family: Annonaceae
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15'
Varieties: African Pride, Bradley, Gefner, Page, Priestly, Pink's Mammoth, 48-26
Season: August - November
Damage Temp: 27F
AVOCADO
Common Name: Avocado
Botanical Name: Perseaamericana
Family: Lauraceae
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 20'
Season: May- February according to variety
Damage Temp: 25 - 26 F
COMMENTS
Avocadoes are the single most important tropical fruit crop in Florida. The varieties we propagate are selections of superior commercial cultivars that have exceptional flavor, production and disease resistance. Selections are also based on ripening season, giving growers a temporal advantage over forgein and domestic competitors.
BANANA
Common Name: Banana
Botanical Name: Musa spp.
Family: Musaceae
Avg. Height x Width: 8' x 4'
Varieties: Hua Moa, Ice Cream, Dwarf Nam Wah, Manzano& Plantains
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 29F
COMMENTS
The banana is the most extensively cultivated tropical fruit in the world. The plants fruit just once, and then should be removed to allow the suckers room to mature and supply the following year's crop. Plants begin to bear in less than a year’s time.
BARBADOS CHERRY
Common Name: Barbados Cherry
Botanical Name: Malpighia punicifolia, M. glabra
Family: Malpighiaceae
Origin: West Indies, Central America
Avg. Height x Width: 12' x 12'
Varieties: Florida Sweet
Season: May-Nov. Sparsely most of the year.
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
The Barbados Cherry is a fast growing bushy tree that can be trained as a standard or shaped as a hedge. The fruit are sweet to sub-acid, and they are used extensively in juices throughout Latin America. The cherries are extremely high in Vitamin C, and just one has the equivalent Vitamin C content of 12 oranges combined. They are also used in jellies, jams, and they freeze without losing their Vitamin C content.
CAIMITO
Common Name: Caimito
Botanical Name: Chrysophyllumcainito
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: West Indies
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Varieties: Purple and Green
Season: February - May
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
favorite in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Southeast Asia. The fruit has a mild grape-like flavor, and This beautiful shade tree has glossy, dark green leaves with a silky bronze color underneath. Caimito is a is best eaten fresh
CANISTEL
Common Name: Canistel
Botanical Name: Pouteriacampechiana
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: Central America
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Varieties: Bruce, Ross Sapote
Season: September - March (may fruit twice a year)
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
The Canistel is a large, open, evergreen tree that has dark green leaves up to twelve inches long clustered at the tips of the branches. The fruit has a thin orange to yellow skin, and the pulp is dry like the yolk of a hard boiled egg. They are commonly eaten fresh, used in cooking and pies, and they are excellent in ice cream. In milk shakes they taste like eggnog. They are very similar in taste to the Lucuma from Andean countries.
CARAMBOLA (Star fruit)
Common Name: Carambola
Botanical Name: Averrhoa carambola
Family: Oxalidaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 12' x 12'
Varieties: Arkin, Fwang Tung, Kari, Sri Kembangan
Season: August - March
Damage Temp: 26 - 28 F
COMMENTS
Carambola are small symetrical trees that fruit very prolifically. They are commonly eaten fresh, in salads, as garnishes and in drinks. The fruit have a sweet citrus-like flavor that is both delicious and refreshing.
CASHEW NUT
Common Name: Cashew Nut
Botanical Name: Anacardiumoccidentale
Family: Anacardiaceae
Origin: Northeast Brazil
Avg. Height x Width: 12' x 15'
Season: Spring - summer
Damage Temp: 30 - 32 F
COMMENTS
The Canistel is a large, open, evergreen tree that has dark green leaves up to twelve inches long clustered at the tips of the branches. The fruit has a thin orange to yellow skin, and the pulp is dry like the yolk of a hard boiled egg. They are commonly eaten fresh, used in cooking and pies, and they are excellent in ice cream. In milk shakes they taste like eggnog. They are very similar in taste to the Lucuma from Andean countries.
CANISTEL
Common Name: Canistel
Botanical Name: Pouteriacampechiana
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: Central America
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Varieties: Bruce, Ross Sapote
Season: September - March (may fruit twice a year)
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
The actual fruit is the nut, the "apple" is a swollen stem. Cashew "apple" is eaten fresh, candied, or stewed. They have a sweet and astringent taste, and are somewhat chewy. The nut itself is caustic until roasted, and they should be roasted outside because the fumes can be irritating. Under favorable conditions they can grow very fast, and they can fruit in just two years. The plants tolerate very poor soil and drought, but they are very cold-sensitive.
CHERRY OF THE RIO GRANDE
Common Name: Cherry of the Rio Grande
Botanical Name: Eugenia aggregata
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Brazil
Avg. Height x Width: 12' x 8'
Season: April - May
Damage Temp: 27F
COMMENTS
This delicious cherry is typically 1-2 inches long and oval in shape. When ripe, they are deep purple to black and have a full cherry-like flavor. The trees can be grown in large pots, hedged, or used as a specimen.
DRAGON FRUIT
Common Name: Dragon Fruit
Botanical Name: Hylocereus sp.
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Central America
Season: Year-round according to variety
Damage Temp: 27F
COMMENTS
This climbing cactus is one of the most beautiful and widespread members of the Cactaceae family. The magnificent night blooming white flowers can be up to 14 inches in diameter. The fruit is most often eaten chilled and cut in half so that the flesh may be spooned out. The juice is used in frozen drinks and it has even been used as a Tropicana Twister flavor. The red fruit are high in lycopene, which is a natural antioxidant that is known to fight cancer and heart disease.
GRUMICHAMA
Common Name: Grumichama
Botanical Name: Eugenia braziliensis
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Brazil
Normal FL size: 18' x 12'
Season: Spring, sometimes a light fall crop
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
The grumichama is a small, compact tree that can be grown as a standard or shaped as a hedge. The plants have beautiful, glossy, dark green leaves and rough, corky, textured bark. Fruit deep purple to black when ripe and they have a flavor very similar to that of jaboticaba. They are most often eaten fresh and used in jelly
GUAVA
Common Name: Guava
Botanical Name: Psidiumguajava
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15'
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 25 - 26 F
COMMENTS
Guava is enjoyed in jelly, juice, pastries and a multitude of other recipes. The fruit can be round to pear shaped, and they are typically about the size of a baseball. The pulp is smooth, sweet and extremely aromatic. The trees are heavy producers, and will begin fruiting at just one year of age.
JAKFRUIT
Common Name: Jackfruit
Botanical Name: Artocarpusheterophyllus
Family: Moraceae
Avg. Height x Width: 30' x 25'
Varieties: Mai 1, Mai 2, Black Gold, Gold Nugget, & Golden Pillow
Season: April to December, according to variety
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
Jakfruit trees are large by nature. They can be pruned annually to 12' x 12' producing as much as 200 lbs. of fruit per year. It is the largest fruit that grows on a tree. The heaviest ever recorded weighed 275 lbs., but they are typically 10-35 lbs. Cooked green, the fruit can be used as a vegetable. It can be boiled, fried, grilled, roasted, or prepared with sauces. Mature seeds are also prepared in dishes. The ripe fruit tastes like a combination of mango, banana, pineapple, and cantaloupe. It is often compared to juicy fruit gum.
JUJUBE
Common Name: Jujube
Botanical Name: Ziziphusjujuba
Family: Rhamnaceae
Origin: China
Avg. Height x Width: 10' x 10'
Varieties: Green Thornless
Season: December - March
Damage Temp: 25F
COMMENTS
Having the texture and flavor of an apple, the jujube are often referred to as manzana or manzanita, meaning apple or little apple in Spanish. It is an important commercial fruit crop in Thailand, Vietnam and India, and it is grown on smaller scales throughout Malaysia and Australia. The trees are bush-like, with a weeping habit, and they will bear fruit at just two to three years of age. Jujubes are known to be extremely prolific producers.
LONGAN
Common Name: Longan
Botanical Name: Dimocarpuslongana
Family: Sapindaceae
Origin: India and southeast Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Varieties: BiewKieuw, Dagelman, Diamond River, Kohala and Sri Chompoo
Season: Late July to September, according to variety
Damage Temp: 24 - 28 F
COMMENTS
The longan is a very close relative of the lychee. The fruit are typically the size of a quarter, and they have a brown leathery shell that contains what looks like a peeled grape with a single seed. The fruit are sweet, with a pleasant aroma, and they taste like a nutty grape.
LOQUAT
Common Name: Loquat
Botanical Name: Eriobotrya japonica
Family: Rosaceae
Origin: China
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15'
Season: January to April
Damage Temp: 22F
COMMENTS
Loquats are shaped like Christmas trees, but they have large fuzzy leaves that are green on top and silver underneath. The fruit tastes like a combination of peach and apricot. They are most often eaten fresh, in jellies and in wines. The trees will begin fruiting at just one to two years of age.
APPLE
Common Name: Apple
Botanical Name: Pyrus malus
Family: Rosaceae
Avg. Height x Width: 20' x 15'
Season: Late spring
Damage Temp: 10F
COMMENTS
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While there is no real potential for a commercial apple industry in Florida, dooryard growers in the central and northern part of the state can grow these select Florida-friendly varieties with success. Like the peaches and plums, apples are deciduous trees. They require 200-400 chill hours, according to variety, to go completely dormant, and then the flowers emerge in the late part of the winter as the weather begins to warm. The plants are highly ornamental as they begin to break bud, having large, showy pink and white flowers. The typical apple season in Florida is May-June.
LYCHEE
Common Name: Lychee
Botanical Name: Litchi chinensis
Family: Sapindaceae
Origin: Southeast China
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Season: Mid May to Mid June in South Florida
Damage Temp: 24 - 28 F
COMMENTS
Lychees are one of the most renowned fruits of the world. Today they are grown on every continent except Antarctica, and they are famed as the "King of Fruits." Despite their worldwide distribution, they remain one of China's best kept secrets. They can best be described as having the flavor of passion fruit and grapes with the scent of a red rose. The fruit are highly addictive, and they can quickly become an expensive habit.
MALAY APPLE
Common Name: Malay Apple
Botanical Name: Syzygiummalaccensis
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Malasia
Avg. Height x Width: 20' x 15'
Season: Winter and spring
Damage Temp: 30F
COMMENTS
The malay apple is a close relative to the wax jambu and the rose apple. Unlike the wax jambu, the malay apple has a single marble-sized seed that separates easily from the pulp. The fruit are bell-shaped and can be up to eight inches long. The taste can be described as a rose water-flavored apple, and they are pleasant and cooling to eat. The trees fruit prolifically, and larger fruit size can be achieved by thinning the crop and watering heavily. The tree grows fast and large, and they typically have a Christmas tree shape.
MANGO
Common Name: Mango
Botanical Name: Mangiferaindica
Family: Anacardiaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia and India
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15', according to variety
Season: May to January, according to variety
Damage Temp: 25 - 27 F
COMMENTS
The appreciation of the mango began over 4,000 years ago in India and throughout Southeast Asia. It was there that the first selections of improved cultivars were cloned from vast orchards and untamed jungles. The ensuing millennia brought great recognition to the delectable fruit, and now it is better known, worldwide, than the peach. The mango varieties that we grow represent the finest selections from around the world, including those selected here in Florida. The mango viewer will provide insight into the different characteristics of each variety, and the rating system will assist you in choosing a tree tailored to individual tastes and preferences.
MIRACLE FRUIT
Common Name: Miracle Fruit
Botanical Name: Synsepalumdulcificum
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: Ghana W. Africa
Avg. Height x Width: 6' x 2'
Season: All year
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
Miracle fruit has an unique glyco protein that inhibits taste buds' perception of sour taste for half an hour up to a couple of hours. They can make lemons taste like lemon candy. The fruit can be used to enhance the flavor of grapefruit, strawberries, and lychees. The fruit also acts as an appetite stimulant for chemotherapy patients. The effects of the glyco protein masks the metallic taste that food tends to get after chemo treatment. The plants are best grown in containers, and they can remain in a seven gallon pot indefinitely
MULBERRY
Common Name: Mulberry
Botanical Name: Morusnigra
Family: Moraceae
Origin: Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15'
Varieties: Everbearing and Pakistani
Season: Spring to summer; Everbearing produces throughout the year
Damage Temp: 22F
COMMENTS
Mulberries taste similar to blackberries, and just like blackberries, they will stain your hands and lips. They are excellent eaten right out of hand, but they are often used in preserves, jellies and jams. The leaves of the mulberry are cultivated in many parts of the world as food for silk worms.
NONI
Common Name: Noni
Botanical Name: Morindacitrifolia
Family: Rubiaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 12' x 12'
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 30F
COMMENTS
Noni is a medicinal fruit that is professed to combat nearly every ailment of the body, from cancer to allergies. Most notable is the fruit’s detoxifying juice, which lowers blood pressure, regulates menstruation, and wards off infection. There are literally hundreds of scientific studies and testimonials published on various websites that tout the fruit's healing powers. They can be container-grown or planted as a specimen, and the trees begin fruiting at just one year of age.
PAPAYA
Common Name: Papaya
Botanical Name: Carica papaya
Family: Caricaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Avg. Height x Width: 6' x 5'
Varieties: Red Lady
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 30F
COMMENTS
Papaya has an enzyme that soothes the stomach and calms indigestion. The fruit is commonly consumed as a breakfast food, and it is often juiced as well. Red Lady is a dwarf self pollinating variety that is also especially resistant to papaya ring spot virus. The fruit typically weigh four to six pounds, and it has excellent flavor, aroma, and texture.
PASSION FRUIT
Common Name: Passion Fruit
Botanical Name: Passiflora edulis
Family: Passifloraceae
Origin: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Varieties: Panama, Possum Purple, Sweet Sunrise and Quadrangularis
Season: May to October
Damage Temp: 30F
COMMENTS
Passion fruit grow on a fast growing vine that climbs with tendrils. The flowers are large, showy, and extremely aromatic. They are also excellent butterfly attractants. The pulp is used extensively in fruit juice drinks like Hawaiian Punch, and it is often used in baked desserts as well. The Possum Purple fruit typically get to be about the size of a goose egg. The Sweet Sunrise variety is baseball sized and yellow. Both are self pollinating
PERSIMMON
Common Name: Persimmon
Botanical Name: Diospyros kaki
Family: Ebenaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 15'
Varieties: Fuyu and Triumph
Season: Late fall to early winter
Damage Temp: 20F
COMMENTS
Persimmons are deciduous trees that lose their leaves each winter and enter a dormant state. New leaves are then followed by flowers in the spring. The fruit are classified as being astringent or non-astringent. The Fuyu variety is non-astringent, while the Triumph is astringent until fully ripe. Both are sweet when ripe and well suited for Florida. They are most commonly eaten fresh out of hand, but they are also common in salads and gelatin desserts.
PLUM
Common Name: Plum
Botanical Name: Prunussalicina
Family: Rosaceae
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 10'
Season: Late spring
Damage Temp: 15F
COMMENTS
The University of Florida’s plum breeding program has successfully developed several Japanese plum varieties suitable for Florida’s mild winters. Like the low chill peaches, the plums were developed as a potential new commercial fruit crop for Florida, but they are an excellent choice for the home landscape as well. They are deciduous trees and go completely dormant in the winter. Flowers and new leaves typically emerge February-March and the fruit ripens May-June. The fruit size is adequate and the fruit quality is excellent. The trees, however, have a short lifespan, and usually only survive 5-8 years.
POMEGRANATE
Common Name: Pomegranate
Botanical Name: Punicagranatum
Family: Punicacea
Origin: South Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 10' x 10'
Varieties: Vietnamese Red
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 24F
COMMENTS
The pomegranate is known as “the hardest working fruit” in the world. The juice contains the highest concentration of naturally occurring antioxidants of any fruit. They are typically baseball to softball size, and are filled with transparent sacs that contain a seed and a flavorful pulp. They can be eaten out of hand or juiced for a drink.
RED CUSTARD APPLE
Common Name: Red Custard Apple
Botanical Name: Annona reticulata
Family: Annonaceae
Origin: West Indies to Central America & South Mexico
Avg. Height x Width: 20' x 15'
Season: Late winter to spring
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
The red custard apple is a very close relative to the sugar apple and atemoya. They have a thick creamy custard-like pulp that can be pink, red or white. The fruit have a pleasant flavor and aroma, and they are best eaten out of hand or in ice cream.
SAPODILLA
Common Name: Sapodilla
Botanical Name: Manilkarazapota
Family: Sapotaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Avg. Height x Width: 20' x 20'
Season: December to October
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
Sapodilla have an exquisite flavor that tastes like a pear that has been soaked in brown sugar. Recent selections of improved varieties have a very fine texture and incredibly large fruit size. The fruit are most often eaten fresh, but they are great in milk shakes and cooked dishes as well. The fruit size and tree size can vary according to variety, but all varieties begin to bear at one to two years of age. Click the link for the sapodilla viewer for cultivar specific information.
SOURSOP
Common Name: Soursop
Botanical Name: Annona muricata
Family: Annonaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 10'
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 40F
COMMENTS
Soursop has a sweet and tart custard-like pulp. The fruit are typically heart shaped, and weigh up to ten pounds. They make superb milkshakes, but can be eaten fresh as well. The trees are fast growing, and they usually begin fruiting in just two years.
STRAWBERRY TREE
Common Name: Strawberry Tree
Botanical Name: Muntingiacalabura
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Origin: Mexico, Central and South America
Avg. Height x Width: 20' x 20'
Season: Year round
Damage Temp: 28 - 30 F
COMMENTS
The fruit of the Strawberry Tree are born on the outstretched branches of the tree. Each fruit is about the size of a blueberry and contains an abundance of tiny yellowish seeds too small to be noticed when eating. The flavor is often compared to cotton candy. The trees are highly ornamental and fast growing, providing a good source of shade and a fruit that is a favorite among children.
SUGAR APPLE
Common Name: Sugar Apple
Botanical Name: Annona squamosa
Family: Annonaceae
Origin: Tropical America
Avg. Height x Width: 15' x 10'
Varieties: Thai-Lessard, Kampong Mauve
Season: August - November
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
The sugar apple is an exquisite fruit that is very closely related to the cherimoya. The fruit are typically baseball- to softball-size, and they taste like sugary sweet custard. The pulp comes apart in segments, each containing a small black seed that separates easily from the fruit. The trees begin to fruit at just one to two years of age, and they can easily be maintained at eight to ten feet.
TAMARIND
Common Name: Tamarind
Botanical Name: Tamarindusindica
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Tropical Africa and South Asia
Avg. Height x Width: 25' x 25'
Varieties: Tart and Sweet
Season: Late spring
Damage Temp: 28F
COMMENTS
The tamarind is a graceful stately tree commonly found in the South Florida landscape and growing wild along Central American roadsides. The fruit hangs in clusters, peapod-like legumes typically six to eight inches long. The fruit is eaten fresh, in candies, and in sauces. In fact, it is one of the primary ingredients of Worcestershire Sauce, as well as numerous other jerk and barbeque sauces.
TEA
Common Name: Tea
Botanical Name: Camellia sinensis
Family: Theaceae
Origin: China
Avg. Height x Width: 6' x 4'
Varieties: Large Leaf, Small Leaf and Red Leaf
Damage Temp: 20F
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
In 2014, Americans consumed over 80 billion servings of tea*!
The drink is fantastic source of antioxidantes which have been known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and support cardiovascular health.
All types of tea come from the same plants. Different rolling and drying techniques can be usesd with the same plant to produce both green and black tea. The plants are slow-growing and are best kept to a height of 4 ft., by pruning. Plant in well-draning soil in the sun or partial shade, or keep them in a container.
COMMENTS
Atemoya is a cross between the lowland sugar apple and the highland cherimoya. The fruit is fragrant and firm, and it has a snowy-white flesh of a fine texture. They are generally conical to heart shaped, and may weigh up to 5 pounds. The pulp has fewer seeds than the sugar apple and the flesh is not divided into segments. The yield may be increased through hand pollination.
JABOTICABA
Common Name: Jaboticaba
Botanical Name: Myrciariacauliflora
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Brazil
Avg. Height x Width: 18' x 12'
Season: Winter, spring & throughout the year
Damage Temp: 25 - 27 F
COMMENTS
The jaboticaba forms a small bushy tree that has multiple ornate stems. The fruit are grape-like, with a thick skin and melting pulp. They are eaten as fresh fruit, in jams and in wine. They can be frozen whole, to enjoy throughout the year. Because the fruit occurs on the old growth, it is best never to prune them. They are especially cold, hardy plants, and they like a lot of water.
JUNE PLUM
Common Name: June Plum
Botanical Name: Spondiasdulcis
Family: Anacardaceae
Origin: South Pacific
Avg. Height x Width: 8' x 6'
Season: Fall and winter
Damage Temp: 28F