I had a bunch of palmetto scrub cleared on Friday, which put me about 4 months ahead of schedule. I am in a slightly cooler microclimate here than the surrounding areas.

I have space for about 20 trees. Currently I have a Ischa fig, an Irish Strawberry tree, a pummelo and a Red Australian Finger lime in the remaining shady spot. After that I was thinking a Natal Plum(think I spelled that right), a white pomagranite, and 2 more dorsett apples and an Anna. I have time to find them but I am researching. Trying to get everything in the ground before Spring so I have a bit of time. Already have more than enough citrus.
My abbreviated current tree list aside from citrus is:
Gulf Beauty Plum
Gulf Ruby(I think) plum
Anna and dorsett apples
Jacobitaba
Asian and normal pears
Persimmon
Bananna
Olives
All Spice
figs
lychee, both sweetheart and marautis
Sugar Apple
Kei Apple
Miracle Berry
Pineapple guava


thinking Strawberry guava other than that and the Natal I am having issues coming up with non-repeats. When I obtain another acre(long 70 foot wide strip) of land it will be mostly Pomegranites, plums, olives(in the back where I can ignore them) and a high fenced in area with various berry bushes and a garden. Any oddball ideas for my collection area? Prefer fruits I can eat fresh, make jams, or use to make alcoholic beverages heheh.

Try growing Dragon fruit.

Being a cactus, Dragon fruit are easy to grow. I have one in a container that is setting on the floor of the greenhouse. It has climbed up and over some nearby 55-gallon drums and then 7-feet high into the branches of a Marisol Clementine tree. It started to flower last week with blooms about one foot wide. - Millet

The rare fruit club in your area doesn't seem to be very active, but here is a list of clubs.

http://www.rarefruit.org/Links.htm#FruitClubs

How about Jujube? Not exactly tropical but will produce in warm climates.

Also, I did not see avocado.

Loquat is another option I did not see.

Are you warm enough for mango?

Mango and dragon fruit along with a star fruit were killed off by the cold last winter even though I thought it was mild. One Jacobitaba lost its leaves while the other 10 feet away couldn't have cared less.

Neither the wife or I are avocado fans. I do have a loquat that was preexisting on the property, I cut down a holly tree that was partially shading it but I haven't gotten any fruit yet, its about ten feet tall and flowers twice a year.

I have a jujube, great bush. Deer stripped it bare mid July, by August it had thicker and denser leaves that before. Pomegranate had the same thing happen, but took longer to grow back.

I have cheriyoma(sp?) on the way and it will be containered near the house, and carob and ice cream bean seedlings on the way. I really want to try a Black Sapote but the length of time it takes to get fruit and having half of them as non-fruiting males is making me rethink this one. Any opinions on these? Trying to find a chocolate substitute since my wife cant eat real chocolate.

I am surprised star fruit was killed by cold last year. Here the coldest temperature was 40F and that came in March! Star fruit were much less damaged during freezes compared to other tropical fruits in this area.

I am growing mango but taking some risk because even down here the temperatures have dropped to 27 to 30F a few times the past century which although not that cold is cold enough to damage or kill mango and other tropical plants.

The last time there was widespread temperatures below 30F here was December 1989. We had the lowest ever recorded high temperature of only 46F in December 1989!

We had some low 30s last year but only a couple days. I have two Jacobitabas ten feet from each other. One lost all its leaves but came back in spring, the other didnt care about the cold. They were actually across the driveway from the starfruit and a Cherry of Rio Grande that died back to the bottom trunk.

I might be ordering some stuff from Homestead come spring. Eyeing one of the nurseries down there. You guys have a bunch of neat stuff right at your door.

You can order a paw paw from Stan Mckenzie: http://mckenzie-farms.com/index.htm

Best,

Skinn30a