Author Topic: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?  (Read 6161 times)

TravelingFriend

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Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« on: October 27, 2016, 03:40:46 PM »
I am curious what is already available, and the wellness of the plants. As well, experience growing, and tasting of these fruit, if they did produce in Louisiana.
Quick list from a bit of searching,

Cacao
Plum(including native)
Banana (cold hardy varieties?)
Annato
Miracle fruit
Yumberry
Passion fruit (edulis)
Paw paw
Eugenia (species?)
Pomegranate (varieties?)
Maqui
Serviceberry
Apricot (varieties?)
Peach (varieties?)
Nectarine (varieties?)
Muntingia( red and white variety?)
Kaffir plum
Mayhaw
Cherry (grafted to wild? Varieties?)
Hardy kiwi (varieties?)
Citrus (varieties?)
Guava (varieties?)
Fig (varieties?)
Persimmon (varieties grafted to wild?)
Goji berry
Starfruit (varieties)
Lychee (varieties, and rootstock?)
Baobab
Sugar cane (old varieties? Purple?)
Huckleberry
Apple (varieties?)
Pear (Asian?)
Dragon fruit (varieties?)

What is worth the investment? What grows with little care?
Thanks friends!

-Fish Asante

Citradia

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2016, 10:42:52 PM »
Paw paw is native tree from VT to north FL and is no maintenance, deer and pest -free( I've only had minor squirrel damage to crop). Paw paw is delicious and fruit is bug free with no spraying. Native Chickasaw plum is beautiful tree but fruit is mostly stone with little fruit pulp and jelly made from it is bitter like sour kumquat. I make good jelly out of native crabapples; in north FL you can grow malus angustifolia. You can grow Anna, Einshiemer, and Dorset golden apples in zone 9. Satsumas would be a good quality citrus in southern LA with minimal winter protection needed if any. Real guavas will only live where it doesn't freeze, i.e. South FL.

Citradia

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2016, 10:58:55 PM »
Also: native hawthorns or mayhaws are small bitter little dry apples basically, and I'd rather eat and make jellies out of Wild crabapples than fool with hawthorns which are the thorniest plants on earth. We have wild serviceberries in the mountains of NC, but I never saw any in north FL; plus, you would need a bunch of sarvice trees to get enough fruit to do anything with. Elderberry should do good for you, but again you would need to harvest a lot of those tiny berries to make jelly; native though. Blue berries are native and no maintenance with easy harvest of adequate size fruit to make do. Could grow loquats if you like them. Santa Rosa plum is an excellent Japanese plum that should do well with low chill hours; mine usually gets frosted here in NC; gotta spray a lot for plums and peaches for curculio though or your fruit will be laden with maggots.

forumfool

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2016, 11:18:28 PM »
I have a Mexican Cream Guava in ground here in San Jose and we get below freezing every winter (maybe just to 28, and for a few hours at that). I think you can grow a true Guava in 9b like I am. Plant against a south facing wall for some extra protection.

TravelingFriend

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2016, 05:10:53 AM »
Also: native hawthorns or mayhaws are small bitter little dry apples basically, and I'd rather eat and make jellies out of Wild crabapples than fool with hawthorns which are the thorniest plants on earth. We have wild serviceberries in the mountains of NC, but I never saw any in north FL; plus, you would need a bunch of sarvice trees to get enough fruit to do anything with. Elderberry should do good for you, but again you would need to harvest a lot of those tiny berries to make jelly; native though. Blue berries are native and no maintenance with easy harvest of adequate size fruit to make do. Could grow loquats if you like them. Santa Rosa plum is an excellent Japanese plum that should do well with low chill hours; mine usually gets frosted here in NC; gotta spray a lot for plums and peaches for curculio though or your fruit will be laden with maggots.

I appreciate u being able to make a quick run over of information that you could! This is in the country, lots of space, so anything would be nice, and now we have more to understand.

Citradia

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2016, 08:33:05 PM »
You're welcome. Have fun!

sildanani

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2016, 01:22:35 AM »
I'm not in Louisiana, but I am in Ohio. I grow a Hawaiian strain of the ground cherry known as poha berry. They grow just like cape goose berries and ground cherries, but I keep them as annuals. They fruit very well in my area.
Anisha

TravelingFriend

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2016, 09:51:14 PM »
I'm not in Louisiana, but I am in Ohio. I grow a Hawaiian strain of the ground cherry known as poha berry. They grow just like cape goose berries and ground cherries, but I keep them as annuals. They fruit very well in my area.

I am aware they produce lots of seeds, and I really love to share ground cherries, and eat them as well. Let me know if you're ever able to send seeds south.
Thanks friend.

fruitlovers

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2016, 01:18:40 AM »
I'm not in Louisiana, but I am in Ohio. I grow a Hawaiian strain of the ground cherry known as poha berry. They grow just like cape goose berries and ground cherries, but I keep them as annuals. They fruit very well in my area.
Poha berry is the same as cape gooseberry.
Oscar

LaCasaVerde

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Re: Rare fruits growing in Louisiana?
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2016, 09:01:57 PM »
Apples- low chill Dorsett Golden and EinShimer. Recommend the first two as they produce here in 9a now problem. Semi self fruitful but together will alos cross pollinate. Pruning required but thive in the humid hot climate I have.

Plums- Santa Rosa, Catilina do well in this climate- similar  to yours with low chill.

Cherries... Barbados Cherry. You will really appreciate this one as it produces 5 to six crops per season. look for Florida Sweet varieghty. completely hands free care with no diseases pests. ony drawback is not hardy under 30 degrees. Plant in warm location- south facing

Most all citrus - hamlin, blood , myers lemon, all satsuma types , all mandarin types - all failry easy to grow

Banana- cali gold, dwarf oranico, cavandish all produce here- hands off...maybe if not cold under mid thirties. Need 8-11 months from pups to bananas without freeze interruption