The Avocado is a low maintenance Evergreen tree that reaches average hights of 30 to 40 feet. The fruit is highly nutritious, with a smooth texture and buttery flavor. There are many good cultivars that produce well here in South Florida. They must be planted on high ground. Poor drainage is the number-one problem. We recomend planting them on a mound where this is a concern.
The Banana is a large herb and thrives well in South Florida with regular fertilazation, and good irrigation. Many unique cultivars can be grown here that sur-pass the flavor of store-bought varieties. The fruiting season runs from April thru November. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!
The Custard Apple is a deciduous tree that grows to hights of 15 to 30 feet. It is hardy tree and withstands tempuratures as low as 27 degrees when it is mature. It grows well in sandy soil, but requires irrigation during times of drought. The fruit ripens from January thru May. Producing a large fruit with sweet, creamy, flesh, that is offten used in ice creams. The seeds when chewed or crushed are toxic and must be carefully removed.
The Canistel is a small to medium evergreen tree that grows well in South Florida. It is not particular to soil type and only requires irrigation when it is newly planted or during times of drought. It will not tolorate tempuratures below 28 degrees. The Fruit is beautiful and nutritious, lending it self well to Milk shakes, ice cream, and baked goods. It has a texture simular to cooked egg yolk, and the flavor is mildly sweet, with a hint of pumpkin. Fruits ripen from November thru April.
The Carambola grows to an average hight of 20 feet. It preferes direct sun, but will still produce fruit in some shade. It is very tolerant of cold weather,enduring temperatures as low as 25 degrees. The fruit is star shaped, giving it its common name "Star Fruit". The flavors varies from tart to sweet. The tart varieties working well for juicing and the sweeter varieties working well in salads and jellies. Of course the fruit is delicious eaten out of hand.
The Cashew usually known for it's nut, produces a juicy refreshing fruit around the base of the nut that is usaully eaten out of hand, or juiced. The flavor is slightly astringent, but mild and Pleasent. Harvesting the nut is a difficult process and not recommended for dooryard growers, because the shell contains a caustic oil, and if not processed correctly it will contaminate the nut making it inedible. The tree it self is a low maintenance small evergreen that spreads. It is drought tolorent but cold sensitive not with standing temperatures below freezing without substanal damage
The Fig is a very popular small low maintenance tree that is cold hardly and well suited throughout all of Florida. It produces fruit twice a year, March thru May and August thru November. The fruit is good eaten out of hand or in baked goods. It lends it self to freezeing, or dring, and works well in preserves.
The Jaboticaba is a slow growing evergreen tree that has great potencial in the land scape. It has a beautiful gnarled appearance, and makes a very impressive show when the white tufted flowers present themselves along the bark of each branch. The tree is not drought tolerent and the soil must never dry out completely. we keep a low steady drip on our trees at all times and have found that the production of fruit was greatly improved. The fruit resembles a large thick-skined grape with translucent flesh that is softer than that of a grape, and very sweet.
web.jpg)
