Introduction to Tropical Fruits Roy Beckford Agriculture/Natural Resources Agent fbeck@ufl.edu 239-533 533-7512
Common Terms Hammock: an area higher in elevation than its wetter surroundings, characterized by hardwood forests of broadleaf evergreens Hardwood: broadleaf trees such as oak, maple, walnut, and hickory Deciduous trees: lose leaves at the end of each growing season Evergreen trees: needles or leaves remain alive and on the tree through the winter and into the next growing season (persistent) Temperate climate: areas that freeze often enough that vegetation goes into winter dormancy Subtropical climate: rarely or never freezes Tropics: officially begin at the Tropic of Cancer (23 30' N latitude), and Key West (24 33' N latitude) does not extend that far south.
Hardwood Forests Habitat Profile Florida s 3 principal hardwood forest types: 1. Southern Hardwood Forest 2. Temperate Broad-Leaved Evergreen Forest 3. Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Hardwood Hammocks Distribution: - S Florida and Keys - mostly remnant habitats Community characteristics: - high species diversity -tropical species - fruit-producing species Principal disturbance: - storm damage - human activity A.Karim, UF/IFAS
What Makes Them Grow Here? Plant hardiness zones are a general guide to help you know which plants will grow where you live because plants vary in the temperature extremes they can endure.
Growing tropical fruits Important things to remember Most fruit trees require full sun for best flowering/fruiting Most fruit trees do not tolerate salt laden winds Not all land is suitable to growing. Low-lying areas and poor fill soils need to mound up with clean sand. Soils or soil mixes must be well drained with good aeration, don t plant in low areas where water collects and doesn t drain. Most fruit trees ( except citrus) like to be mulched with organic matter that over time will gradually rot. Planting holes need to be twice the diameter of root ball
Most tree roots are located in the first 18 inches of soil and spread out away from tree. protect the root system!
PURCHASING HEALTHY PLANTS Plant color and vigor Well-developed root system No weeds in soil Free of insects and diseases Trees with single trunks
PLANTING & ESTABLISHMENT Buy small trees (3 gallon) because larger trees often have roots that have grown in circles along the bottom of the pot. Where this has occurred, cut roots where they have started to turn. Try to contain planting of fruit trees to the rainy season (June to October). You can plant at anytime of the year, but if you plant in the winter or dry months, you ll often find that plant growth is set back because of inadequate watering coverage.!high winds common to that time will also create problems.
Add a organic matter with sand to back fill.
Water ring Settle the soil around plant by applying water. Do not settle it by applying pressure with your foot. Add sand/soil mix where necessary.
Develop a green thumb
Okay, let talk about tropical fruits!
Fruit trees seen in SW Florida Avocado Sugar apple Key Lime Fig Sapodilla Breadfruit Guava Jackfruit Barbados cherry Mango Monstera Surinam cherry Loquat Banana Longan Carambola Passion fruit Citrus Black & white sapote Mamey sapote Papaya There exist many more least known fruits you can grow here in SW Florida!
Avocado - Persea americana Native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America
All shapes and sizes
and color
Mango - Mangifera indica L. The mango is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent
Mango
Where do cashew nuts come from?
Cashew - Anacardium occidentale Native to northeastern Brazil
Bananas and Plantains Musa sp. Bananas are large, herbaceous, perennial plants which grow very quickly and provide a decidedly tropical appearance to home landscapes. Plantains are hybrid bananas in which the male flowers are undeveloped or degenerated. Bananas are produced vegetatively, or by tissue culture. Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have seedless fruits. Bananas Plantains
Bananas and Plantains Musa sp. Wild type banana showing large seeds
Ripe or green?
The coconut Cocos nucifera First mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portuguese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut.
Coconut
Germination
Breadfruit - Artocarpus altilis
Breadfruit - Artocarpus altilis
Breadfruit - Artocarpus altilis Mutiny on the Bounty (The book, the movie), is a breadfruit story
Breadfruit USDA
Jackfruit - Artocarpus heterophyllus A species of tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) The jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world.
Carambola (Starfruit) Green-yellow, about three to six inches long, and has five distinct, lengthwise ridges. The thin, waxy skin is edible, and sliced thinly, carambola is a good addition to a fruit or green salad Native to Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. The consumption of star fruit or its juice in combination with certain medications can significantly increase their effective dosage within the body.
Sapodilla Manilkara zapotilla
Chicle Some of the original brands of packaged stick gums and colorful gum balls were manufactured with chicle gum base.
Mimusops balata
Mimusops balata
The Muscadine Grape - Vitis rotundifolia Scientists divide the Vitis genus into two subgenera: (1). Euvitis (the European grapes and the American bunch grapes (2). Muscadania grapes
Guava - Psidium guajava The fruit are not only relished by humans, but by many mammals and birds. The spread of introduced guavas owes much to this fact, as animals will eat the fruit and disperse the seeds in their droppings.
Jujube - Ziziphus zizyphus
Otaheite Apple AKA Pomarosa, Pommerac, Malacca Apple, Plum Rose The pear-shaped otaheite apple ranges from pink to ruby red in color. This fruit is usually eaten fresh, though it can be packed in red wine or turned into a refreshing cold drink.
Otaheite Apple Bloom
Sugar apple (sweetsop) Anona sp.
Soursop - Anona sp.
Tamarind
The Arabs introduced tamarind, from the Arabic tamrhindi (Indian date), to Europe in the Middle Ages. It gives a sweet-sour, pleasant acidity to food. Tamarind
Tamarind
Thank you!