PLANTS  

FOR  ABBY’S  PLACE

BY

“ABBY’S  PLACE”
OCTOBER 30, 2012

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PLANTS  FOR  ABBY’S  PLACE (please refer to the site plan for species selection
and placement)

Subtopics Basic List

 Abiu
 Ackee
 Apple
 Atemoya
 Avocado
 Banana and Plantains
 Barbados Cherry
 Black Sapote
 Blackberry
 Blueberry
 Bunch Grape
 Caimito (Star Apple)
 Canistel
 Cantaloupes and Muskmelons
 Carambola (Star Fruit)
 Cashew-Apple
 Chestnut
 Chinese Jujube
 Cocoa (Chocolate Bean)
 Coconut Palm
 Coffee
 Eugenia
 Fig
 Galia Muskmelon
 Grape
 Guava
 Huckleberry
 Jaboticaba
 Jackfruit
 Jojoba
 Key Lime
 Lemon
 Longan
 Loquat
 Lychee
 Macadamia
 Mamey Sapote
 Mamoncillo (Genip)
 Mango
 Monstera
 Muscadine Grape
 Naranjillo
 Natal Plum (Carissa)
 Nectarine
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  Oriental Persimmon
 Papaya
 Passion Fruit
 Peach, Plum and Nectarine
 Peanut
 Pear
 Pecan
 Pejibaye (Peach Palm)
 Persimmon
 Pineapple
 Pineapple Guava
 Pitaya
 Plum
 Pomegranate
 Raspberry
 Sapodilla
 Seagrape
 Spondias
 Strawberries
 Sugar Apple
 Tahiti' Limes
 Tamarind
 Tea
 The Coconut Palm
 The Jaboticaba
 The Macadamia
 The Passion Fruit
 The Pomegranate
 Watermelon
 White Sapote

Dooryard Fruit Varieties

Many kinds of fruit can be grown successfully in the Florida home garden, including temperate fruits in
the northern part of the state and tropical and subtropical fruits in the southern part of the state.
Fruit growing is an interesting and rewarding hobby, which provides fresh fruit at the peak of its
maturity. Fruit plants are also an attractive addition to many landscapes.

Selection of species and varieties is critical for fruit production, as plants that are not adapted to local
conditions will generally fail to produce regardless of how much care and attention they receive.
Weather is perhaps the single most important factor that determines where fruit crops can be grown.
Winters may be too cold for some fruit or too short for others. Still other fruit may suffer from summer's
heat and humidity. Consequently, species and varieties of fruits should be chosen on the basis of
historical weather patterns. Some considerations of weather are discussed briefly in the following
sections.

Chilling Requirement
Temperate-zone fruits go through the winter in a dormant state called the rest period. Generally, this rest
period is associated with a loss of leaves, short days, and weather that is cool to cold. Exposure to cool

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winter temperatures for a certain length of time is required for proper flowering and prepares the plant to
begin active growth again when temperatures are more favorable for growth.

For temperate-zone fruit, temperatures below 45°F (7°C) are described as chilling temperatures. The
number of hours below 45°F accumulates through the winter months and constitutes total hours of
chilling. The Florida Panhandle rarely has fewer than 500 hours of chilling. By contrast, South Florida
rarely has more than 50 - 100 hours of chilling.

The chilling requirement of a species or variety is the amount of chilling needed to complete the rest
period and resume normal growth. Species and varieties differ in their chilling requirement.
A plant that does not receive sufficient chilling to satisfy rest is usually delayed in bud break, leaf
expansion, and blooming. Often the opening of flower and leaf buds will be scattered over a long period
of time as a result of insufficient chilling. Plants will live only a very few years with insufficient winter
chilling, which explains why so few temperate fruits are grown in South Florida.

By contrast, rather cold winters satisfy rest early, so the plants start growing with the first warm spell.
Such early growth makes a plant subject to injury by later cold weather, particularly late frosts, which
may destroy flowers or young fruit.

Some subtropical fruit species -- such as lychee and longan -- require exposure to cool winter
temperatures to flower properly the following spring. Chilling temperatures for these crops are
temperatures below 55°F to 60°F, respectively. Lychee and longan trees that do not receive sufficient
chilling temperatures may flower poorly or not at all. In contrast, mature lychee and longan trees may be
killed at temperatures below 24°F to 28°F, which explains why so few of these crops are grown in
Central Florida or in North Florida.

Cold Hardiness
Cold hardiness refers to a plant's ability to withstand cold temperatures without serious injury. Cold
damage to plants can occur in all parts of Florida and is often caused by temperatures that are not
extremely low, but which occur when the plant is not in the best condition to withstand cold. One
example is the December 25, 1983, freeze. It killed or severely damaged much of the citrus grown in
North Florida and Central Florida at that time.

Because of the conditions preceding this freeze, it was much more damaging than past freezes with
comparable minimum temperatures. Minimum temperatures were unusually mild for a period of more
than one week prior to the Dec. 1983 freeze. However, on December 25, temperatures dropped
dramatically, leaving citrus trees little time to acclimate to the cold weather. Both the low temperatures
and the long duration of freezing temperatures killed thousands of acres of citrus.

In contrast to temperate-zone fruits, which are relatively cold hardy when dormant, subtropical and
tropical fruit crops may be divided into three groups according to cold tolerance. Some subtropical
fruits, such as kumquat and loquat, may withstand temperatures below 20°F. Other subtropical fruits --
such as papaya, banana, and passion fruit -- cannot withstand temperatures below 32°F. However,
some tropical fruits -- such as mango, lychee, and longan -- may withstand short periods of
temperatures as low as 25°F. Avocados vary in their cold tolerance with West Indian types damaged
below 25-30°F, Guatemalan types below 25-28°F and Mexican types damaged below 18-26°F.

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Warm Weather Adaptability
Some species of fruit, such as olive, pistachio and date, will often grow satisfactorily in Florida, but due
to the hot, humid weather that prevails throughout the state during summer months, will not consistently
produce adequate crops of good quality fruit. Growth is usually satisfactory for plants with poor
tolerance for the Florida summertime climate, but fruit production is minimal for such plants.

Variety Adaptation
As the foregoing discussion indicates, climatic conditions dictate which fruit species and varieties can be
grown in a given area. Many of the species -- and all varieties -- that are common in the northern United
States are not adapted to the weather conditions that prevail in Florida. Indeed, some of the species and
many varieties that grow in the northern United States will not grow and fruit well in south Florida.
For the purposes of this publication, the Florida map in Figure 1 is divided into three climatic zones.
These zones correspond closely, but not completely, with the standard U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The shaded areas along the coasts of South Florida represent the
area where most tropical and subtropical fruits can be expected to succeed.

Figure 1.
Florida's Three Climatic Zones

The separation lines between zones are not rigid, but should be considered as transition areas. In such an
area, varieties from either zone may succeed due to slight variations in climate within a particular area.
For example, large bodies of water, large cities and elevation can modify temperatures by several
degrees. There are naturally occurring cold pockets and warm locations throughout the state. When in
doubt about whether a particular fruit variety or species will do well in a local area, consult your county
Extension Office.

The variety recommendations in Table 1 are based on the generally prevailing climate in these three
regions, as well as on knowledge of what has succeeded for other gardeners in these areas. However,
county Extension faculty will have more specific knowledge of individual county situations.

Deciduous Fruit Varieties

Deciduous fruits enjoy greatest success in North Florida, but some varieties are recommended for all
climatic zones.

Citrus Varieties
The expectation of most homeowners in Florida is to grow and pick citrus fruits from their own trees.
However, citrus is a subtropical fruit tree and is limited to areas that do not regularly experience freezing
temperatures. The home gardener can grow most citrus trees throughout Central Florida and South
Florida. Careful consideration should be given to site selection and choice of variety. Some citrus types,
such as Satsuma and Kumquat, may be grown in warm, protected locations in North Florida. Due to
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the possibility of freezing weather in the northern part of Central Florida, most citrus grown in that area
should be planted in protected locations, such as the south side of building.

Varieties can be selected with different seasons of maturity to provide fruit over the entire citrus season,
from October through June. Sweet oranges and grapefruit are distinctive types and are often consumed
as juice or eaten in some form practically every day. The mandarins (tangerines and tangerine
hybrids) are specialty fruits that are excellent when eaten fresh. The acid fruits (limes, lemons, and
other fruit with high citric-acid content) are used for thirst-quenching drinks, garnishes, and
ingredients for refreshing pies and delicious cakes.

Subtropical and Tropical Fruits

The ability to grow tropical fruits distinguishes Florida from the rest of the continental United States.
Although tropical and subtropical fruits are most prominent in the tropical areas of South Florida, some
of these fruits may be grown in protected areas in the coastal areas of Central Florida.
The listing in Table 3 is by no means complete, but represents some of the most popular fruits. In some
cases, no varieties are listed, as named varieties are not available. Instead, seedlings or cuttings are
grown.

Tables
Table 1.
Variety Recommendations for Dooryard Planting.
Variety Zone1 Variety Zone1
APPLE PEAR
2
TropicSweet N C Ayers N
2
Anna N C Baldwin N
Dorsett Golden2 N C Kieffer N
BLACKBERRY Floradahome N C
Brazos N C S Orient N
Cheyenne N Hood N C
Comanche N Pineapple N C
Cherokee N Tenn N
Arapaho N PLUM
Navaho N Early Bruce N
Flordagrand3 C S Excelsior N
3
Oklawaha C S Kelsey N
9
BLUEBERRY Methley N
Ozark Premier N
Gulfbeauty C
Brightwell4 Glufblaze C S
4
Powderblue Gulfrose C S
GRAPE
Blue Lake N C
6
 Variety Zone1 Variety Zone1
Chaucer4 N C Conquistador N C
Woodward4 N C Daytona N C
5
Sharpeblue C S Blanc Dubois N C
5
Emerald C S Lake Emerald N C
5
Jewel C S Stover N C
5
Windsor C Suwannee N C
Springhigh5 C GRAPE, MUSCADINE -BLACK
5
Star C Southern Home N C S
Black Beauty N C
FIG Black Fry N C
Alma C S Polyanna N C
6
Brown Turkey N C S Supreme N C
Celeste N C S Nesbitt N C
8
Green Ischia N C S PEACH
Magnolia N C S Spring Crest N
San Piero N C S June Gold N
GRAPE, MUSCADINE - BRONZE Flordaking N
Carlos N C Flordacrest N
Doreen N C Gulfcrest N
7
Fry N C S Gulfcrimson N
Granny Val N C Gulfprince N
7
Higgins N C UFSharp N
Summit7 N C S UFBeauty C
Welder N C UFBlaze C
Tara N C UFO C
Sweet Jenny N C Flordabest C
Pam N C Tropicbeauty C S
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NECTARINE UFSun C S
Suncoast N Flordastar C
Sunraycer C Flordaglo C S
Sunbest C Flordaprince C S
UFRoyal C
Sunmist C
UFQueen C
PECAN

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 Variety Zone1 Variety Zone1
Elliot N
Stuart N
Curtis N C
Desirable N C
Moreland N C
RASBERRY
Dorma Red N
Mysore S
PERSIMMON
Fuyu (Fuyugaki) N C
Hachiya N C S
Hanafuyu N C
Izu N C
Jiro N C
Matsumoto Wase Fuyu N C
O'Gosho N C
Saijo N C S
Tamopan N C S
Tanenashi N C S
1
N = North Florida, C = Central Florida, S = South Florida
2
Requires pollenizer variety.
3
Self-unfruitful, must be planted together.
4,5
Requires two or more varieties (with the same number) for best results.
6
Do not plant 'California Brown Turkey'.
7
Female variety, requires a non-female variety for pollination.
8
Must have 'Flordaguard' rootstock.
9
Western Florida Panhandle only.
Table 2.

Suitable Varieties of Citrus for Dooryard Planting.

Variety Season Seeds
ORANGES
1
Navel Very early Very few
Cara Cara (Red Navel) Early (Oct - Jan) Very few
Hamlin Early (Oct - Jan) Few
Parson Brown Early mid-season (Oct - Jan) Many
Pineapple Mid-season (Oct - Feb) Many
Valencia Late (Mar - June) Few

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 GRAPEFRUIT
Duncan Mid-season (Dec - May) Many
Marsh Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Thompson Mid-season (Dec - May) Few
Redblush (Ruby) Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Ray Ruby Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Flame Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Rio Red Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Star Ruby Mid-season (Nov - May) Few
Pumelo Mid-season (Nov - Apr) Many
SPECIALTY
2
Satsuma mandarin Very early, Sept - Nov) Very few
Robinson tangerine Very early (Oct - Dec) Varies
3
Sunburst tangerine Mid-season (Nov - Dec) Varies
3
Orlando tangelo Mid-season (Nov - Jan) Varies
Dancy tangerine Mid-season (Dec - Jan) Few to many
3
Minneola tangelo (Honeybell) Mid-season (Dec - Feb) Varies
Temple tangor (Temple Orange) Late mid-season (Jan - Mar) Few to many
Murcott (Honey tangerine) Late mid-season (Jan - Mar) Few to many
Ponkan Mid-season (Dec - Jan) Few
Pummelos Mid-season (Dec - Jan) Few to many
4
ACID
4,5
Tahiti ('Persian') lime Everbearing (most June - Sept) None
4,5
Key lime (Mexican lime) Everbearing (Jan - Dec) Few
4,5
Meyer lemon Everbearing (Nov - Mar) Few to many
Other lemons 4,5 Everbearing (most July - Dec) Few
Calamondin Everbearing (most Nov - Apr) Few
2
Kumquat Everbearing (most Nov-Apr) Few
Limequat2 Everbearing (most Nov-Mar) Few
1
Does not produce large yields of fruit.
2
Considered cold hardy and can be grown in protected locations of North Florida.
3
Cross-pollination may increase size, yield and seed number when at least two of these varieties are
planted together.
4
Acid citrus bears the largest crop in late summer, but some fruit ripen all year.
5
Not considered cold hardy and should be restricted to South Florida, except 'Meyer' lemon.
Table 3.
Varieties of Tropical Fruits for Dooryard Planting
Fruit Plant Type Cold Hardiness1 Varieties

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Akee Medium tree 1
Atemoya Small tree 1 Gefner, African Pride, Page
Avocado Large tree 1-2 Many, see footnote2
Gold finger, Mona Lisa, FHIA17,
Banana Herbaceous "tree" 1
others
Barbados cherry Shrub 1 Florida Sweet, B-17
Bignay Small tree 1
Black sapote Medium tree 1 Reineke, Maher, others
Carambola Medium tree 2 Arkin, Fwang Tung, Kary, others
Carissa Shrub 2
Cattley guava Shrub 3
Cherimoya Small tree 1
Ceylon gooseberry Large shrub 2
Coconut Palm tree 1 Mayapan hybrid, Fiji Dwarf
Date Palm tree 3
Canistel (Egg Fruit) Medium tree 1
Feijoa Shrub 3 Choiceana, Coolidge Superba
Governor's plum Shrub 2
Guava Small tree 1 Homestead, Patillo, Asian white
Jaboticaba Small tree 2
Chenna, Golden Nugget, J-30, NS-1,
Jakfruit Medium to large tree 1
others
Jujube Small tree 3
Kei-apple Shrub 2
Kiwi3 Vine 3 Abbott, Allison, Bruno, Hayward
Longan Medium tree 2 Kohala
Loquat Medium tree 3 Wolfe, Oliver, Tanaka, others
Lychee Large tree 2 Mauritius, Brewster
Macadamia Medium tree 2
Mamey sapote Large tree 1 Key West, Magana, others
Mango Large tree 1 Many, see footnote4
Miracle fruit Small tree 1
Monstera Foliage plant 1
Papaya Herbaceous "tree" 1 Seedlings
Passion fruit Vine 2 Possum Purple, Whitman's Yellow
Pineapple Bromeliad 1 Red Spanish, Smooth Cayenne
Pitaya cactus Vine 1-2 Numerous Varieties

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Plaintain Herbaceous "tree" 1
Pomegranate Small tree 3
Prickly pear Cactus shrub 3
Sapodilla Large tree 2 Alano, Hasyá, Morena, Tikal, others
Sea grape Medium tree 1
Spanish lime Large tree 1
Soursop Small tree 2
Sweetsop Small tree 1
Surinam cherry Shrub 2
Tamarind Large tree 1
Velvet apple Medium tree 1
Wampi Small tree 2
1
Cold hardiness:
1. Limited to shaded area;
2. May be grown in protected locations in South Florida and possibly in protected locations in Central
Florida;
3. Can be grown in all areas of Florida.
2
Varieties with good cold hardiness for Central Florida: 'Day', 'Duke', 'Mexicola', 'Winter Mexican'.
Varieties with moderate cold hardiness for South Florida: 'Booth 7, 'Booth 8', 'Brogdon', 'Choquette',
'Hall', 'Lula', 'Monroe', 'Taylor', 'Tonnage', 'Pollock', 'Simmonds'.
3
Kiwi usually will not fruit in Florida.
4
Varieties with fair anthracnose resistance and good quality: 'Carrie', 'Early Gold', 'Florigon', 'Glen',
'Saigon'.
Varieties with good quality and good anthracnose resistance: 'Irwin', 'Keitt', 'Kent', 'Palmer',
'Sensation', 'Tommy Atkins'.(Numerous other varieties available.)

Information on a few more species for Southern Florida

Cabbage Palm, Swamp Cabbage Palm -- Sabal Palmetto

State tree of Florida (protected by law)
Quick ID: Tree up to 60 ft. tall, with long spreading leaves to 9 ft. long.
Yellow-white flowers in many branched clusters; fragrant. Fruit 1/4"
wide. Many of these trees are planted along highway overpasses.
Radical, improper pruning weakens the root system, promoting disease
Range: South east coast of U.S. from North Carolina to Florida, west to
Texas and in the Bahamas. Prefers moist ground of marshes and
swamps.
Human Uses: Leaves are used to make weave baskets and hats. Also used as for thatched roofs.
Flowers are a source of honey. The "heart" has been used as a salad delicacy, however removing the
heart causes the tree to die and is not encouraged unless the tree is part of a land clearing.
Recipes from Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Swamp Cabbage Salad: -- Strip the core to the ivory-white heart. Julian slice. Soak in ice water for one
hour. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.
Swamp Cabbage: Strip the core to the ivory-white heart

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Cross Creek Style: Julian slice. Add two tablespoons of butter and half a teaspoon of salt. Cook in very
little water until dry and tender.. Add 1/2 cup of heated cream. Heat to simmering and serve.
Recipe from Wild Edibles by Marian Van Atta
Swamp Cabbage: Cut hearts of palm fine or shred into fine pieces
Slaw: Mix with mayonnaise and 1 or 2 teaspoons pickle relish. Season to taste

Sea Grape, Hopwood, Horsewood -- Cocoloba Uvifera

Quick ID: Tree up to 40 ft., but generally small tree or large shrub. Leaves are thick and heart-shaped
from 3 to 10 inches. New foliage is smooth and brown or bronze in color. Flowers grow in clusters. Fruit
resembles grapes and are dark red or purple and ripen throughout summer.
Range: Florida, Bahamas, West Indies, Central and South America. Coastal dune plant, vital to erosion
control and as a wind and salt break. Can be grown inland, where they may reach 50 ft.
Human Uses: Food. Wood can be used for carving
The most common way to eat seagrapes is as like all other grapes. Rinse and pop in your mouth.
Recipes from Wild Edibles by Marian Van Atta
Seagrape Jelly: Wash fruit and remove stems and leaves. Pour through cloth jelly bag. Put 4 cups juice
back in kettle. Add 4 cups sugar and keep stirring.. Boil rapidly to 228 degrees F. Pour into sterilized
jelly jars and seal.

Oaks (Quercus spp.) provided acorns that American Indians used as a basic food staple. Collected when
they ripened in fall, the Indians dried them in the sun and stored them in large baskets. They can be
boiled, roasted, ground into a meal and used as flour (often with wheat flour) and made into breads and
pancakes. Dried acorns dipped in clarified sugar can be used as a snack. Roasted acorns have also been
used as a coffee substitute.

Oak trees are divided into two categories: the white and the red (or black).

White oaks have sweet acorns that mature the same year they are formed. They only need to be shelled
and roasted. Chapman's oak (Q. chapmanii), sand post oak (Q. margaretta), swamp chestnut oak (Q.
michauxii), and live oak (Q. virginiana), are some examples of white oaks. Red oaks have bitter acorns
that mature the second year after forming. They can be made more palatable by shelling and boiling for
two or more hours (changing the water when it turns light brown) until they turn the color of chocolate.
This will rid them of tannin. Bluejack oak (Q. incana), laurel oak (Q. laurifolia) and water oak (Q.
nigra) are a few examples of red oaks. Since identifying oaks can be difficult, the cup of the acorn can
help determine if the oak is of the white variety or the red. White acorn cups are smooth on the inside
and red acorn cups have wooly hairs on the inside.

Hickory trees (Carya spp.) are all similar in appearance. Many species often have characteristics of
another, making field identification a challenge. Since they grow quite large, it is nearly impossible to
examine their characteristic crown leaves. Key factors for identifying hickories are they way the fruit
husk splits when mature, how many leaflets per leaf and the type of pubescence on the surface of the
leaves.

Mockernut hickory (Carya tomentosa) is a medium to large deciduous tree growing to a height of 40 to
80 feet. Typical of most hickories, the trunk has diamond shaped bark. The leaves are alternate,
compound, odd-pinnate with seven to nine leaflets. Tufted hairs are found on all leaf parts. Male flowers
are borne in catkins and are light green. The nut is enclosed in a thin, reddish brown husk that is
extremely hard. The kernel is small and sweet. It is generally found in well-drained upland woods in
north and central Florida.

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Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) is a large deciduous tree reaching a height of approximately 80 feet. It
has diamond patterned bark and is one of the most widespread hickories. Found in dry to moist woods, it
occurs naturally in north and central Florida. The leaves are alternate, compound and odd-pinnate with
five to seven leaflets. These leaflets are elliptic with toothed edges. All leaf parts are usually glabrous
(lacking hairs) with occasional tufts on the undersides of some leaflets. The male flowers are borne in
nearly three inch long catkins. The sweet nut is enclosed in a smooth, thin husk that does not split to the
base upon maturity.

Black cherry (Prunus serotina) is a large deciduous tree reaching between 60 and 80 feet tall. The
leaves are alternate, oblong with a pointed tip, finely toothed and are three to five inches long. They are
shiny, dark green and provide good fall color turning yellow and red. In spring, small white flowers
appear in drooping clusters about four to five inches long. Dark purple to black fruit ripen in the
summer. The 1/4 inch, round fruit is edible and quite popular raw. It is bittersweet and often used in
wines, jellies, sauces, sherbets and pies. The pulp of the fruit is edible, but the other parts of the tree
(including the pit) are poisonous. Birds love the cherries and distribute the seeds widely. Black cherry is
found along fence rows, powerlines, in upland mixed forests and hammocks in north and central Florida.

Red mulberry (Morus rubra) is a small deciduous tree growing to a height of 30 to 40 feet. The large
leaves are alternate, toothed, heart shaped and occasionally divided into lobes with no more than three
lobes per leaf. On top, the leaves are dull green and have deeply sunken veins. The undersides are
usually pale. Because of stiff hairs, the leaves are rough to the touch. Greenish white flowers in hanging
clusters are formed in the spring. Resembling blackberries, the 1 1/2 inch fruit ripens in late spring. The
fruit is good raw and is used in jams, jellies, pies, cakes and drinks. Songbirds and other wildlife are
attracted to the fruit. Red mulberry is found throughout the state in pinelands, uplands, hammocks and
floodplains.

Flatwoods plum (Prunus umbellata) is a small deciduous tree about 20 feet tall. The leaves are
alternate, elliptic with toothed edges and have sharply pointed tips. Small white flowers appear in spring
usually before the leaves. The fruit is a red or yellow drupe that turns black when mature. It is often used
in jellies. This plum is typically found in dry pinewoods, upland mixed forests and hammocks in north
and central Florida.

Tallowwood plum (Ximenia americana) is a small evergreen tree growing to a height of 20 feet. It has
crooked branches and many branchlets all with sharp spines. The yellowish green leaves are alternate,
leathery and have smooth edges. Upper surfaces of the leaves are shiny green and the undersides are
often pale. Blooming from spring until fall are small, yellowish white, fragrant flowers with four hairy
petals. The fruit is a yellow rounded drupe, about one inch long, with a candy-like flavor. They are often
used in jellies. The Tallowwood plum is native to pinelands, hammocks and scrubs in central and south
Florida.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a large, multi-stemmed, shrub or small tree reaching a height of
15 feet. The leaves are opposite, glossy and pinnate with five to nine leaflets. These leaflets are
lanceolate in shape with pointed tips and toothed edges. Blooming year round are small, fragrant, white
flowers that are arranged in flat clusters. Shiny, purplish black, 1/4 inch berries form in clusters. The
berries are edible, once cooked, and can be canned, dried, frozen and made into wine, jams, jellies and
pies. They are rich in vitamin C having more than citrus fruit and tomatoes. The hardy elderberry
attracts many songbirds that help with its distribution. It is found throughout the state in moist open
fields, along ponds and canals and disturbed areas.

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Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a deciduous shrub about five to six feet tall. The light green
leaves are opposite, ovate, pointed and have rounded teeth. Young leaves are covered with hairs and
older leaves have hairs on their lowers surfaces. Clusters of small lavender flowers form in spring along
arching branches. In fall, clustered all along the stems, are small, purple, rounded drupes. Callicarpa is
Greek for "bearing beautiful fruit". Beauty-berries are often used in making jellies and jams. This shrub
grows in sun or shade and tolerates cold and drought. It attract butterflies during spring and summer and
birds during fall and winter. Growing in open hammocks, along roadsides and in pinewoods, it is found
in every county in the state.

Atemoya (custard apple)

The atemoya is a hybrid between the sugar apple and cherimoya. It produces a fruit very similar to the
sugar apple, also called sweetsop or anon. It is a small to medium sized, open, deciduous tree with a
rounded canopy rarely exceeding 20 feet in height and width. Because of their relatively small stature,
atemoya trees are suited to small yards. A relative of the atemoya, sugar apple has similar
characteristics. The fruit is heart-shaped, round, ovate or conical, from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. The
pulp is white or creamy white, with a custard-like consistency and a sweet, pleasant flavor. When ripe,
atemoyas become light green or yellow-green in color. The pulp of atemoya is consumed principally as
a dessert fruit and has an excellent flavor. It may be eaten fresh but it may also be used to make a tasty
ice cream or milkshake. Season: late Aug.-Oct., sometimes Dec. -Jan.

Avocado
Perhaps one of the best known subtropical fruits, avocado trees are typically medium to large in size
(40-60 feet), easy to grow and can produce large quantities of fruit. Limbs are vulnerable to wind
damage and can even break under the weight of a heavy fruit load. The fruit is a very large berry
consisting of a single large seed surrounded by a buttery pulp. Mature fruit are generally green, although
some cultivars may be black, red or purple when soft (ripe). Avocados do not ripen until they are picked
or fall to the ground. Mature fruit size varies considerably depending upon cultivar and growing
conditions. Avocados are highly nutritious. Fruit are popular eaten fresh, in salads or used to make
guacamole and other dishes. Planting in a well-drained site is a must, as avocados do not tolerate
flooding. Productivity, season of maturity, cold tolerance, and disease tolerance vary greatly depending
upon the variety under consideration. Season: late May to March.

Banana
A true tropical favorite, bananas are perhaps the best known of the tropical fruits. There are many
different cultivars available with a wide variation in fruit type and quality. Bananas are not cold tolerant
and some varieties are better adapted to south Florida than others. Growth is extremely rapid during the
very warm, wet summer months. Because they reproduce from underground rhizomes and not seed, a
single plant can quickly spread out producing multiple trunks in a matter of a few months. Fruits
develop in clusters on the end of flower stalks usually within 1-2 years. Shortly after bearing, the stem
dies. Bananas like full sun and moist but well drained soil. They will tolerate partial shade, but best
growth and fruit production is in full sun. Bananas may be eaten fresh, fried, baked, and added as a
component to desserts and drinks. Season: year round.

Caimito (star apple)

Native to Central America and the West Indies, this evergreen tree is highly ornamental and produces a
sweet purple or green fruit. Trees may reach 25 to 100 ft in height and have a dense, broad crown. The
attractive leaves are glossy and green on the upper surface and golden brown on the under surface. Trees
produce either light green or purplish colored fruit. The fruit is round, 2-4 inches in diameter, and may
14
have a dark-purple or white flesh. The flesh is milky, sweet, and gelatinous and surrounds up to 10
seeds. Plant trees in a well-drained soil and sunny location. Season: Jan.-June.

Carambola (star fruit)

Originally from Southeast Asia, star fruit is becoming increasingly popular and available in the U.S.
Locally, commercial production occurs in the southern half of south Florida. Trees are generally small to
medium in height (35 feet max.) and spreading with the majority of fruit borne on branches in the mid-
canopy region. The fruit is a large fleshy berry, 2-6 inches in length, yellow skinned with a waxy surface
and star-shaped cross section. Flesh is light to dark yellow, translucent, crisp and very juicy. Better
cultivars have a nice, slightly sweet to subacid flavor. Eat fresh, cut up in fruit salads, or as an iced juice
drink. The fruit may also be canned, preserved, and dried.

Carambola trees also have ornamental value with their dark green foliage and attractive flowers and
fruit. Plant in a well-drained soil and sunny location, which has protection from wind. On alkaline soils
(those with high pH) watch for signs of minor element deficiencies, particularly zinc, iron, and
manganese and treat accordingly. Season: July-September, Nov.-Feb.

Warning: People who have been diagnosed with kidney disease should not eat carambola (star fruit)
unless their doctor says that it is safe for them to eat. This fruit may contain enough oxalic acid to cause
a rapid decline in renal function.

Canistel (egg fruit)

Native to southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador, this evergreen tree is ornamental and
produces a sweet yellowish-orange top-shaped fruit. Trees may reach 25 ft or so in height with leaves
mostly grouped at the ends of branches. The attractive lanceolate-shaped leaves are glossy and green.
Trees produce 3-5 inch long by 2-3 inch diameter, conical-shaped fruit. The maturing fruit changes from
green to light green to golden-yellow or pale orange-yellow at maturity. After picking allow fruit to
become soft before eating. Soft fruit will have a yellow-orange flesh, which is smooth with a sweet to
musky flavor. Eggfruit is eaten fresh and used in making milk shakes. Plant trees in a well-drained soil
and sunny location. Season: Dec.-May.

Jaboticaba
Native to Brazil, jaboticaba is an unusual tree that produces a purple, grape-like berry directly upon the
trunk and larger branches either singly or in clusters. Under the skin is a whitish pulp with 1 to 4 seeds.
The fruit has a pleasant flavor and taste a bit like grape. They can be eaten fresh or made into jam, jellies
or wine. Flowering and fruiting occur periodically throughout the year so multiple crops are produced.
Other than its fruit, jaboticaba is known for its beautiful multicolored bark, which gives it value in the
landscape. The tree is small, slow growing, and bushy, and seldom exceeds 20 feet in Florida. Flowers
are small and white, interesting but rather inconspicuous and borne right on the trunk and larger
branches. Jaboticaba is relatively hardy but will not tolerate drought. Plant in full sun in a moist but
fairly well drained soil. The tree prefers a slightly acid soil, so some special attention will be required to
provide the proper nutrition on our alkaline soils. If provided with an ideal growing environment,
jaboticaba can be a relatively low maintenance tree requiring little pruning or spraying for pests. Season:
variable.

Jackfruit (jakfruit)
Native to India and Malaysia, this attractive large tree has glossy, dark green leaves and produces a very
large, oval shaped, rather unusual looking segmented (spiked) fruit. Typically, fruit are produced in

15
clusters of 2 or more at various height intervals along the trunk. The skin of the fruit must be peeled to
reveal the succulent, yellow to orange colored pulp. Because of sticky latex in the peel, coat your hands
with vegetable oil prior to peeling a jackfruit. This will make clean up a lot easier. The flavor is sweet,
not unlike that of banana or pineapple, but with a strong, fruity aroma and taste. Fruit may be used fresh,
fried green, pickled or roasted (seeds). Jackfruit must be planted in flood free, well-drained soils. In
south Florida, jakfruit trees have few serious pest or disease problems. Season: spring-fall (some all year
round).

Longan
Indigenous to Mayanmar (Burma), southern China, southwest India, Sri Lanka, and the Indochinese
peninsula, longan is large tree (30-40 ft). Longan is an excellent fresh fruit with a pleasant, unique,
sweet flavor. Fruit are relative small (about the size of a typical strawberry), round to oval, and borne in
loose clusters. When fruit are ripe, the leathery skin develops an attractive golden brown color. Longan
trees are attractive having a dense, round to upright, symmetrical canopy of dark green foliage. They
may grow as high as 40 feet. Plant in sunny, well-drained sites. Trees may begin to bear within 3-5 years
of transplanting. However, unreliable bearing is a major constraint. Season: July-Aug.

Lychee (litchi)
Lychee trees are native to southern China and southeast Asia and may grow to 40 or more feet in height.
Lychee is an excellent fresh fruit with a pleasant, sweet flavor. Fruit are a relatively small (about the size
of a typical strawberry), round to oval, and borne in loose clusters. When fruit are ripe, the leathery skin
develops an attractive pinkish red color. Lychee trees are attractive having a dense, rounded,
symmetrical canopy of dark green foliage. They may grow as high as 40 feet. Plant in sunny, well
drained sites, preferably where there is some protection from wind. Trees may begin to bear within 3-5
years of transplanting. However, unreliable bearing is a major constraint. Season: June, early July.

Mamey sapote
Native to Mexico and the Central American lowlands, mamey sapote trees are large and erect reaching a
height of about 40 feet in Florida. Mamey sapote makes an excellent specimen tree in the home
landscape with handsome glossy foliage. The fruit has a brown, scurfy peel and the flesh of mature fruit
is salmon pink to reddish brown in color and has a unique, sweet flavor. The tree grows well in a variety
of soils, but requires good drainage. Mamey sapote can be eaten fresh, and is also excellent for use in ice
cream, sherbets, jellies, and preserves. Milkshakes may also be prepared from the flesh. It requires little
care and yields a useful, good tasting fruit. Occasionally, an insect known as the Cuban May beetle may
cause some defoliation. Season: Jan.-Sept. (some all year).

Mango
Mango trees are native to Southeast Asia and India. Hardly a new comer to Florida, mango trees have
been planted and enjoyed for over 100 years in Florida. Mango trees are medium to large trees (up to
100 ft) and there are a wide variety of cultivars available with varying shapes, colors and maturities.
Most mangoes are ripe when the fruit softens slightly and takes on a yellow to orange or red color and
carries a subtle sweet fragrance. Mangoes are a good source of vitamins A and C. They can be eaten
fresh or pureed. Perhaps more than any other tropical fruit, mangoes are readily available at many local
nurseries and garden centers. Trees are tough and relatively easy to grow. Most varieties of grafted trees
will bear in as little as 3-5 years after transplanting. Season: May-Oct.

16
Papaya
Indigenous to southern Mexico, Central and South America, papaya plants are relatively short lived (1-3
years) and are easily propagated from seed. Papayas are relatively easy to grow so long as they are sited
in full sun and have excellent drainage. Common throughout the tropics, papayas are small to large fruits
born on the stem of upright semi-herbaceous trunks. Fruit are sweet, have orange to reddish-salmon
colored flesh and contain numerous small black seeds in the interior cavity. Papaya fruit is typically
peeled, sliced and consumed fresh. Papaya ringspot virus can be a problem causing stunting and fruit
loss; at present there is no control for this disease. Papaya fruit fly is another problem but can be
overcome by placing a 3-5 pound paper bag over developing fruit. Amend the soil with plenty of organic
matter and fertilize often. Season: year round.

Passion Fruit
Native to South America, passion fruit is a vigorous vine that produces purple, yellow, or reddish
colored fruit containing seeds surrounded by an orange, sweet, watery pulp. The juice is very aromatic
and is commonly used to make juice or punch. Plant vines next to a fence or along a trellis in a well
drained soil area with full sun. Vines begin to bear within 3-6 months of planting. Season June-Dec.

Sugar Apple (annon, sweetsop)

Native to tropical America, the sugar apple, is also called sweetsop or anon, has been widely planted in
home gardens of south Florida because of its high quality fruit. It is a small, open, deciduous tree with a
rounded canopy, rarely exceeding 20 feet in height and width. Because of their small stature, sugar apple
trees are suited to small yards. The fruit is heart-shaped, round, ovate or conical, from 2 to 4 inches in
diameter. The pulp is white or creamy white, with a custard-like consistency and a sweet, pleasant
flavor. When ripe, sugar apples become light green or yellow-green in color. The sugar apple is
consumed principally as a dessert fruit. A relative of the sugar apple called atemoya has similar
characteristics to sugar apple. The pulp of sugar apple has an excellent flavor and is usually eaten fresh
but it may also be used to make tasty ice cream or milkshakes. Season: July-Sept., Nov. -Jan.

Tamarind
Indigenous to tropical Africa, tamarind is a sturdy, slow growing but large (up to 80 ft) leguminous tree
with rough bark, twisting spreading branches and finely pinnate, evergreen foliage. Flowers are pale
yellow with red veins and born in small racemes in early summer. The fruit are brown pods measuring
3-8 inches in length containing large seeds embedded in a sticky brown pulp, which is edible. The pulp
may have a sweet to sour molasses-like flavor, can be extracted and used to flavor cooking sauces. It is a
primary ingredient in certain brands of steak sauce. Because of the many fissures found on its rough
textured bark, tamarind trees provide an excellent substrate for growing orchids. Season: April-June.

Guava
Guava has been assessed by the IFAS Invasive Plants Working Group as invasive and not recommended
by IFAS for planting in south Florida; guava may be planted in central Florida but should be managed to
prevent escape.

Native to southern Mexico and Central America, guava trees are small, seldom exceeding 20 feet and
quite easy to grow. Fruit are produced throughout the year, but the bulk of production in Florida occurs
during the summer months. Up to a 25 lbs of fruit per tree can be expected three years after planting,
increasing to 100-250 lbs per year when trees attain maturity. Fruit are ripe when flesh softens slightly
and turns a light yellow. Depending upon the variety, interior flesh can be white, yellow, pink or red.

17
Cover fruit with a paper bag while small and green to prevent fruit fly damage. Maturing guava must be
harvested quickly as birds and insects will readily attack ripe fruit. Guava is tolerant to pruning, which
can hasten flower and fruit development. Popular with Hispanic and Asian Americans, guava may be
consumed fresh but more often is made into purees, juices and jellies. The fruit has an exotic flavor and
aroma. It is an outstanding source of vitamin C, with some varieties having as much as five times the
vitamin C content of fresh orange juice. Season: Aug.-Oct., Feb.-March.

Sapodilla (nispero)
Sapodilla has been assessed by the IFAS Invasive Plants Working Group as invasive in south and central
Florida and is not recommended by IFAS for planting.

Sapodilla also called chicozapote, is a medium to large tree with small, dark green, glossy leaves. The
fruit is round to oval in shape with a brown peel; inside is a light to dark brown, sweet flesh. There are a
number of good cultivars available from local nurseries. Trees are well adapted to south Florida and they
are very ornamental. Plant trees in well drained areas away from other trees and structures. Trees usually
begin bearing after 2-4 years from planting. Season: Feb.-June.

Summary of Cultural Information

There are numerous tropical and subtropical fruit crops adapted to south Florida's climate. Many tropical
and subtropical fruit trees make beautiful specimen trees in the home landscape and provide shade and
tasty fruits (Table 1). Some of these fruits are familiar like avocado and mango; others are less well
known like carambola and sugar apple.

Tables
Table 1.
Common and scientific name, ultimate tree size, recommended planting distance, cold tolerance, water
requirement, and harvest season of selected tropical fruit crops.
Common
name - Cold
Ultimate Rec. Water Harvest Rec. for
English/ Scientific name tol.
size1 distance2 o 3 requirement4 season5 planting6
Spanish ( F)

Annona
Atemoya/ Low- Aug.-Oct.,
cherimola X A. M, 20-30 20+ ≤32 Yes
annon moderate Dec.-Jan.
squamosa
Avocado/ Low- Late June-
Persea americana L, 40-50 23-30+ 26-30 Yes
aguacate moderate March
Banana
Musa spp. S, 5-20 12-15+ ≤28 High All year Yes
(eating)
Star apple/ Chrysophyllum 29- Low-
L, 30-40 23-30+ Feb.-June Yes
caimito cainito 31 moderate
Averrhoa 27- July-Oct.+
Carambola M, 30-35 15-20+ High Yes
carambola 32 Nov.-Feb.
Canistel/ Pouteria 26- Low- Nov.-March
L, 30-40 23-30+ Yes
egg fruit campechiana 32 moderate (irregular)
Jaboticaba Myrciaria M, ~30 15-20 ≤29 Low Variable, all Yes

18
 cauliflora year
Spring-fall
Jackfruit/ Artocarpus
L, 40-50 23-30+ ≤32 Moderate (some all Yes
jakfruit heterophyllus
year)
Longan/
Nephelium 28- Moderate- July, early
momocillo L, 40-50 23-30+ Yes
longana 30 high Aug.
chino
Lychee/
28- June, early
momocillo Litchi chinensis L, ~40 23-30+ Moderate Yes
32 July
chino
Mamey
Jan.-Sept
sapote/ 28-
Pouteria sapota L, 40-50 23-30+ High (some all Yes
mamey 32
year)
colorado
28- Low-
Mango Mangifera indica L, 40-60 23-30+ May-Oct. Yes
30 moderate
Papaya Carica papaya S, ~20 6-15+ ≤30 High All year Yes
Passion fruit/ Passiflora edulis
vine 12-20+ ≤32 High June-Dec. Yes
maracuyá & f. flavicarpa
Sugar Annona 28- Low- July-Sept.+
S, ~20 15-20+ Yes
apple/anon squamosa 30 moderate Nov.-Jan.
Tamarind/ Tamarindus 28-
L, 60-80 25-30+ Low April-June Yes
tamarindo indica 32
1, Ultimate size (ft), height of mature tree if not pruned, S=small, M=medium, L=large; 2, Planting
distance, planting distance to nearest structure or tree. This will vary depending upon purpose of tree,
i.e., fruit production or primarily shade; 3, Temperatures at or below which cold damage may occur; 4,
Water requirement during the warm period of the year. The water needs of most trees decreases during
the winter months. Exceptions are banana, plantain, and papaya, which require sufficient water
throughout the year; 5, Harvest season may vary with climate and/or variety; 6, Rec., recommendation.
Note: Guava has been assessed as invasive and not recommended by IFAS for planting in south Florida;
guava may be planted in central Florida but should be managed to prevent escape. Sapodilla has been
assessed as invasive in south and central Florida and is not recommended by IFAS for planting.

The Apple in Southern Florida

Apple growing in Florida was once limited to northern areas where a few local selections of medium to
poor quality were grown. These selections fruited well only after the coldest winters. Northern apple
cultivars such as `Red Delicious', `Golden Delicious', and `McIntosh' do not produce well in Florida.
The main problem is that these selections receive insufficient cold during the winter and, therefore, are
slow, weak growing and fruit poorly when grown in Florida.

19
More recently, however, apple varieties have been grown and fruited in Leesburg, Gainesville, and
Quincy. `Anna,' `Ein Shemer', `Dorsett Golden' and 'Tropic Sweet' appear best adapted to conditions
in these areas. They have a cold requirement in the range of 300 to 400 hours below 45°F.

Varieties
`Anna' and `Ein Shemer' were obtained from Israel in 1967. These varieties fruit and leaf well in central
Florida. Fruit ripens at Gainesville in late June to early July. Fruit sizes range from 2 to 2½ inches in
diameter for `Anna' and up to 2¾ inches for `Ein Shemer'. `Anna' has a shape similar to `Red delicious',
but with approximately 30 to 40% red blush. Flavor is good and is sweet to semiacid. Ripe fruit of `Ein
Shemer' are similar in shape, yellow and the flavor is sweet.

`Dorsett Golden' was introduced from Nassau, Bahamas and obtained at Gainesville from R.J. Knight of
the Plant Introduction Station in Miami. Fruit is yellow with a 10% slightly pink blush and size is 2 to
2¼ inches. Flavor is sweet and flesh is firm. Fruit have been stored satisfactorily for 2 weeks under
refrigeration. Fruit shape is similar to `Golden Delicious' and ripens in late June in the Gainesville area.
'TropicSweet' (Fla. 90-3). TropicSweet is released by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station and
patent rights assigned to Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. for distribution. This variety originated
as [(N.J.38 x Anna) polycross]. TropicSweet blooms with Anna, but ripens five to seven days before
during early June at Gainesville, Florida. Trees of TropicSweet are not self-fruitful, but this variety is
cross-pollinated with either Anna or Dorsett Golden. Fruit are less red, firmer, and taste sweeter than
Anna. Fruit sugar levels are 14 to 15 brix, but acidity in fruit is low resulting in a very sweet taste. Fruit
sizes are similar to Anna with comparable crop loads. Fruit are round-conic. Trees are semi-spreading
and semi-spur type bearing habit. TropicSweet is recommended for trial in areas where Anna is grown
successfully.

Local apple selections also are planted in Florida. These have been grown, selected and propagated in
different geographic locations in the north Florida area. Their quality often is good, but production is
erratic and fruit are generally small.

Pollination
Most apples are self-unfruitful and require cross-pollination for adequate fruit set. Partial pollination will
often result in a fruit containing one to two seeds. Most of the fruit that have only a few seed, and those
in which embryo abortion occurs, will drop before maturity. `Anna' and `Dorsett Golden' overlap at
bloom at Gainesville. Thus, it is recommended that the two cultivars be planted together for good cross-
pollination.

Propagation and Planting

Apple cultivars are not true to type when grown from seed. Therefore, growers are advised to obtain
known cultivars grafted on suitable rootstock.

For a home orchard, apple trees can be planted on a variety of soil types. However, they grow best if
planted on a fertile sandy loam soil with deep drainage. It is advisable to select a site that allows for
good air drainage to reduce frost damage to fruit in the late spring.

One to two year old healthy bare root trees obtained from a nursery should be planted without allowing
the roots to dry. Apple trees may be planted any time during the dormant season, but the period from
late December to February is best because this allows time for the roots to become established before
spring growth begins. Trees purchased in containers can be planted at just about any time of the year

20
provided adequate water is applied. Water should be applied through the dry spring months and other
dry periods.

Planting holes should be large enough to ensure that the root system is neither crowded nor bent. Extra
long or broken roots should be pruned before planting. The plant should be placed in an upright position
in the hole and planted at approximately the same depth it was in the nursery. It is advisable to put a
small amount of soil into the hole and pack it around the roots, and repeat this procedure until the hole is
full of soil and the plant is firmly in place. After planting, make a soil ring around the edges of the hole
to form a reservoir for water. This reservoir then should be completely filled with water in order to settle
the soil around the roots. Do not fertilize at planting.

Cultivation
Cultivation is usually necessary only for weed control and should be done as shallow as possible to
avoid damage to the root system. An area approximately two feet from the trunk of the tree should be
maintained in a weed-free condition. Mulches may be used to control weeds and conserve moisture.

Irrigation
The amount of water and when to apply it depends not only on frequency and amount of rainfall, but
also on soil type. More frequent irrigations will be required on sandy soils than on clay or organic soils.
The area beneath the canopy of the tree should be wet to a depth of several feet at each irrigation which
may require more than 50 gallons of water per tree for large trees or as little as five to 10 gallons for
young trees. Irrigation may be required every seven to 10 days under extremely dry conditions.

Pruning
Young apple trees should be pruned to a modified leader system. On two-year old trees five or six strong
scaffold limbs should be selected to develop a strong framework. These limbs should have wide angles
almost perpendicular to the trunk of the tree, should be radially spaced around the tree trunk and
vertically spaced approximately 6" to 8" from each other up or down the trunk. Later pruning of the tree
will be to remove diseased or dead wood and to trim the tree to the desired shape.

Harvesting and Storage

Apples ripen satisfactorily on the tree. They should be picked when they have reached optimum size and
color. Immature fruit will also ripen with satisfactory quality in a refrigerator. `Ein Shemer' fruit tends to
become mealy if overripe. It does not store more than two weeks even under refrigeration. Fruit of
`Anna' have been held under refrigeration satisfactorily for six to eight weeks.

Pest Control
Preventive control of these pests is required to maintain healthy trees and good fruit quality. Contact
your county Cooperative Extension Service office for current pest control recommendations.
 Apple scab: This fungus affects leaves, flowers and fruit. Lesions develop on both leaf surfaces
causing leaf distortion. Scabby, dark-spots are clearly seen on infested fruit. As the fruit matures
in regions having a warm climate, the spot commonly appears as russeted scars. Previous
infection of immature fruit results in cracking and distortion of the area associated with scab
lesions. Efficient control of apple scab may be achieved by fungicide applications.
 Fireblight: This bacterial disease spreads from tree to tree primarily during the spring and can
generally be controlled by reducing nitrogen fertilizer that results in over vigorous growth. When
infection is present, the infected area should be pruned out, cutting at least 8" to 10" below the
lowest visible infection. The pruned-off limbs then should be burned.
 Scale insects: Several scale insects may infest leaves, twigs, branches or fruit.

21
  Bitter rot: This fungus infects only the fruit. It starts as a small, circular light brown area. Spots
enlarge rapidly and become darkened. A distinctive characteristic is a saucer-shaped depression
with fruiting structures in the center and concentric rings to the periphery.
 Rabbit Control: Rabbits eat the bark of apple trees during the winter months and can kill the
tree by girdling the trunk. For best control, a physical barrier such as hardware cloth or plastic
tree guards should be placed around the trunk of the tree. Rabbits will also feed on prunings in
preference to young trees.

Blueberry

Florida's winter season is short and mild with intermittent periods of warm temperatures. Most
deciduous fruit cultivars have high chilling requirements and do not grow well in Florida. To produce
optimum fruit yield and quality, most deciduous fruit cultivars require more exposure to temperatures
below 45ºF during the winter than they are likely to experience in Florida. With insufficient chilling,
plants do not flower and leaf out satisfactorily during the spring. Growth can be weak and erratic.
However, low-chill cultivars of some deciduous fruits, including blueberry, have been developed by
plant breeders at the University of Florida. These cultivars were developed specifically for regions with
mild winter temperatures such as in north and central Florida.

Two types of blueberries grow well in Florida, rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum) and southern highbush
(interspecific hybrids of V. darrowii, V. virgatum, and V. corymbosum). However, only the low-chill
cultivars of each are adapted to Florida. Generally, rabbiteye blueberries grow well in areas of Florida
that have winters as cold as or colder than winters in Ocala. The southern highbush cultivars that are
commonly grown in Florida are well adapted to areas south of Ocala and north of Sebring, although they
will grow reasonably well in Alachua County. The southern limits of southern highbush adaptation in
Florida have not been fully determined.

Site Requirements
Both rabbiteye and southern highbush thrive on acidic soils, which contain more organic matter than is
usually found in Florida soils. If mulched, rabbiteye blueberries will usually grow satisfactorily on soils
with 1% organic matter, but they perform better with soils that have 2–3% organic matter. Southern
highbush cultivars are not recommended for soils with less than 3% organic matter unless additional
organic matter is added as a soil amendment and mulches are added to the site. Peat moss or pine bark is
commonly used to increase soil organic matter in blueberry plantings. Peat moss can be incorporated
into the soil at or prior to planting. Pine bark can also be mixed into the soil, or when applied as mulch it
will eventually decompose and add to the soil organic matter content. In areas where blueberry plants
have been heavily mulched for several years, it is not uncommon to observe most of the fibrous roots
growing in the decomposed litter above the natural soil.

Blueberries require a soil pH of 4.0–5.5. At higher soil pH values, tissue levels of microelements such as
iron and zinc become deficient. Deficiency symptoms develop on new growth, and plants lose vigor.
Soil can be acidified by thoroughly mixing a small amount of granulated sulfur into the soil several
months before planting. Many fertilizers are acid-forming and will gradually lower the soil pH. A soil
test is needed to measure the soil pH and can help to determine whether or not acidification of the soil is
necessary. Your local county Extension office can assist you with proper soil testing procedures.
Blueberries require a well-drained soil profile of at least 18 inches in depth. Blueberries should be
planted on raised beds if water drainage is poor (within 18 inches of the soil surface for prolonged
periods during the rainy season). If blueberry roots are exposed to water-saturated soil for more than a

22
few days, damage from Phytophthora root rot may become severe. Generally, blueberries will grow well
where azaleas, camellias, and other "acid-loving" plants are proven performers.

Set plants in a sunny area (at least 4–5 hours of full sun per day) away from the roots of trees except
pines and at least 20 feet away from any building foundation. A mature rabbiteye blueberry plant can
reach 12–15 feet in height with canes sprouting over an area of 8–10 feet in diameter. Southern highbush
plants tend to be less vigorous and smaller than rabbiteyes. Plant size can be controlled to some degree
by pruning. However, severe pruning will reduce yields the following spring. Allow at least a 7' x 7' area
for rabbiteyes and a 4' x 4' area for southern highbush. Plants may be set 3 feet apart (southern highbush)
or 5 feet apart (rabbiteye) for a hedgerow effect.

Planting and Establishment

The best time to plant blueberries is from mid-December to mid-February. Bare-root or container-grown
plants can be used. It is best to use plants about 2 feet tall with well-developed root systems that are not
pot-bound. Keep the roots of bare-rooted plants moist but not overly wet prior to and during planting.
The root balls of potted plants should be broken up slightly and the roots of bare-rooted plants should be
spread out evenly in the planting hole. In most situations, dooryard blueberry plants benefit from the
incorporation of 1/4–1/2 cubic foot of acid sphagnum peat moss into the planting hole. Dig the hole
large enough to accommodate the roots and peat moss. The plants should be set at the same height as
when they were growing in the nursery. If blueberries are planted on raised beds, flatten the bed in the
vicinity of the plants and set the plant in a slight depression so that irrigation and rainwater will not flow
away from the plant.

Pine bark mulch aids in the establishment of young blueberry plants. Either a layer of pine bark 3 inches
deep extending about 2 feet out from the plants in all directions or a pine bark strip about 4 feet wide
extending down the row will provide a good substrate for surface feeder roots. Mulch also moderates
soil temperatures, aids in weed control, provides protection from mechanical injury, and adds organic
matter to the soil. Weed control is extremely important for young plant establishment because
blueberries are shallow-rooted plants that compete poorly with weeds for water and nutrients.
Blueberries should be pruned at the time of planting. If plants have a well-developed root system and
irrigation is used, pruning should not be severe. Select the tallest, strongest cane and leave it unpruned.
Remove the weak, "twiggy" growth at the base of the plant. If the plant has a large top compared with
the root system, remove about one-third of the top by selectively pruning the least vigorous growth and
cutting back the tops of vigorous canes by several inches. During the first growing season, remove all
flowers before fruit set occurs. This will prevent fruiting during the first year and promote strong
vegetative growth and good plant establishment. This is especially important with some southern
highbush cultivars that flower heavily as young plants.

Cultivars
Aside from site selection, choosing the proper blueberry cultivars may be the most important decision a
dooryard blueberry grower can make. Most blueberry cultivars grown in Florida are self-unfruitful; they
require cross-pollination from another cultivar of the same type (southern highbush with southern
highbush and rabbiteye with rabbiteye). Another requirement for good fruit set is that pollen vectors
(usually bees) are present and working the flowers during bloom. With good pollination, berry yields of
2–5 pounds per plant may be expected by the third or fourth year. Some of the major blueberry cultivars
commonly grown in Florida are described below.

Southern Highbush Cultivars. Southern highbush blueberries grown in peninsular Florida are the
earliest blueberries to ripen in North America. These cultivars are generally considered more difficult to

23
grow than rabbiteye types. Very early flowering makes southern highbush cultivars quite susceptible to
late winter/early spring freezes and therefore not suited for extreme north and northwest Florida.
Moreover, southern highbush blueberries are less forgiving of soil requirements and are generally more
susceptible to some diseases such as Phytophthora root rot. However, in central or south Florida,
southern highbush cultivars are preferred over rabbiteyes. The following is a list of the more common
southern highbush cultivars available in Florida. All of the southern highbush cultivars described below
are patented releases from the University of Florida breeding program. For a current listing of nurseries
licensed to propagate and sell each of these cultivars, contact the Florida Foundation Seed Producers at
(352) 392-9446 or look online at http://ffsp.net.

'Emerald' (Figure 1) was released by the University of Florida in 1999 and is currently one of the more
widely planted cultivars in north and central Florida. It appears to be adapted from Gainesville to
Sebring.  ‘Emerald’  combines  a  vigorous,  spreading  bush  with  high  yield  potential,  early  ripening,  and  
large, high-quality  berries.  ‘Emerald’  flowers  open  uniformly,  and  it  produces  abundant  leaves  even  
after mild winters in Gainesville. Because the plant is highly vigorous when planted on suitable soils,
‘Emerald’  is  capable  of  carrying  heavy  crops.  ‘Emerald’  normally  reaches  full  bloom  in  Gainesville  
around February 15, thus flowers and fruit require protection from freezes in February and March. In
Gainesville,  first  harvest  occurs  a  few  days  earlier  for  ‘Emerald’  than  for  ‘Sharpblue’  and  ‘Star’.  About  
80%  of  the  fruit  of  ‘Emerald’  is  normally  ripe  between  April  15  and  May  10  in  Gainesville.

Figure 1.
'Emerald' blueberry.

'Jewel' (Figure 2) was released by the University of Florida breeding program in 1999 and has a
moderately  low  chilling  requirement,  very  early  ripening,  and  high  berry  quality.  ‘Jewel’  appears  to  be  
adapted  to  the  region  of  Florida  from  Gainesville  to  Sebring.  In  Gainesville,  ‘Jewel’  typically flowers
about  a  week  before  ‘Star’  and  ripens  at  approximately  the  same  time  as  ‘Star’.  The  average  harvest  date  
of  ‘Jewel’  in  Gainesville  is  April  12,  and  harvest  is  normally  finished  by  May  10.  ‘Jewel’  produces  a  
large number of flower buds but leafs well in the spring. Its vigor is high, which allows it to carry a large
crop of high-quality berries. Its berry quality is excellent but tends to be tart until fully ripe. Its berry
size is medium to large, its firmness is good to excellent, and its stem scars are dry and considered to be
excellent.  ‘Jewel’  is  moderately  susceptible  to  Phytophthora  root  rot  and  highly  susceptible  to  rust  leaf  
spot disease, which may require fungicide sprays to prevent early fall defoliation.

24
 Figure 2.
'Jewel' blueberry.

'Star' (Figure  3)  was  released  by  the  University  of  Florida  in  1995.  ‘Star’  has  medium  vigor  but  its  
survival  in  the  field  has  been  good.  ‘Star’  has  a  higher  chilling  requirement  than  ‘Emerald’  or  ‘Jewel’  
and appears to be best adapted to north Florida  and  southeast  Georgia.  ‘Star’  has  not  performed  well  
south of Ocala where it shows symptoms of inadequate winter chilling, including few flowers and weak
vegetative  growth.  The  average  date  for  ‘Star’  to  reach  50%  bloom  in  Alachua  County  is  February 23.
The  first  half  of  the  crop  is  normally  ripe  by  April  26.  ‘Star’  leafs  out  well  in  Gainesville  and  
southeastern  Georgia.  ‘Star’  has  a  very  short  bloom  to  ripe  interval  and  has  a  relatively  compressed  
harvest period of about 3 weeks. Its berries are excellent in size and firmness, and its stem scar is
minimal.

Figure 3.
'Star' blueberry.

'Windsor' (Figure 4) was released from the University of Florida breeding program in 2001 and is
vigorous, with stout stems and a semi-spreading  growth  habit.  ‘Windsor’  appears  to  be  best  adapted  to  
north-central Florida but has been grown successfully as far south as Hardee County. The average date
of  50%  bloom  in  Alachua  County  is  February  21,  usually  several  days  after  ‘Emerald’  and  about  3  days  
before  ‘Star’.  ‘Windsor’  leafs  out  strongly  as  it  begins  to  flower,  and  this  strong  vegetative  growth  
enables it to support a large crop. In Alachua County, fruit usually begin to ripen in early to mid-April,
and  50%  of  the  berries  are  normally  ripe  by  April  24.  ‘Windsor’  berries are very large. Berries from the
first half of the harvest average about 2.4 grams on young vigorous plants. The berries are about the
same  color  as  those  of  ‘Star’.  It  has  good  firmness  and  excellent  flavor.  ‘Windsor’  has  a  deep  picking  
scar, which complicates packing and reduces commercial postharvest life, but this is generally not a
problem for home gardeners.

25
 Figure 4.
'Windsor' blueberry.

‘Springhigh’  (Figure 5) is a vigorous, upright cultivar that has exceptionally good survival in the field.
‘Springhigh’  appears  to  be  adapted  to  north-central  and  central  Florida.  ‘Springhigh’  ripens  about  5–10
days earlier than the standard mid-season  cultivars  (‘Star’,  ‘Windsor’,  ‘Emerald’,  and  ‘Jewel’).  The  
berries are very large and have good to excellent  flavor.  Berries  of  ‘Springhigh’  have  less  waxy  bloom  
on their surfaces, making them darker than most other cultivars. They have only medium-good scars
with a tendency for some tearing of the berry skin around the picking scar during harvest. Also, they
have only medium firmness, which sometimes presents problems during commercial packing and
shipping, but should not be an issue for home gardeners. The berries are very attractive to flower thrips,
which  in  many  years  are  abundant  during  the  weeks  when  ‘Springhigh’  is  ripening.  If  thrips  populations  
are  not  kept  very  low  when  ‘Springhigh’  is  beginning  to  ripen,  their  damage  will  soften  the  berries  and  
reduce berry postharvest storage life.

Figure 5.
'Springhigh' blueberry.

‘Sweetcrisp’  (Figure 6) is a vigorous plant with good field survival and a spreading growth habit. It
flowers  about  the  same  time  as  ‘Jewel’  (which  is  later  than  ‘Emerald’  and  earlier  than  ‘Star’  or  
‘Windsor’)  and  ripens  at  about  the  same  time  as  ‘Jewel’  and  ‘Emerald’.  The  berry  is  sweet with a crisp
crunch at the first bite. It is very firm and has exceptional postharvest life. The berries are smaller than
those  of  ‘Emerald’,  ‘Star’,  and  ‘Windsor’,  and  are  variable  in  size,  depending  on  the  diameter  of  the  
twigs bearing the flowers. Flower bud number and berry yield in Gainesville are below average (less
than most other cultivars), and it appears to be best adapted to north Florida and south Georgia. Because
of  its  exceptional  berry  quality  and  postharvest  storage,  ‘Sweetcrisp’  has  high potential for a garden
cultivar in north Florida.

26
 Figure 6.
‘Sweetcrisp’  blueberry.

‘Farthing’  (Figure 7) is a vigorous plant with a dense, compact canopy. The leaves tend to be healthy
and relatively free of leaf spot diseases. The berries are large and firm, and they have a good picking
scar  but  tend  to  be  dark  in  color  because  of  low  surface  wax  content.  ‘Farthing’  produces  numerous  
flower buds, and dormant pruning may be required to prevent over-fruiting.  ‘Farthing’  flowers  later  than  
most Florida  cultivars,  but  before  ‘Star’  or  ‘Windsor’.  The  berries  on  ‘Farthing’  generally  ripen  at  about  
the  same  time  as  ‘Star’,  but  it  produces  significantly  higher  yields  than  ‘Star’.  ‘Farthing’  has  performed  
well in north-central Florida, but it is a new cultivar and its adaptive range has not been fully
determined.

Figure 7.
‘Farthing’  blueberry.

Rabbiteye cultivars. Rabbiteye cultivars, as a group, are easier to grow than southern highbush. They
are more tolerant to drought and less susceptible to Phytophthora root rot. They flower later in the
spring, making them less susceptible to late winter/early spring freezes. They require less organic matter
and less mulching, and they are generally more vigorous. Rabbiteye fruit has a slightly tougher skin and
slightly larger seed than southern highbush fruit. Fruit from rabbiteye cultivars usually stores better than
southern highbush fruit. Rabbiteyes require cross-pollination from another rabbiteye cultivar. The
harvest season for rabbiteye blueberries extends from May to July, depending on the cultivar.
Rabbiteyes are best adapted to areas of Florida north of Ocala.

'Beckyblue', 'Bonita', and 'Climax' are three early-season rabbiteye cultivars that are widely grown in
Florida. These cultivars usually ripen in late May and early June in Gainesville. Early-season rabbiteyes
have not been as productive under Florida conditions as the mid- to late-season cultivars. However, they
are useful in extending the rabbiteye harvest season. For best pollination, plant 'Climax' with either

27
'Beckyblue' or 'Bonita'. 'Austin' is a newer early-season rabbiteye cultivar that appears to grow well
where 'Climax' is adapted and should cross-pollinate with other early-season rabbiteye cultivars.
Most of the mid- to late-season rabbiteye cultivars are more productive than the early-season rabbiteyes
discussed above and are therefore better suited for home gardeners. 'Brightwell', 'Powderblue', 'Tifblue',
and 'Woodard' have performed very well in north Florida and in the panhandle. These cultivars bloom
later than the early-season rabbiteyes, and the flowers and young fruit are much less susceptible to late
winter freezes. Other mid- to late-season rabbiteyes that can be grown in Florida but are less popular and
may be harder to locate include 'Chaucer' and 'Bluegem'.

Fertilization
Blueberries respond best to frequent, light fertilization. They can be killed or damaged by over-
fertilization. It is best to be conservative and gradually increase fertilizer rates as you gain experience
with your soil type and the kinds of fertilizer you are using.

Slightly more fertilizer may be required if plants are heavily mulched. However, more often than not,
cultivated blueberries suffer more from over-fertilization than from lack of fertilization.

Irrigation
Mature blueberry plants need about 40 inches of water annually. Most of this water is provided by rain.
Water requirements for blueberry plants are low during the winter. During most years, the combination
of rainfall and water stored in the soil should limit the need for irrigation on moist soils between
December 1 and March 1. The most critical period for irrigation of blueberry plants in Florida is from
early fruit set until the end of harvest. For most cultivars, this corresponds with a period of high water
use by the plants but low rainfall, meaning best results will be achieved with supplemental irrigation.
During March, mature blueberry plants will require about 0.6 inches of water per week (rainfall plus
irrigation). As leaf canopies continue to develop, and air and soil temperatures continue to increase, 1.0–
1.2 inches of water per week (rainfall plus irrigation) will be needed throughout the late spring and
summer months. The frequency of irrigation depends on the weather, soil type, and type of blueberry
(rabbiteye or southern highbush). Established rabbiteye blueberries in gardens will require irrigation
only during prolonged dry periods. They are as drought tolerant as evergreen azaleas. Southern highbush
blueberries planted on very sandy soils may require three or more irrigations per week during dry
periods. Most water from deep wells has a pH of over 7.0 and can increase the pH of sandy soils rapidly.
If you suspect you have high-pH water, test your soil annually to monitor changes in soil pH.

Pruning
If blueberry plants are not pruned, they eventually become dense, twiggy, and nonproductive. Pruning
mature blueberry plants is largely a matter of cane removal or cane thinning and reducing the height of
the canopy. The objective of pruning mature bushes is to stimulate the proper balance between
vegetative and reproductive growth. Cane removal pruning stimulates the development of new canes,
which tend to be more productive than older canes. Once the plant is four to five years old or older, a
general rule is to remove about 1/4–1/5 of the oldest canes each year (usually 1–3 of the oldest canes).
This will result in continuous cane renewal so that no cane is more than three or four years old. Mature
plants are usually topped by removing several inches to a foot or more from the top of the canopy
immediately  after  fruit  harvest.  This  stimulates  new  growth  that  will  produce  next  year’s  crop  and  
prevents plants from becoming too tall. Dormant pruning (December – January) to reduce the number of
flower  buds  may  also  be  required  on  some  southern  highbush  cultivars  such  as  ‘Farthing’  that  set  heavy  
crops. Flowers should always be removed from one-year-old plants by rubbing them off before fruit set
occurs. Most pruning is usually done immediately after harvest during the early summer. Removal of

28
some of the flower buds to adjust the crop load is usually done during the late winter just before growth
begins.

Weed Control
Weeds compete with blueberry plants for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Maintaining several inches of
acid-forming mulch (such as pine bark, pine straw, or oak leaves) helps control weeds and acidifies the
soil  in  the  blueberry  plant’s  root  zone.  Woven  nursery  fabric  ground  cover  or  plastic  ground  cover  may  
be used as synthetic mulches but will not add to the soil organic matter. Be aware that these ground
covers may reduce the availability of water from rainfall and the availability of nutrients from surface-
applied fertilizers, and they may complicate irrigation and fertilizer practices. In any case, no weeds
should be allowed to grow within two feet of blueberry plants.

Pests and Diseases

Many insects, diseases, and vertebrate pests can attack blueberries in commercial fields. Some can cause
serious reductions in growth and yield, or can even cause plant death. However, most are sporadic in
occurrence and normally cause little damage in small plantings. The most serious pests and diseases that
have been observed on blueberries in Florida are discussed below.

Phytophthora root rot, caused by the fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi, is responsible for the death of
many plants in Florida, especially where soil drainage is poor to marginal. Root rot may result in sudden
plant death, usually during the summer rainy season, or it may manifest itself as a slow progressive
disease characterized by weak growth and early fall color development (yellow, orange, or red foliage)
before adjacent healthy plants. Infested plants are often poorly anchored in the soil and usually have
very few healthy fibrous roots. Phytophthora root rot is favored by excess soil moisture and high soil
temperatures. The best defense against this disease is having good soil drainage and avoiding excess
irrigation. Chemical control is currently available, and some cultivars are less susceptible to
Phytophthora root rot than others, but none are immune.

Botrytis flower blight (gray mold), caused by the fungus, Botrytis cinerea, can destroy large numbers of
rabbiteye flowers when periods of rainy, cloudy weather occur during bloom. This disease can occur on
southern highbush blueberries but is generally more severe on rabbiteye cultivars. Under conditions
favorable for disease development, all parts of the flower are susceptible to infection. Flowers may even
become infected before they open. Flowers and flower buds should be kept as dry as possible. Overhead
irrigation should be avoided during bud swell and bloom. Protective fungicides are available for control
of this disease.

Blueberry stem blight, caused by Botryospheria spp., has resulted in significant plant mortality of
southern highbush blueberry plants in Florida. The causal fungi are usually present in orchards and
blueberry fields and cause a number of different diseases on various host plants. Rabbiteyes are usually
not seriously affected by this disease, but some southern highbush cultivars are extremely susceptible.
Various plant stresses such as over-fruiting, poor leafing, drought, and nutritional deficiencies
predispose blueberry plants to stem blight. The best defense against stem blight is good horticultural
practices that minimize plant stress. There is no chemical control for blueberry stem blight. The best
methods of control available are pruning out infected wood, removing flower buds and fruit from young
plants, pruning mature bushes to thin crop loads, and minimizing drought and other plant stresses.
Several insect pests damage blueberries in Florida, but, as with diseases, chemical treatments are usually
applied only where serious damage is being inflicted. Some insects that can occasionally cause serious
damage include flea beetles, various scale insects, cranberry fruitworms, caterpillars, root weevils,
thrips, and blueberry gall midge. Spotted wing drosophila, a new pest in Florida, lays its eggs in

29
blueberries and other fruit, and the resulting larval infestation can cause serious damage to the crop (for
more information, see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in839). Birds are the most serious vertebrate pest of
blueberries, although the severity of their damage varies greatly from year to year. Cedar waxwings,
robins, and crows have all caused economic damage at some locations in Florida during some years.
Small blueberry plantings in the dooryard provide both food and cover for many attractive songbirds.
Many homeowners welcome the bird life that blueberry plants attract to their yards, but few blueberries
may be harvested from these garden plants unless they are protected by nets.

Conclusion
Blueberries can be grown successfully for the home garden in Florida. Rabbiteye, southern highbush, or
both may be used depending on geographic location, site characteristics, and anticipated harvest season.
Generally, rabbiteyes are the best choice for areas north of Lake City and southern highbush blueberries
are usually preferred for areas south of Ocala. Only the low-chill cultivars that have been specifically
bred for mild climates are suitable for Florida. Proper site and cultivar selection are probably the two
most critical decisions for the blueberry gardener. Plants located too close to hardwood trees produce
few fruit, although blueberry plants and pine trees are surprisingly compatible. Rabbiteye requires cross-
pollination, and southern highbush benefits from cross-pollination. Cultivars of each type (rabbiteye
with rabbiteye and southern highbush with southern highbush) should be mixed together, and natural
bee populations should be encouraged for good pollination and fruit set. Growing several cultivars will
also lengthen the harvest season. Major yield reductions occur from spring freezes and birds. Blueberry
stem blight and Phytophthora root rot are major causes of plant mortality in Florida.

The Fig

History of Fig Cultivation

The fig (Ficus carica L; family Moracea) originated in the Old World Tropics -- Asia Minor and the
Mediterranean region. In the Mediterranean, the fig has been cultivated since as early as 5,000 BC.
The fig tree was first introduced to the Americas in 1575 by Spanish explorers in Florida. On the West
Coast, in the area that eventually became the State of California, Spanish Franciscan missionaries
introduced the cultivar, Mission, to the area that, in 1769, became the mission San Diego. Additional fig
cultivars were also imported to the California area from Mediterranean countries, including Turkey.
Because some of the imported figs required pollination by the fig wasp (Blastophaga psenes), the
absence of this wasp lead to an initial failure of fig cultivation on the West Coast. This impediment to
cultivation was remedied by the importation of the fig wasp.

However, the fruit of these fig cultivars had open "eyes" or ostioles (opening at the fruit apex) and were
often attacked by insects and diseases. Scientists -- including Ira J. Condit, William B. Storey and others
working on genetic improvement of figs -- released new cultivars with closed eyes, cultivars that did not
require pollination. Additionally, many fig cultivars were imported from the Old World within the last
50 years. Currently, however, no fig-breeding programs remain in the United States, and among at least
60-100 named cultivars of figs, relatively few are commonly grown in the southeastern United States.

Adaptation
The fig is adapted to dry, Mediterranean-type climates, such as California. The humid growing season in
Florida is associated with enhanced insect and disease pressure, and rain can cause fruit to split. Fig
cultivars do not require more than 100 hours of temperature of 45°F or less during the dormant season to
promote normal vegetative and reproductive bud development. As a result, figs receive sufficient winter

30
chilling in all areas of Florida except south. Fully dormant trees are hardy to about 15 -20°F. Exposure
of trees to low temperature preconditions can increase cold hardiness.
Fig trees that are not cold conditioned often sustain cold injury in Florida and in other parts of the
southeastern United States. Fig trees grown in this region are frozen to the ground in some years and,
consequently, will often have a bush-like growth habit after sprouting back from the roots.

Description of Tree
Growth Habit
The fig is a deciduous tree that can reach 50 feet in height. However, in the southeastern United States,
this tree is seldom taller than 25 feet due to periodic cold injury to the trunk and limbs. Most fig trees in
the southeastern United States are multiple-branched shrubs. Fig wood is weak and decays rapidly.
Small branches tend to be more pithy than woody. When branches are cut or damaged, they produce
copious quantities of milky latex that can be a skin irritant. This latex contains a protein-degrading
enzyme called ficin, which is similar to papain. Fig trees produce roots that can be very deep in well-
drained soils. The lateral spread of roots can be substantial.

Leaf Morphology
Fig leaves are large (up to 1 foot long), thick, colored a bright dark green, single and alternate. These
leaves are deeply lobed with usually three to five sinuses. Leaves contain trichomes (pubescence), which
is particularly rough on the adaxial (upper) leaf surface. Leaf pubescence can also be an irritant to the
skin.

Flower Morphology
Flowers are minute, unisexual, bearing either stamens or pistils, depending upon the type of fig. Flowers
are borne in leaf axils. Common figs are all female and do not require pollination (discussed below).

Fruit
Fruit Morphology
The fruit of a fig is unique and is derived from a hollow peduncle that becomes fleshy and forms a
structure called a synconium. The unfertilized ovaries provide the resin-like flavor associated with fruit
of fig. Fruit can contain a closed or an open ostiole or eye located at the fruit apex.

Fruit Types
There are four types of figs -- Caprifigs, Smyrna, San Pedro and common types, which are
recommended for Florida. Caprifigs produce staminate (male) flowers and are useful only as a source of
pollen. Smyrna bears only pistillate (female) flowers and requires a caprifig for pollination. San Pedro
has pistillate flowers and bears two crops, one on leafless wood requiring no pollination and the other
borne on new wood that requires pollination. Fig cultivars recommended for Florida belong to the
common types of fig and are parthenocarpic; fruit develop without pollination. Smryna and San Pedro
types will not bear fruit in Florida because of the absence of Caprifigs and a wasp pollenizer
(Blastophaga psenes). Because the common types of fig do not require a wasp pollinizer, the best
cultivars have a closed ostiole to minimize rotting by preventing the occurrence of insects or rainwater
inside the fruit.

Culture and Management

Location
Figs perform best in locations with full sun all day. Fig trees often shade out competing vegetation
below the tree canopy. These trees should not be confined to a small landscape. The trunk and major

31
limbs, if not shaded, can experience sunscald, which can be minimized by applying white latex paint.
The root system of fig trees can extend well beyond the tree canopy.

Planting
In Florida, bare-rooted fig plants can be planted during the dormant season, from December to late
February. Container-grown plants can be planted any time of the year provided they receive irrigation.

Irrigation
Irrigation is required for fig trees during the establishment year. During that period, a fig tree should
receive 10 gallons per application at least three times a week. Irrigation after the establishment year is
optional except during a prolonged drought. For mature fig trees, irrigation of 20-50 gallons per tree can
be applied if a drought persists more than a few weeks. Drought-stressed trees are more susceptible to
nematodes and will not fruit well.

Pruning
Fig trees do not require pruning to be productive. Sometimes fig trees are pruned to a central leader or to
a modified central leader, but such pruning is usually futile since these trees are often frozen back and
regrow in bush form. Freeze-damaged wood should be eliminated after regrowth commences. The fruit
is borne on terminals of wood from the previous year. Thus, the amount of pruning should be minimal.
If the tree is pruned, the pruning should occur after fruit ripening (early in the summer) to allow for
flower-bud initiation for the next year. For late-maturing cultivars, pruning may result in a significant
reduction in yield the next year. Heavy winter pruning can eliminate the entire crop the following year.

Cold Injury
Fig trees often sustain cold injury in the southeastern United States. Brown Turkey and Celeste are
common cultivars that are reported to be more cold hardy than many other fig cultivars. Cultural
practices that promote a growth flush in late summer (the application of fertilizer and irrigation) should
be discouraged since this tender tissue will be frozen and killed by temperatures just below freezing.
Fig trees in Florida often are not cold-conditioned in the fall prior to the onset of winter cold. If properly
cold-conditioned, however, fully dormant trees can withstand temperatures from 15-20°F without severe
damage. Dormant buds are more susceptible than wood to sub freezing temperatures. As mentioned
earlier, most fig trees in the southeastern United States assume a bush-like, rather than a tree-like growth
habit due to cold injury of the trunk and major scaffold limbs.

Propagation
Fig trees are usually propagated by using dormant cuttings. Select dormant wood about 8-12 inches long
and less than 1 inch in diameter. The basal end of the cutting should be 2-year-old wood.

Place cuttings in moist, but not wet Perlite or in another moist, porous medium. At least half the length
of the cutting should be below the soil level. The basal ends of cutting should callus in two to three
weeks at a temperature of 50-60°F. Rooting efficiency can be enhanced by making basal cuts directly
below the nodes and by the use of a rooting hormone. Leafy shoots require frequent irrigation or the use
of a mist bed until roots are fully functional. Fig trees are rarely propagated by chip or patch budding or
by whip, side, inlay or cleft grafting. Rooted cuttings can be transferred to the field after sufficient roots
have formed. Newly set trees should receive irrigation every day or every two days.

32
Pests
Fig trees are a moderately sustainable crop, but suffer from a number of animal and disease pests. Fig
tree roots are a favorite food of birds, gophers, rabbits and squirrels, which also feed on the fruit. Root
knot nematodes can also be a limitation for fig trees planted in sandy soils, but are not usually a problem
in fertile or loamy soils. Organic amendments or mulches reduce nematode damage. A number of
insects and diseases can attack fig fruit if the cultivar is one with an open eye.

The most common disease of fig in the southeastern United States is the fig rust (Cerotelium fici). Fig
rust turn leaves brown, can cause defoliation and premature ripening of the fruit and decreases cold
tolerance. This disease can be controlled by a 5-5-50 Bordeaux spray (copper sulfate, lime and water)
applied every two to three weeks.

Other fig diseases include Botrytis cinerea (fungus), Cercospora leaf spot fungus (Cercospora fici),
which causes branch terminals to turn black and die. Thread blight (Pellicularia koleroga) results in
necrosis of stems and matted foliage. Botryosphaeria dothidea (fungus) causes necrosis of leaves and
stems. Rhyzopus stolonifer (smut) causes fruit drop of cultivars with an open eye. Fusarium spp. and
Aspergillus niger are fungus that attack ripe fruit.

Although many diseases attack figs, most figs are grown in homeowner settings and do not receive
pesticide sprays. The most common insect pests are mealy bug, three-lined fig borer and ants. The
application of insecticide is seldom warranted. Please contact your County Extension Agent for spray
recommendations.

Fig Cultivars

Characteristics that should be considered in the selection of fig cultivars include the following:
1. Cold hardiness;
2. The ability to set fruit without pollination (parthenocarpy);
3. Fruit having a closed eye or ostiole;
4. A long peduncle that allows the fruit to droop and shed moisture; and
5. A green skin on fruit to minimize bird herbivory.
6.
Ten cultivars of figs (Alma, Black Spanish, Brown Turkey, Conadria, Celeste, Jelly, Osborne Prolific,
Pasquale, Tena and Ventura) have been evaluated in a replicated trial at the University of Florida's North
Florida Research and Education Center in Monticello, Fla. Other cultivars of figs not tested by the
University of Florida include the following: Champagne, Green Ischia, Hunt, Kadota, LSU Gold, LSU
Purple,  Magnolia,  O’Rourke  and  Tiger.

Characteristics of Fig Cultivars

A summary of the characteristics of the fig cultivars follows below. Alternate names of cultivars appear
in parentheses:

Alma: This cultivar is reported to produce high yields. Alma is moderately cold tolerant and produces a
medium-sized fruit with brown skin and a light tan pulp. The eye is medium, and the fruit has few seeds
and is very sweet. Fruit ripens from late July through August and is good fresh or processed.

Black Spanish (California Brown Turkey, San Pedro): This cultivar yields medium-sized, purplish-
brown fruit with a red center. Black Spanish has an eye open. Fruit ripen in June and in August.
33
Brown Turkey (Brunswick, Eastern Brown Turkey, Harrison, Lees Perpetual, Ramsey, Texas
Everbearing): This cultivar is probably the most popular fig in the southeastern United States. A small
crop of fruit in the spring (called breba fruit) ripens in July followed by the main crop one month later.
The fruit is medium-large in size, has bronze skin and amber pulp. The fruit has a small-to-medium
ostiole and is good fresh or processed.

Celeste (Blue Celeste, Celestial, and Little Brown Sugar): This cultivar is probably the second-most
common fig in the southeastern United States. Celeste is fairly cold hardy, and the fruit is small to
medium in size and purplish-bronze to light brown in color. Celeste has a closed eye and begins ripening
in early July. Celeste is good fresh or processed.

Champagne (Golden Celeste): This newly released cultivar from Louisiana State University produces a
medium-sized fruit with yellow skin, tan colored pulp and a closed ostiole. Fruit ripening is early July.

Conadria (Genoa): This cultivar is a vigorous tree that produces fruit that are green to yellow in color.
Flesh of the fruit is pink to red with a good flavor. The eye is small and tight. Fruit ripening is in June
and again in August. Conadria fruit are good fresh and excellent dried.

Green Ischia (Ischia Green, Ischia Verte, and White Ischia): This cultivar produces a green small to
medium sized fruit with a strawberry center and a closed eye. Fruit of Green Ischia ripens in late July to
early August.

Hunt: This cultivar is very cold hardy and produces a small pear-shaped, violet-brown fruit with a long
neck. Hunt has a closed eye, amber-colored flesh and few seeds; fruit ripen in July.

Jelly (Mary Lane Seedless): This cultivar produces a long-necked, yellow fig that is medium in size
with clear amber flesh and very few seeds. Fruit of Jelly is good for eating fresh and preserving although
the skin is soft. Jelly ripens in late July to August.

Kadota (Florentine): This cultivar produces a medium-large, yellow fruit with an open ostiole that is
partially sealed with a honey-like substance. Fruit quality declines with extremely wet weather.
Although Kadota figs can be eaten fresh, they are better suited for canning and preserves. Fruit ripening
is July.

LSU Gold: This cultivar is a Louisiana State University release that produces a large, yellow fig with
pink-to-red pulp. Fruit of LSU Gold should be picked as soon as it is mature since this fruit has an open
eye and fruit spoilage may occur. Fruit ripening is July through August. Fruit is of good quality for
eating fresh and for preserving.
LSU Purple: This cultivar is a Louisiana State University release that produces a medium-small, glossy
purple fig that has amber-to-pink flesh with a closed eye. The main crop ripens in August although some
fruit can ripen well into the fall. Fruit is of good quality for eating fresh and for preserving.

Magnolia (Brunswick, Madonna): This cultivar is common in some parts of the southeastern United
States, but not in Florida. Magnolia is cold hardy down to 50°F, and often produces the largest fig
available. Fruit is asymmetric, bronze in color and has an open ostiole. The flesh is amber to strawberry
in color. Ripening is from mid July through August. Fruit should be picked as early as possible since
they may split and turn sour under wet conditions. Magnolia is best suited for preserving.

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Mission (Black Mission, Franciscana): A large, black fig with reddish-pink pulp. Mission is an ever
bearing fig that produces fruit from summer to winter. Not sufficiently cold-hardy for the southeastern
United States.

O'Rourke (Improved Celeste): This cultivar is a Louisiana State University fig that produces a small-to-
medium-sized fruit, which is brown in color with tan pulp. The eye is partially closed with the aid of a
honey-like substance. Fruit ripening is early July. Fruit is of good quality for eating fresh and for
preserving.

Osborn Prolific (Arachipel, Hardy Prolific, Neveralla, Osborne, Rust): This cultivar produces a
medium-large fruit with reddish, brown skin and light-colored flesh. The fruit is sweet with few seeds.
The eye is partially closed. Osborn Prolific is reported to perform better in cooler climates. Fruit
ripening is August, and the fruit is best eaten fresh.

Pasquale (Natalino, Vernino): This cultivar produces a sweet, small, purple fig with amber-to-pink
pulp. Pasquale ripens late November to December and is often damaged by frost. Pasquale is not cold
hardy. Not recommended for the southeastern United States.

Tena: A medium-large fig that is greenish-yellow in color with light strawberry pulp. The fruit has a
closed ostiole. Tena thrives in hot, dry weather. The fruit is good for eating fresh or preserving.

Tiger (Giant Celeste): This new cultivar released by Louisiana State University has a large brown fruit,
yellow pulp and a partially closed eye. Fruit of Tiger ripens in early July.

Ventura (Verdal louange): This cultivar produces a large, green fruit with a long neck. The pulp is deep
red with excellent flavor. Fruit ripen from August to September. Fruit may be eaten fresh or preserved.

South Florida Flatwoods

South Florida flatwoods occur on nearly level land. Water movement is very gradual
to the natural drainageways, swamps, marshes, and ponds associated with this range
site. During the rainy season, usually June through September, this site may have
water on or near the soil surface. It is easily recognized by the flat topography and
slash pine and saw-palmetto vegetation.

Soil
The soils are nearly level, deep, acid, poorly to somewhat poorly drained, and coarse
textured throughout or coarse textured in the upper part and moderately coarse
textured or moderately fine textured in the lower part. Representative soil series are:
Braden, Eaton, Electra, Elred, Heights, Immokalee, Lawnwood, Myakka, Nettles, Palmetto, Pomona, Smyrna and Waveland.

Vegetation
The landscape position of this range site affects plant-water relationships and causes slight differences in plant composition
from wetter to drier areas. The natural vegetation of this site is typically scattered pine trees with an understory of saw-
palmetto, gallberry and wiregrasses. These areas are often called prairies or dry prairies. The relative percentages of annual
vegetative production by weight for this range site are grasses and grasslikes 75%, woody plants and trees 15%, and forbs
10%. Plants which characterize this community are:
 GRASSES AND GRASS LIKES - Chalky and creeping bluestem, lopsided indiangrass,
toothachegrass, maidencane, panicum sp., wiregrasses, sedges, and rushes.
 FORBS - gayfeather, redroot, partidge pea, deerstongue, creeping beggarweed,
perennial legumes, and annual forbs.

35
  TREES AND SHRUBS - oak sp., slash and longleaf pine, gallberry, wax myrtle, saw-
palmetto, dwarf huckleberry, and St. John's-wort, sumac, and wax myrtle.

Grazing Value
This ecological community has the potential for producing significant amounts of desirable range
grasses such as creeping bluestem (1,800 to 3,600 lb/A), chalky bluestem (500 to 750 lb/A), and
lopsided indiangrass (900 to 1,500 lb/A). It is Florida's most important range site for the
production of cattle on native range. Water control practices and improved management
techniques have facilitated the use of flatwoods for improved pasture, vegetables, citrus, and
urban development. This is especially true in central, south, and southwest Florida. Annual plant
production (air dry) averages 5000 lb/A from sites in excellent ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 lb/A
depending on climatic conditions. Suggested stocking rates are as follows:

Range
Condition
Classes
(acres/animal Good Fair Poor
unit)

Excellent

4-7 6-12 11-16 15+

Note:  we  need  to  pay  attention  to  these  stocking  rates  for  the  back  acreage  pasture  at  Abby’s  
Place. We may also want to inject some hardy native grasses and forbs into the pasture mix
for health and balance.

Wet Prairie
A "Wet Prairie" is a seasonally flooded, shallow freshwater marsh found in
depressions, sloughs, finger glades & on the floodplains or margins of lakes, streams
and rivers.

Some of the plants common to Wet Prairies include St. John's Wort, Sedges, Muhly
grass, Sawgrass, Groundsel bush, Wax Myrtle, Sundew, Meadowbeauty,
Marshpinks, & Coreopsis spp.

Pine Flatwoods
Pine Flatwoods are the most widespread eco-systems in Florida, occupying as much as 50% of Florida's
land area. As the name states, the topography of a Flatwoods is relatively uniform, the soil is generally
sandy, poorly drained & acidic with little organic content with a underlying layer of hardpan. This layer
of hardpan also inhibits drainage in the wet season causing Flatwoods to be flooded for part of the year,
experiencing alternating periods of flood and drought. The canopy is open, allowing plenty of sunlight
to reach the understory plants. The understory of a healthy Pine Flatwoods is regulated by regular fire,
areas that burn more often have an understory dominated by grasses and diverse herbaceous plants,
while those that experience less frequent fires have more leaf litter/debris with an understory dominated
by shrubs. If fire is absent for long periods Pines will eventually be succeeded by Oaks and the

36
subsequent development of a closed canopy forest or Hammock that inhibits understory growth. Saw
palmetto, Wiregrass, Fetterbush, Tarflower, Gallberry, Blueberry, Broomsedge, Wax myrtle and St.
Johnswort are a few of the plants common to Pine flatwoods habitats.
A Few Words On Bamboo for  Abby’s  Place

When people say, "bamboo grows fast," they could be referring to the speed at which a small,
newly planted bamboo grows into a large, mature plant in the landscape. Or they could be
talking about the speed at which individual new canes emerge and grow to their full height
within a mature clump of bamboo. And sometimes, when people speak about how fast
bamboo grows, they're referring to the rate of horizontal spread of a running variety of bamboo.

The most relevant of these to someone considering planting bamboo is: how quickly will this
little plant turn into a big, mature clump of bamboo in my landscape? And the answer to that is:
clumping bamboo will grow faster than just about anything else you could plant. Get some
three-gallon sized pots of green multiplex, set them in the ground along a property line and
keep them watered, and within two to three years they'll turn into a twenty foot tall wall of green
for quick privacy. Plant a three-gallon Royal or Buddha's Belly and give it good care, and in
four to five years it will assume the size and stature of a mature oak tree in the landscape.

What about the stories you may have heard about bamboo growing at a rate of a foot a day or
more? That's true, too. A clump of bamboo grows new canes once a year. The plant uses
sunlight to make food energy its foliage all year long, and it sends that food energy down,
storing it in the underground rhizome system. Once a year, the plant uses all that stored
energy to grow the new crop of canes. Because those new canes are powered by a year's
worth of stored energy, they grow at break neck pace, reaching their full height in six to eight
weeks.

On a mature patch of bamboo, "full height" is whatever the maximum height is for that variety.
A fifty foot tall mature Royal or Buddha's Belly bamboo sends of new canes that emerge from
the ground looking like torpedoes, and those shoots rocket upward, reaching fifty feet in eight
weeks. (The old canes remain as the new canes grow -- each cane lasts seven to ten years.)
When a clump of bamboo adds to its height, it does so by sending up, once a year, a crop of
new shoots that grow at breakneck pace, reaching their full height just six to eight weeks after
breaking through the ground. The "full height" that they reach is about ten to fifteen feet taller
than the previous year's canes - that's where the overall yearly increase the height of the entire
clump comes from. But it's only once the clump has reached its full size and height, at four to
five years old, that you start to see the really fast growth of individual canes during the late
summer shooting season, in which shoots break through the ground and race upwards at rates
of a foot a day or more to become fifty foot tall canes in just two months.

Clumping bamboos grow at a rate far exceeding that of most landscape plants, but no, a small,
newly planted bamboo will not grow a foot a day, but yes, once your bamboo plants have been
in the ground for several years you should be able to watch new shoots grow at the
extraordinary rate of a foot or more per day. Got that?

Invasive?

37
Some kinds are. There's over a thousand species of bamboo, though, and many are not
invasive - their natural growth habit is to grow in very tight, compact clumps. Those are the
types we specialize in at Florida Bamboo. They are very different from the more commonly
seen invasive, running types of bamboo.

Bamboo as a visual screen

Usually a five-foot spacing works well. By the time the plants are really filling in two years after
planting, they'll be pretty well filling the gaps between plants. By three years, the "wall of
green" will be pretty solid (assuming you're keeping them watered). At planting time, it's always
hard to believe that those piddling little wisps of green that you're setting on a five foot spacing
could ever solidly close the gaps in between, but they do.

It's possible to hurry things along a little bit by spacing plants closer, but you start to reach a
point of diminishing returns at spacing much closer than five feet: your costs start to go up
rapidly (because you need more plants) while only marginally increasing the speed at which
you get visual screening.
On the other hand, if your plant-purchasing budget is smaller, it's possible to space the plants
more widely, but it will take a bit longer for them to solidly close the gaps between. On an
eight-foot spacing, it may take five years before the plants solidly close the gaps (but you'll still
get good intermittent visual screening by the second to third year)

If you've got a really small budget, a long time horizon, or a really long fence line to cover, you
can even plant out just a few plants, take good care of them, and after a few years divide them
yourself to plant along the rest of the fence line.

It is worth considering the possibility that if YOU would find your property that much more
desirable with the privacy and beauty offered by bamboo, other people might also, and the
money you spend today might well be returned to you when it comes time to sell your property.

Sizes
Here again, it comes down to a question of how much of a hurry you're in, and how much you
want to spend. Each larger plant size represents approximately a year's time that you're
skipping to get to the time the plant first sends up mature, full-sized canes. That is, a 15-gallon
plant will reach maturity about a year faster than a 7 gallon, and about two years faster than a
3-gallon plant of the same variety would.

Best time of year to plant bamboo

Containerized bamboos can successfully be planted at any time of the year. But because they
make so much growth so quickly during the warm season, for fastest results it is very important
not to delay once the warm season has ended. Early spring planting will give quickest results.
Every month's delay in planting after early spring means less growing time available to the
plants. By year's end, bamboos set in the ground in August will be smaller than ones planted in
June, which will be smaller than ones planted in March. So if it is spring or summer as you are
contemplating planting bamboo - don't delay!

During the cool season (roughly November to February), plants make much less growth, and a
delay in planting during that period is much less critical. Plants set in the ground in February
wouldn't lag a whole lot behind those planted in November.

38
For field-dug plants, they are available only during winter and early spring, and should be
planted immediately.

And if you are planting a variety at the northern edge of its cold hardiness, it may actually be to
your advantage to wait until winter's end. Bigger plants resist cold better, and by planting in
spring your plants will have a year's worth of growth on them by the time winter comes around
again.

Expensive?
Propagating clumping bamboo is an EXTREMELY labor-intensive process. Because these
plants rarely produce seed, and most don't start well from cuttings, new plants must be started
by dividing the rhizome system of existing ones. The very growth habit that makes clumping
bamboos so desirable as landscape plants - tightly grouped clumps of canes that don't spread
aggressively- makes them very difficult to divide. Underlying those canes is a gnarled mass of
thick, woody rhizomes that resists cutting with all its woody might. And the larger a bamboo
variety is, the more difficult it is to divide those rhizomes - digging pieces of eight foot tall
Chinese Goddess is child's play compared to digging 55 foot tall Buddha's Belly, whose
rhizome system sometimes extends as much as three feet underground.

Additionally, many varieties are quite rare and highly in demand. Generally, Florida Bamboo's
prices are either in the same range or lower than those charged by other nurseries in Florida
for equivalent plants, sometimes considerably lower. Since bamboos provide such an elegant,
majestic quality to the landscape, and reach full size and impressiveness years faster than
many plants that are much more expensive, many people find the prices quite reasonable.

Construction material?
In central or southern Florida, Giant Timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) is quite a good
choice for a bamboo to produce canes for construction material. Unfortunately, north of about
Orlando it tends to suffer winter damage frequently enough that it is not a reliable source of
construction quality canes (along the coasts, that region might extend as far as Cedar Key and
Saint Augustine because of the milder winter temps near the water).

For those of us in northern Florida, our choices are more limited. Royal Bamboo has
wonderfully straight canes, but they are thin-walled and suitable only where they don't need to
support heavy weight. Buddha's Belly canes are much thicker-walled and stronger, but they
tend to have a bit of a zig-zag - this one might be a good choice for projects where perfect
straightness is not critical.

Green Multiplex and Alphonse Karr are straight and thick-walled and more cold-hardy, but they
usually don't get more than 1-1.5 inches in diameter, so they would be suitable only for
projects where smaller-diameter material is needed (although smaller-diameter canes can be
bundled together to make extremely strong load-bearing pieces).

Be sure to research proper cutting and curing and treating techniques to minimize the danger
of fungus and insects destroying your canes. Try the Bamboo Society websites for more info
on cutting, treating, and building with bamboo.

Edible Bamboo

39
Royal Bamboo and Giant Timber are reported in the literature as having high quality shoots.
Giant Timber is another one that is most reliable in Central and South Florida.

Growing in Shade
The larger types prefer full sun, but can grow quite well if they get at least a few hours of sun a
day, especially if it is mid-day summer sun (that is, if there is at least a patch of sky open
directly above the plant). And because the big types do grow so tall, once they reach full size
the top of the plant frequently reaches into full or nearly full sun even if the original plant was
planted in the shade.

The small to medium types will stay shorter and denser in full sun, and will stretch out a bit in
partial shade, with less foliage on the lower part of the plant. This can actually be quite
attractive, especially with varieties like Alphonse Karr that have particularly attractive canes. If
there is at least a few patches of sun that move through the area over the course of the day,
the small to medium types can give pretty good growth (and make a good visual screen).

Dividing the plants

Dividing bamboo is a tricky process that can be very labor-intensive to do successfully - this is
why clumping bamboo prices are higher than for many other plants. For a containerized
bamboo with several canes, it is frequently possible to divide the plant into one or more plants,
but if the cuts are not made in exactly the right spot on the rhizome, one or more of the plants
might not be viable. And even when the cuts are made successfully and viable daughter plants
result, it is important to keep in mind that you are setting them back by dividing them -
postponing by a year or more the time when they send up full-sized, mature canes.

The most successful method for many people to propagate their own bamboos is to plant them
out in the ground, let them grow two or more years, then dig out groups of two to four canes
(with their attached rhizomes) to plant elsewhere. This works best with the Bambusa multiplex
varieties, especially the small ones like Chinese Goddess. For the giant clumping types the
thick, woody rhizomes make this process fairly challenging.

Running and Clumping Bamboos

Running bamboo will try to spread in all directions at once, not just along the property line, but
also away from it into your yard and your neighbor's yard. Many running types can send up
shoots as much as 30 feet from the nearest existing cane, so both sides of the fence line
would need to be getting mowed regularly for at least 30 feet from the edge of the bamboo
hedge to take out the new shoots as they appear.

Also, since running bamboos usually don't grow as thickly as clumping bamboos, you would
need to allow for a thicker hedge to get good visual screening.

Barriers?
Some people claim to successfully contain running bamboos with underground barriers, but
most materials eventually crack, and running bamboo rhizomes are very good at escaping
through even very tiny cracks. All it takes is one rhizome to escape, and the horse is out of the
barn - at that point you might as well not have done any of the work to install the rhizome
barrier. Two-foot deep brick walls to contain the running bamboos haven't worked: the
bamboos have escaped.

40
The best containment strategy if you really want a running bamboo is to plant it in an area that
is already getting either mowed or grazed for a distance of thirty feet in all directions around
the edge of the bamboo planting. If you don't have this situation, you might be better off
sticking with clumping bamboo! (Note: one exception to this rule is black bamboo, which is
considerably less aggressive than most running types)

Nurseries
One thing to be aware of in shopping for bamboo, especially containerized plants, is that since
small potted bamboos frequently don't show the characteristics that will distinguish different
varieties as mature plants, it is critical for a nursery to keep separate their different species.
While there are many conscientious nursery managers who take great pains to keep their
plants from getting mixed up, there are some who tend towards a less careful management
style.

You do not want to spend a lot of money on a bamboo plant and years of your life caring for it,
only to discover that it is the wrong variety and will not do what you wanted it to - all because of
sloppiness at the nursery. This problem appears to be most acute at some nurseries that offer
bamboo as a sideline to their main sales plants, and may not understand or care about the
differences between bamboo varieties.

More on Bamboo

The World of Bamboo

By Gib Cooper

Bamboo’s  natural  range  includes  every  continent  except  Europe  and  Antarctica.  

We once had 5 million acres of an American native bamboo know as Canebrake or Arundinaria
gigantea growing in our Southeastern quarter. This bamboo and its ecosystem were soon greatly
diminished in area by the migration of settlers in the early 19th century. The bamboo grew in
good soil and was cleared for farmland. Unbelievably, a new species was described for the USA in
2006. Its name is Hill cane, or Arundinaria appalachiana.

“Stone  Age”  Asians  may  have  relied  heavily  on  tools  they  made  of  materials  other  than  stone.  The  
lack of stone tools of the quality found in Europe in much of Southeast Asia roughly corresponds to
the natural distribution of bamboo in the region. It appears that Southeast Asia has been heavily
forested for many millions of years. This is still one of the areas of dense bamboo forests
remaining in the world. Man may have relied more on bamboo than we know. Based on this
theory, bamboo was probably one of the most important materials used by early Asian people.
Even today, the use of bamboo has more significance to Asian cultures than any other.

Evidence of bamboo use is found in South America. Some excavations of early dwellings have
imprints of bamboo canes and split, woven material preserved in the mud or adobe used in the
construction or as protective living stockades around villages.

Bamboo is an incredible grass that has long been in use by people around the globe. In our
modern world it is finding a new place in the spectrum of plants, fibers and foods used to enhance
the quality of our lives. We are not simply talking about one plant. Bamboo is a large group of giant

41
grasses with over 1,200 species found from the tropics to temperate regions.

There are many factors to consider when thinking about growing bamboo for ornamental, utility
or edible bamboo shoots. To assist you in making the educated decision in species selection I list
the most important things to think about.

YOUR CLIMATE
Do you live in a tropical, subtropical or temperate zone? Is your climate zone humid or arid? Are
you in a valley or on a mountain? Is the exposure sunny or shady? What about wind?

Tropical bamboo may only be grown permanently outdoors in areas that are frost-free. These are
USDA Zones 10 and 11 only: areas like Southern Florida, Southern California and Hawaii. Tropical
bamboo may be grown indoors or in greenhouse environments if care is given to maintain steady
warm temperatures throughout the year.

Subtropical bamboos are somewhat tolerant to frost. They grow well in USDA Zones 9 and 10 with
marginal performance of some species in Zone 8. These hardier selections are useful for areas like
much of coastal California, the Gulf States and the tropical areas, as well as interior use. Sustained
cool like Oregon winters will discourage one from growing many of these species.

The temperate bamboo are quite frost hardy. Some withstand temperatures to -20 F and are
suitable USDA Zones 4 and 5. Most will grow around the country in Zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and many, in
10. They also do well as houseplants.

THE PLANTING SITE

While bamboo will grow in most soils it is important to remember it is not a pond plant or a
xeriscape plant. Much like a lawn it needs water and feeding on a regular basis, particularly in
summer. Bamboo likes to grow at the edge of a pond, stream or swampy area but not in it.
Irrigation is necessary in the West where summers are dry, clear and hot. In the East where
summer rains are a regular occurrence irrigation is not necessary except for newly planted
bamboo or under drought conditions.

The soil range can be from sandy to clay. Bamboo grows fast and easily in sandy/loamy soils,
however, watering and feeding will need to be more frequent. Heavier soils nurture bamboo
nicely. However, some species dislike grey serpentine clays found in some areas. In all cases a
heavy mulch of wood chips encourage rhizome growth and maintain even moisture levels.

Soil pH is recommended at between 5.5 and 6.5 or slightly acid for most species. Generally, species
that tolerate drier conditions may do better in higher pH soils.

SPREADING VERSUS THE CLUMPING BAMBOOS

Many  gardeners  are  frightened  by  the  “running”  bamboo  species  that  send  out  rhizomes  that  may  
travel for several feet. These  are  the  culprits  of  bamboo’s  bad  reputation  among  Western  
gardeners. Fortunately, there is an alternative type of rhizome growth that results in the rhizome
being very short and, sometimes, almost bulbous. This is a bamboo plant that grows only inches

42
away from the center with densely clustered culms. We  call  these  types  “clumping”  bamboo.

The spreading or running bamboos are generally species for temperate climates. The clumping
bamboo is for more tropical or montane climates. The open grove spreading bamboo is what you
may see in photographs of people walking through a forest of bamboo in China or Japan. Clumping
bamboo forms a tight thicket of canes that are impossible to walk into without cutting a pathway
way first. These are the well-behaved bamboo that stay put when planted. The spreading bamboo
needs plenty of space to form a grove. The best way to enjoy spreading bamboo in the garden is in
pots or in a designated area with the bamboo contained by rhizome barrier.

USES OF BAMBOO

Landscaping

Called by many as the plant of a thousand uses, bamboo is first and foremost a landscape
ornamental. Gardeners have relished the graceful beauty bamboo brings to the garden. There is a
wide range of species suited to every garden use, except for the production of beautiful flowers!

Dwarf bamboo can be used in mass plantings like a ground cover. Many gardeners use them as
facers between mixed shrubbery or in foreground plantings. Bonsai and houseplant enthusiasts
use the little bamboos in pots around the deck and home. The many sizes, leaf textures, leaf
patterns and colors create a delectable palate to work with.

Shrub sized bamboo will reach six to eight feet tall. Many will grow with a mounding mass of
leaves and very little culm showing. Use for low hedges, boundaries, fillers, foundation plantings,
and for taller houseplants. In larger estate planting they are excellent for mass plantings and
erosion control. There are several different leaf colors and sizes available.

The tall growing bamboos that are big by homeowner standards but not timber size are
categorized as the tall shrub size. This group reaches heights that are suitable for screening
purposes, hedges, small space specimens, foundation plantings, and large pots. A similar size
related  group  is  the  “mountain  bamboo”. However, these are very beautiful and well behaved
clumping bamboo suitable for the smaller garden wherever the climate permits.

Most well known and the icon of bamboo are the timber bamboos. These grow to gigantic
proportions. Many of the tropical species reach huge sizes that will impress you and your friends.
Fortunately, the tropical  and  subtropical  giants  are  clumpers  and  practical  as  a  “tree”  size  plant  in  
many residential settings. The other group of giants is the temperate running timber bamboo.
These are the grove forming bamboo that need free range and space to attain grand heights and
thick hard culms. These timber bamboos make great background plants or tall hedging to block
out undesirable noise and views. To use these responsibly in residential lots we recommend
installing rhizome barrier (see Taming the Running Bamboo).

Constructing with Bamboo

Many Asian societies have a legacy of thousands of years utilizing bamboo in their daily life. These
people have revered their local bamboos for what they give to their lives. Surely the plant of a
thousand uses! However, without going into detail, there many bamboo species for crafting

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various items for use around the home and garden. Learning to use bamboo requires thinking
differently than using wood. Bamboo is strong, hard and brittle. For example, driving a nail will
split it. You must pre-drill a hole first. Sawing bamboo requires a sharp small tooth saw like a
hacksaw. There are several books available to assist the crafts person to learn how to use bamboo
in building.

In the past few years numerous techniques in bamboo processing have brought new products
onto  the  home  improvement  market.  Examples  of  these  products  include  “Plyboo”  tongue  and  
groove flooring, sheets of plyboo and paneling. Other paneling products use the beauty of natural
split weaves, culms and strips to create fine Japanese style interiors. Most of these materials come
from the splitting of the bamboo culm into various sizes, squaring and pressure laminating into
the desired size and shape. This is one of the most exciting areas in the application of bamboo to
solve our natural resource problems in the future.

Bamboo Shoots

While Asian cuisine has demanded a variety of bamboo species to be harvested in season for fresh
or canned bamboo shoots, the American market for shoots has been mostly imported in cans. The
popularity of Chinese restaurants with Americans has given most of us a taste of this bamboo
vegetable. Growing Asian enclaves are scattered in many parts of the country. People in these
areas want good quality bamboo shoots - either fresh or frozen. More and more people are
planting bamboo for this vegetable market.

The homeowner with the best bamboo for edible shoots may enjoy the annual harvest at shooting
time. There are many recipes available for using bamboo shoots. Some species of bamboo shoots
are very bitter. The traditional way of removing the acrid taste is by cooking and washing.
However, the best way to enjoy your shoots is by selecting the best edible species in the beginning.

Bamboo Paper

Some countries rely on bamboo for most of the paper production. Paper makers in America on the
commercial scale may not find bamboo useful as a raw material without more available bamboo
acreage and specialized processing equipment. The paper making crafts person will find bamboo
as a very desirable fiber for hand made paper.

Bamboo Textiles

The most recent popular use of bamboo is in the production of fiber for textile production. Several
attributes make clothing, bedspreads and towels superior to other fibers. Wicking and absorption
qualities make the clothing comfortable and cool in the warm season. Anti-bacterial properties
slow down odors emanating from over wearing between washes. The fiber can also be mixed with
synthetics or cotton to  create  special  attributes  demanded  by  today’s  clothing  market.

Bamboo as Fodder

The Japanese have used bamboo as animal feed for hundreds of years. Only recently have stock
men realized the usefulness of bamboo feed. There is renewed interest into the food value of
bamboo for cattle and other livestock.

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The Ecological Uses of Bamboo

Our activities disturb nature. Bamboo is a helpful plant to reduce our environmental intrusion.
Today’s  cities  and  concentrated  livestock  feed  lots  present  problems  in  sewage disposal. Bamboo
is a heavy feeder and grows very well with high levels of nutrients. There are research proposals
taking a look at the nitrate uptake and production of bamboo poles from waste treatment facilities
in towns and farms.

Erosion on America’s  land  continues.  Every  time  someone  takes  a  bulldozer  to  make  a  new  
driveway or home the soil is disturbed. Rain runoff carries the exposed soil into our waterways.
Prompt planting of bamboo can alleviate these problems.

Polluted air and views are problems many of us face in our daily lives. Tall bamboo provides
millions of leaves to filter the air, sounds and views that intrude into our most important space -
home. Wise planting of bamboo around the home, farm and factory will encourage good
neighborliness.

With over 1200 species of bamboo worldwide we find both in the Americas and Asia bamboo
species being harvested from wild plants. We also find bamboo in danger of extinction or severely
reduced habitat. A new effort is under way to take action and learn more about these bamboo
species, particularly those of the Americas. Bambúes de las Americas or BOTA is the first
organization dedicated to conserving the native bamboo of our continents of the Americas.

Bamboo Nurseries in Florida

http://www.tropicalbamboo.com/Featured_Bamboos.asp

http://www.bamboodirect.com/bamboo/info/TheWorldofBamboo.html
http://www.palmbeachbamboo.com/?page_id=17
http://www.peltonsnurseries.com/
http://bamboohammocknursery.com/
There are many bamboo nurseries in Southern Florida. This will get you started. Be sure to
visit Echo and look at all the cultivars planted there in order to make selections.
Pine Flatwoods Species List
The most common natural community in Florida, flatwoods are a type of savannah with
scattered pines, few shrubs (generally palmetto, gallberry, tarflower and lyonias), and a
diverse groundcover of grasses and wildflowers. It can vary from a dry scrubby flatwoods with
shrubby oaks through mesic to wet flatwoods that are similar to wet prairie. Dry prairie is
similar to flatwoods with few to no trees. Acid soils are sandy, low in organic material, and are
usually underlain by an impervious hardpan or clay layer, one to three feet below the surface.
Moisture levels are from dry to saturated, varying with the site and with yearly weather
changes. Flatwoods plants tolerate a wide range of moisture and soil fertility. Many species
may be suitable for only drier or wetter conditions. Plants are generally not tolerant of salt and

45
shade. Under natural conditions fires occur at 1-5 year intervals, preventing natural succession
to upland forest.
Canopy tree
Pond Pine (Pinus serotina)
Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)
Water Oak (Quercus nigra)
Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)
Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Silk Bay (Persea borbonia var. humilis)
Swamp Bay (Persea palustris)
Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana )
South Florida Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa)
Florida Red Bay (Persea borbonia var. borbonia)
Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)
Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)
Pines (Pinus spp.)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Understory tree
Rusty Lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea)
Staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa)
Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)
Swamp Bay (Persea palustris)
American Plum (Prunus americana)
Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Palm
Coontie (Zamia pumila)
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)

Shrub
Dwarf Pawpaw (Asimina pygmaea)
Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa)
Bedstraw St. John's Wort (Hypericum galioides)
Rusty Lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea)
Staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa)
Running Oak (Quercus pumila)
Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii)
Shiny Blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites)
Possum Haw (Viburnum nudum)
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Flatwoods pawpaw (Asimina reticulata)
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)
Gallberry (Ilex glabra)
Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

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Cat's tongue (Melanthera nivea)
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)
Walter's Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)
Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum)
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
White Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana 'White')
Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana )
Withlacoochee Viburnum (TM) (Viburnum obovatum 'Withlacoochee' (TM))

Vine
blackberries (Rubus spp.)
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa)

Groundcover
Redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana)
Gopher Apple (Licania michauxii)
Florida Pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida)
Running Oak (Quercus pumila)
Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii)
yellow-eyed grass (Xyris spp.)
Spider Lily (Hymenocallis latifolia)
Alligator Lily (Hymenocallis palmeri)
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Coontie (Zamia pumila)
Tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii)
Golden Aster (Pityopsis graminifolia)
Cat's tongue (Melanthera nivea)
Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa)

Groundcover-fern
Virginia Chain Fern (Woodwardia virginica)

Groundcover-grass/grasslike
Wiregrasses (Aristida spp.)
Lovegrass (Eragrostis spp.)

Wildflower
Little white ageratina (Ageratina jucunda)
Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa)
Bald-headed Carphephorus (Carphephorus carnosus)
Goldenaster (Chrysopsis scabrella)
Narrow-leaf Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
Pineland Water-Willow (Justicia angusta)
Pine Lily (Lilium catesbaei)

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Florida Pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida)
Blue Sage (Salvia azurea)
Spider Lily (Hymenocallis latifolia)
Alligator Lily (Hymenocallis palmeri)
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Deertongues (Carphephorus spp.)
Florida Paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus )
Tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii)
Many Wings (Palafoxia integrifolia)
Golden Aster (Pityopsis graminifolia)
Rayless Sunflower (Helianthus radula)
Cat's tongue (Melanthera nivea)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Lyre-Leaved sage (Salvia lyrata)
Dotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata)
Ironweed (Vernonia angustifolia)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
yellow colicroot (Aletris lutea)
Liatris garberi
Celestial Lily (Nemastylis floridana)
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Vegetable and herb selections will  be  based  on  Abby’s  Place  needs  and  likes  and  dislikes  of  
the Heidenreichs. The suggestion is that you plant what you cook with and eat. Do not be
afraid to try new vegetables and herbs. Become accustomed to new tastes. Because
vegetable gardens change every year it will be up to you to design where things will go in the
vegetable beds. Herbs can be placed in the herb spiral and used as an important part of the
mix in general. Inter-planting herbs in vegetable beds, around fruit trees and shrubs, and at the
perimeter of all your planted areas helps to bring in pollinators, predators and masks and
confuses insects that feast on our crops.
Permanent raised beds for your vegetable crops are recommended as these beds, with the
addition of compost and organic materials every year, will continue to become more fertile over
time. Because of the curvilinear nature of the garden design, stone seems most appropriate for
construction of raised beds.

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From the Permaculture Activist

FLORIDA PLANT NURSERIES

Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery - Central Florida nursery providing

growers and consumers with citrus trees, including many
exotic varieties. order@briteleaf.com
480 CR 416 S
Lake Panasoffkee, FL 33538

Chestnut Hill Tree Farm.

Specializing in low-chill fruit varieties developed by the
University of Fla. Will help you select & grow the right
varieties of low chill apples, peaches, nectarines,
plums, pears, Kaki persimmons, blueberries,
blackberries, grapes, & figs. A wide assortment of other
fruit and flowering trees for the SE United States. 15105
NW 94 Ave, Alachua FL 32615
800-669-2067 toll free, 386-462-2820 local, 386-462-4330 fax
email: chestnuthilltreefarm@gmail.com

Echo. 17430 Durrance Rd. No. Ft.

Myers, FL 33917, ( Cat. $1) -- non-
profit Christian research
organization spec. in
underexploited tropical food plants. http://echonet.org/eln&herbs/nursery.htm
http://echonet.org/
Explore their excellent selection of books at http://www.echotech.org/bookstore/

Florida Hill Nursery, P.O. Box 530318, Debary, FL

32753
Alocasia, Bananas, Caladium, Canna, Colocasia,
Dragon fruit, Figs, Fruits -n- Berries, Garden Tools,
Ginger, Grapes, House plants, Iris, Kiwi, Living wall
plants, Orchids, Organic Fertilizers, Papaya, Passion fruit, Philodendron, Pineapple,
Terrarium plants

Flying Dragon Citrus Nursery

3973 Loretton Rd, Jacksonville, FL
Flying Dragon Citrus Nursery specializes in many varieties of citrus
trees which grow well on flying dragon rootstock, grown for many
years in Northern Japan in smaller yards with a need for cold hardy
citrus material. New to florida. There has never been any attempt by
citrus growers to produce a tree suitable for the colder sections
Northern Florida, Southern Georgia.

Garden of Delights - Florida, USA nursery selling bearss lemon, calamondon, grapefruit,

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sugar apple, kiwi, and other warm temperate and subtropical fruiting plants.

Going Bananas - A Florida-based nursery offering edible and ornamental species and
cultivars of bananas and plantains. Ordering by mail.

Jenes Tropicals - A Florida USA nursery selling tropical fruit and nut plants, including
bananas and plantains.

Just Fruits and Exotics

30 St. Frances St., Crawfordville FL 32327
850-926-5644 FAX 926-9885 Justfruits@hotmail.com
In addition to being a mail order nursery, Just Fruits and Exotics is also a great
destination nursery, complete with 1 1/2 acres of interesting gardens filled with funky
combinations of fruit trees and exotic ornamentals.
http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/index.html

Lowder's Farm and Nursery - Florida based nursery selling seedling American
persimmons, grafted Oriental cultivar persimmons and daylilies.

Palm Beach Bamboo

18520 49th St N, Loxahatchee, Fl 33470
561-753-6630 info@PalmBeachBamboo.com
We are a South Florida Tropical Clumping
Bamboo Nursery providing container bamboos
and bamboo poles for the Homeowner and
Landscape industry.

Salter Tree Farm, Rt. 2, Box 1332, Madison, FL 32340, 904-973-6312 (Cat. SASE) -- Spec.
SE natives, including superior varieties grown from seed collected by a retired forester.
Sells many rare SE native spp.

Florida Native Plants Nursery: http://www.floridanativeplants.com/edibles.html

Riverland Nursery: http://www.riverlandnursery.com/
Several nurseries are listed at FloridaGardener.com: http://floridagardener.com/flnatives/nps.htm

Our recommendation is that once specific varieties need to be selected and installation
begins Erica and Taylor come on board with their expertise for Southern Florida.

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