The Tropical Fruit Forum

Hi Everyone,

I recently went to my friend Norman's house and found that many a flower on his Rollinia tree had turned to fruit! There were about 30-50 total fruits on the tree and only one was larger than a baseball. Pics below, I hope this fruit matures correctly so I can taste it!

Some small fruits

The largest fruit there, about the size of a small pommelo.

And of course the tree itself.


Thanks for looking,

Hi Friends,

After hearing so much about the rumored lemon mérengue pie flavor of Bíriba I have decided that I have to put the rumors to an end. Is there anyone on this forum or anyone you know of who can ship some Fresh (preferably non Irradiated) Rollinia?


All help greatly appreciated,

Hi Friends,

I recently found a source I might be able to get some A. globiflora scion from but wanted to know what it could be grafted on to. I think we should also make a chart on this forum for long term graft compatibilities for rare annona's so once we source them we can be able to know what they can graft on.

Have any ideas what A. globiflora can be grafted on?

Hi friends,

When I was looking at the list of African Eugenia's I came across this fine sp. Eugenia umtamvunensis. It is native to Africa and according to the IUCN redlist it is "Vulnerable". Fruits look small but looks like a good one for collectors in sub-tropical climates. Any-one have it?

Hi Friends, recently went to a local nursery and I spied a pouteria inside a hassle of pomegranites. I thought mamey sapote at first but the leaves are too thick and waxy unlike the floppy green leaves of my other mamey sapote. It was unlabeled but I think it might be green sapote. It looks a lot like another unknown pouteria I have that Oscar says looks a lot like Pouteria hypoglauca.







Any ideas?

Hi all, I have recently received a Garcinia humilis seedling from kind Richard whom supplied a few seedlings for free. On wikipedia it says the fruit is a prolific bearer meaning it fruits in a less amount of time? Does anyone have experience with it or know how long it takes to fruit? I have the same question about Garcinia macrophylla and Garcinia brasiliensis.

Hi Friends,
I thought I should introduce one of my favorite sources for tropical fruit tree's, (drumroll) Beard Tropics Nursery! Norman Beard is the owner, he was raised on a farm in Ohio and discovered tropical fruit so he decided to move here.

He's turning 80 on january 30th and wants to sell out all of his tree's so he can retire and just do private orders from then on. He has created one variety of fruit tree, the "Normans Early Bearing Inga" which I came up with the name for, it is currently called Inga sp. because the species is undetermined.

Norman has a 5 Acre property up in Goleta and grows many different tropical fruit. His favorite are fejoias(which I can't stand). I thought he might like the business so I decided to make this post on the forum, the list of what he has to offer on his website is incomplete but I have a full list below...

Mangoes:
Glenn(GRAFTED, 5 gallon, 1 tree, $40)

Timatoyo(GRAFTED, 15 gallon, 1 tree, $95)

Keitt(GRAFTED, 5 gallon, two trees, $40-45)

Strawberry Tree(1 tree, 5 gallon, $35)

Papaya:

Babaco(Cutting Rooted, 5 gallon, $35)

Hawaiian(Cutting Rooted, 5 gallon, $35)

Wax Jambu:

White(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $45)

Black Pearl(Mature, 5 Gallon, $45)

Unknown(5 Gallon, $45)

Cinnamon(3 plants, 5 Gallon, $45)

Cherimoya:

Vietmanese(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $40)

Dr. White(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $40)

Honey Hart(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $40

Unknown(SEEDLNG, 5 Gallon, $20)

Guava's:

Red Strawberry Guava(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $35)

Yellow Strawberry Guava(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $35)

Malaysian Red Fleshed(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $35)

Australian Finger Limes(Several trees, 5 Gal-7 Gal. $35 for 5 Gal, $45 for 7 Gal.)

Buddhas Hand(Three tree's, GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35 each)

Ice Cream Bean:

Normans Early Bearing(Many small seedlings, $10.00, 1 gal.)

White Sapote:

Suebelle(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35)

Vernon(GRAFTED, 7 Gallon, $45)

Miracle Fruit(Heavy Bearer, 5 Gallon, $60)

Pomegranite:

Devils Heart(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $35)

Unkown(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $30)

Unknown(FRUITING AGE, 5 Gallon, $35)

Mamey Sapote

Unknown(MATURE, GRAFTED, 5 Gal. $45)

Bananas:

Mysore(7 Gallon, Mature, $45)

Cavendish(7 Gallon, Mature, $45)

Paw-Paw:

Unknown(Seedling, $15)

Persimmon:[/b

Tangerine:

Dancy(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35)

Satsuma(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35)

Bears Seedless Lime(Several tree's, 5 Gallon, $35)

Kaffir Lime(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35)

Mexican Yellow Lime(GRAFTED, 5 Gallon, $35)

Tea Leaf(MATURE AGE, 5 Gallon, $45)

Etrog(Two tree's, $35)

Pink Fleshed Lemon(GRAFTED, 7 Gallon, $50)

Cherry of the Rio Grande(Mature Age, 5 Gallon, $35)

And many many more, I will edit this list when I get the update. When you visit he will take you on a ride around his property in his golf cart to examine all of the fruit tree's. He has a large collection himself including many myrtaceae specimens and a fruiting Rollinia!

He can be contacted at (805)-448-7912 CELL PHONE

                                 (805)-968-0989 HOME PHONE

                                 Email: beardtropics@verizon.net

Please call before visiting, maybe members could plan a date to visit?

DIRECTIONS:101 North Bound from Santa Barbara, right off freeway on Winchester Canyon Road, go right on Cathedral Oaks Road, take first left on Ellwood Canyon Road, then right uphill on Ellwood Ridge Road to first place on right.
 
     101 South Bound from Buelton:
take Hollister Ave, off ramp, go left back over freeway, make a right on Calle Real, take first left on Cathedral Oaks Road, then follow directions above from Winchester Canyon Road.

The pots seem to dry out the soil about a day after watering but other than that I have heard that they are good. Any other good or bad parts to them? I am currently germinating everything I have inside them, Lakoocha seem to flourish in these pots opposed to plastic pots, no other plants seem to have any other difference though.

Hi everyone, my junglesop seed from trade-winds was outgrowing it's 1 gallon pot so I transplanted it to a pecan pot. I accidentally damaged the very tip of the root on the two main roots. I am worried about it so I took pictures and wanted to ask the pro's.

Hi everyone, I went over to my friend Norman's house today and collected some Ice Cream Bean from a cultivar that bears fruit early. I have about 22 seeds if anyone is interested, PM me your address and I'll put em' in the mail.

Hi everyone, I went to a local nursery, Island Seed and Feed, and came across this strange specimen, the leaves look like those of immature jackfruit or miniature pedalai leaves. Tree is relatively slow growing, it is only in a 5 gallon pot.

Here is the top of the tree(it looks just the same except leafless going down the trunk)

Here is a close up of the leaf


Any ideas?

Hi Friends, I was very surprised to find that a branch of jaboticaba I had chopped off and left on the ground re-rooted itself without aid in about three weeks, it is now considered a plant, instead of budwood. For all those Jaboticaba experts(Adam, Oscar, and all Jaboticabaholic's Anonymous), can you give me an explanation for this? I will post pictures later  .